Pet detective Butcher lights up LBF

A heartwarming story about a pet detective and his rescue dog has been sold across Europe and in the US.

Molly & Me: How One Man and his Dog Became a Crime-Solving Duo by Colin Butcher was sold in the US, in a six-figure pre-empt, to Macmillan list Celadon Books in a deal brokered by Furniss Lawton agent Rory Scarfe. In the UK, a pre-empt made just hours after submission was turned down; the book is the subject of an eight-way auction due to take place next week. Goldmann won a five-way auction in Germany, while Sperling beat off four rivals in Italy.

Former policeman Butcher recruited a rescue dog to help him track down missing cats for their heartbroken owners. His story has also been pre-empted in Finland (WSOY), Norway (Aschehoug) and the Netherlands (House of Books), with a Swedish auction ongoing. An auction for film rights is also expected to take place.