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Leodora Darlington has acquired world all-language rights to two cosy mysteries from Historic Royal Palaces and N R Daws, in a two-book deal.
Orion will launch the first mystery, Murder at the Palace, in March 2025 in hardback, e-book and audio.
Murder at the Palace is a described as a “brilliant head-scratcher of a locked-room mystery”. The synopsis says: “When a woman is murdered in the grace-and-favour apartment she shares with her sister in Hampton Court Palace, the police suspect a random burglar, but Mrs Lydia Bramble, the palace housekeeper, is not convinced. She conducts her own investigation and soon discovers a web of deceit that rocks the very foundations of life at the palace.”
Daws is a long-standing fellow of the Royal Geographical Society and alumnus of the Curtis Brown Creative writing school. He achieved Highly Commended in the Blue Pencil Agency First Novel Award 2019, where he met his agent, Nelle Andrew of Rachel Mills Literary. His first novel, A Quiet Place to Kill, was published by Thomas & Mercer in 2021.
Daws said: “It’s not every day a novelist gets to collaborate on projects with the Historic Royal Palaces, so I jumped at the chance to write these two novels and work with Leodora again. With the ‘Lady Housekeeper’ stepping forward as my sleuth, I relish the challenge of devising these cosy crime mysteries set in the iconic palace at Hampton Court.”
Darlington added: "It’s an absolute joy getting to work with Neil again on these new exciting mysteries. It’s also great having the wonderful Historic Royal Palaces team to collaborate with on these books, with so much inspiration to draw on from their historic and world-famous monuments. I’m so excited to bring these fabulous mysteries to readers.”