Transworld wins five-way auction for Antony Johnston's interactive crime novel

Transworld has triumphed in a five-way bidding war for rights to Can You Solve the Murder by Antony Johnston, an interactive crime novel in which the reader plays detective and pieces together the evidence to solve the crime. 

Editorial director Finn Cotton acquired world English Language rights in two books from Sarah Such at the Sarah Such Literary Agency. Rights have been pre-empted in Italy and a German auction is currently under way, with international submissions still to come following the London Book Fair. 

“Can You Solve the Murder is a dazzling blend of gamebook and crime novel, a compelling story that will appeal to fans of Janice Hallett or Murdle [Souvenir Press]” Transworld said. “Throughout the book the reader chooses who to interview next, and which lead to follow. They take notes and look for evidence, before deciding when to confront their chosen suspect. There are different paths to take, some leading to dead ends, others to better clues, but every decision the reader makes has consequences.” 

An established fiction writer, Johnston is also an author across several genres and a games writer of major titles such as “Dead Space”, “Resident Evil Village” and “Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor”. The film “Atomic Blonde” was based on his Cold War spy thriller graphic novel. 

Cotton said: “As someone who grew up reading Choose Your Own Adventure books, I was thrilled when this manuscript arrived. Antony has written a mesmerising story that enables the reader to play an active role in the way the plot develops. It’s an immersive reading experience that is as puzzling as it is compelling, and we are delighted to welcome Antony to the list.” 

Johnston said: “I’ve read and loved gamebooks since the 1980s, so I’m excited to bring this new twist to crime fans with Can You Solve the Murder? Finn and the team at Transworld showed huge enthusiasm for the format, and a real understanding of its potential. I can’t wait for readers to try their hand at being a detective.” 

Such said: “Antony Johnston is an immense talent and literary athlete, writing at the top of his game. Transworld is simply the perfect publisher to bring his brilliantly original and timely book to the mass market.”