Madeleine Milburn has accepted a *knockout pre-empt* for US rights in Fiona Barton’s debut crime novel THE WIDOW and two further books from Penguin Random House in America. The whole team is ‘smitten’ with the book and are very excited to have this author with them for her long-term career.
In the UK, Penguin Random House / Transworld has acquired the UK & Commonwealth rights in three books from the agency in a significant auction and will publish The Widow as their lead hardback title simultaneously with the US in March 2016.
The Madeleine Milburn Agency has already sold translation rights at auction to international publishers worldwide including Germany (Rowholt), Czech Republic (Domino), Denmark (Hr Ferdinand), The Netherlands (The House of Books), Italy (Einaudi), Norway (Cappelen Damm), France (Fleuve Editions), Portugal (Grupo Planeta), Brazil (Intrinseca), Poland (Czarna Owca) and Spain (Grupo Planeta). Auctions are ongoing in Israel, Sweden and China.
UK crime editor, Frankie Gray said: ‘THE WIDOW transfixed the whole team at Transworld…Fiona perfectly captures the intensity and terrifying uncertainty of our closest relationships, and shows us how shaky the ground on which we build our lives really is. It’s convincing, affecting, unforgettable crime fiction at its very best.’
Author Fiona Barton said: ‘As a journalist, I spent a lot of time in court. In the big cases – notorious and terrible crimes that led the news – I would find myself watching the wives of those standing in the dock and wondering what they really knew, or allowed themselves to know. I wanted to understand how you cope with the idea that your husband – the man you chose – may be a monster…’
For trade coverage, please see The Bookseller’s news story
