Montefiore moves to Orion Fiction with four-book deal

Santa Montefiore has signed a four-book deal with Orion Fiction, with the first in the new series, Shadows in the Moonlight, to be published in July 2024.

Publishing director Charlotte Mursell acquired world English rights from Sheila Crowley at Curtis Brown. Shadows in the Moonlight follows beguiling Pixie Tate to the wild Cornish coast as she attempts to unravel a curious mystery at the stately St Sidwell Manor.

The synopsis adds: “Over two hundred years ago, in the dark of night, a child vanished from his bed never to be seen again – and Pixie must discover the truth of those final moonlit hours. As the story undulates between the past and the present, secrets are revealed, love affairs exposed and, ultimately, Pixie will be forced to make a devastating choice that will change everything.”

Santa Montefiore is a Sunday Times bestselling author and has sold over 2.6 million books for £14m through Nielsen Bookscan’s Total Consumer Market, with her biggest selling title The House by the Sea (Simon & Schuster UK) selling nearly 160,000 copies in paperback.

Mursell said: “I’ve long been obsessed with Santa’s exquisite writing and extraordinary storytelling. In just a few lines, she’s able to whisk the reader to wholly different worlds, to plunge them desperately and devastatingly in love, and to keep them guessing with intricately crafted twists and turns until the very last page. Shadows in the Moonlight marks the start of a sensational new series from Santa – we’re so excited that she has chosen Orion to be her publisher and we’re ready to deliver a powerful step-change in the next stage of her career.”

Montefiore said: “I’m excited to be embarking on the next stage of my career. It’s thrilling to be launching a brand new series with Orion and I’m so lucky to have Charlotte Mursell at the helm as my editor. I can’t wait to introduce my readers to my heroine, Pixie Tate, and to her intriguing world.”

Crowley commented: “I have long admired Charlotte as one of the best editors of her generation and know she will work with Santa and the Orion team in bringing this exciting new series to a wide audience.”