Seven Dials falls for Donovan’s historical true crime book 

Seven Dials has snapped up academic librarian Kim Donovan’s debut historical true crime book. 

Beth Eynon, editorial director, acquired UK and Commonwealth rights to The Mysterious Mrs Hood from Hannah Schofield at LBA. Film and TV rights are with Emily Hayward-Whitlock at The Artists Partnership. It will publish on 22nd February 2024.

“In Great Yarmouth, September 1900, a young woman is found dead on the beach, a bootlace tied tightly around her neck”, the synopsis says. “Despite her death attracting national attention in the press, nobody claims her. What follows is a true crime case that gripped the nation, as Scotland Yard peel away layers of mystery, following clues and tracking red herrings, leading the police to close in on their one and only suspect.”

The publisher said: “With arson, fraud, an affair, a sensation-hungry press and one of the most eagerly anticipated trials of the early 20th century, author Kim Donovan finally tells her great-great-aunt’s story and the truth of evil duplicity in Victorian England.”

Eynon said: “Kim is an extremely talented writer who brings together all of the twists and turns of her great-great-aunt’s story and lays the truth bare on the page. It’s been my joy to work with Kim on bringing her family murder mystery to publication, a story which has already delighted early readers (Wendy Moore calls it ‘true crime at its best’, while Sam Christer says ’with drama so addictive it should be illegal’). Evoking the detective work and mystery of Sherlock Holmes, but in a true story, Seven Dials is hugely proud to be publishing The Mysterious Mrs Hood early next year.”

Donovan added: “I’m excited to be working with Beth and the team at Seven Dials to bring Mary Jane’s remarkable story to life in The Mysterious Mrs Hood. Beth got the book from our very first conversation, and I am grateful to her and the team for their tireless work on the project.”