Renegade Books victorious in six-way auction for Claire Anderson-Wheeler's 'delicious' debut

Renegade Books has triumphed in a "ferociously fought" six-way auction for Claire Anderson-Wheeler’s debut, The Gatsby Gambit. 

Publisher Christina Demosthenous acquired UK and Commonwealth and audio rights, excluding Canada (non-exclusive Europe), from Sue Armstrong at C&W on behalf of Gráinne Fox at United Talent Agency. North American rights were acquired at auction by Laura Tisdel at Viking. Renegade will publish The Gatsby Gambit as a superlead title in April 2025. 

"The Gatsby Gambit  makes for the most delectable murder mystery, with its sumptuous setting, charismatic and complex cast and plethora of scandalous secrets, all elevated by Claire’s utterly captivating writing," said Armstrong. 

Invites to receive limited-edition proofs have been sent out via Paperless Post. Head of marketing Emily Moran called Anderson-Wheeler’s debut a "marketer’s dream". 

The Gatsby Gambit reimagines the world of F Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby. Set in 1922, amateur sleuth Greta Gatsby, younger sister to Jay Gatsby, arrives at the Gatsby mansion to find her brother hosting a gathering with Daisy and Tom Buchanan, his brother Edgar, Nick Carraway and Jordan Baker. Greta must uncover the truth when, after a night of festivities, someone is missing and murder has come to the estate. 

Demosthenous said: "The Gatsby Gambit is a delicious, daring twist on this adored literary world. The Great Gatsby with a rebellious female lead, a wickedly feminist edge, and murder… need I say more? Claire’s debut is the perfect cocktail of Jazz Age glitz, glamour and foul play but, beyond that, it’s an exploration of class, the trappings of wealth, and just how far people are willing to go to hold on to their social standing." 

"I’ve been a fan of The Great Gatsby since my teenage years—it’s a touchstone whose relevance is undimmed 100 years after first publication," said Anderson-Wheeler. "Writing The Gatsby Gambit was a fascinating exercise in looking at the distance we’ve travelled—or more importantly, haven’t travelled—since then."