Pan Macmillan signs 'lost treasure' from the late Lucinda Riley

Pan Macmillan has signed The Hidden Girl, a "lost treasure" from the deceased Lucinda Riley which has been reworked by her son Harry Whittaker. 

Lucy Hale, managing director, acquired world English rights from Stephen Riley, the late author’s husband and agent, at Mitchell Rights Management. The novel is scheduled for September 2024 as part of a global publication. 

The Hidden Girl follows Leah Thompson, a young woman raised in Yorkshire who catches the attention of the influential Delancey family. The synopsis continues: "Years later, Leah has taken the modelling world by storm, travelling from Milan to London and New York and living life in the lap of luxury. But her past follows her like a dark shadow, mysteriously intertwined with the tragic tale of two young siblings in Poland during the Second World War. As two generations of secrets threaten to explode, Leah is haunted by a fatal, forgotten prophecy from her past, and must fight to challenge the destiny that has been mapped out for her in the stars." 

Whittaker also co-authored Atlas: The Story of Pa Salt (Pan Macmillan), the eighth book in Riley’s Seven Sisters series, after her death in June 2021.

Hale said: "The Seven Sisters series continues to bring huge joy to readers all around the world, so it is a great pleasure, and privilege, for Pan to publish another Lucinda Riley bestseller this Autumn. We are delighted, and grateful, that Harry, Lucinda’s son, has again honoured his mother’s legacy by reshaping The Hidden Girl and will be promoting this autumn."

Whittaker added: "After reading mum’s original manuscript for The Hidden Girl, it brought back waves of admiration at the epic worlds she created with such ease and imagination. Just as with the Seven Sisters series, The Hidden Girl touches on themes of family secrets spanning generations and a long-forgotten prophecy from the past."