Penguin Michael Joseph wins six-way auction for the debut of 'Broadchurch' creator Chris Chibnall

Penguin Michael Joseph has bagged "Broadchurch" creator Chris Chibnall’s Death at the White Hart, revolving around a "web of secrets and lies" in a small community after the local pub landlord is found murdered.

Publisher Joel Richardson acquired world rights in two books from Eugenie Furniss at 42, following a six-way auction. The book will publish in January 2025. Meanwhile, North American rights sold to Pam Dorman, senior vice-president and publisher of Pamela Dorman Books, in a pre-empt.

The novel is set in a picturesque village in Dorset and when the landlord’s body is discovered detective Nicola Bridge’s investigation "puts the spotlight on the vividly-drawn community, as she unpicks a web of secrets and lies to finally unmask a killer".

Chibnall is a BAFTA and Peabody award-winning screenwriter, producer and playwright. His TV work includes "Broadchurch", "The Great Train Robbery", "Doctor Who" and "Life on Mars". 

Chibnall said: “Having always harboured the desire to write a novel, I’ve been working on Death at the White Hart for a couple of years now. It’s exciting (and nerve-racking!) to finally reveal its existence. The book is set in a landscape I know and love, in a genre I adore.”

Richardson added: “It’s no exaggeration to say Chris Chibnall is one of Britain’s most accomplished and celebrated storytellers, and it is a sheer delight to see how smoothly his talent has shifted over into novel-writing. Death at the White Hart is both a gripping mystery and a searingly clever portrait of a small community.”