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Doug Johnstone's thriller A Dark Matter (Orenda) has been optioned for TV by Glasgow based entertainment company Blazing Griffin.
The rights were acquired by the company's head of development, Gillian Christie, and head of television Lizzie Gray, from Marjacq Scripts, in a deal negotiated by Leah Middleton.
Christie said: "We are delighted to be developing A Dark Matter for television—Doug Johnstone is a stellar Scottish talent and this is his best yet, taking on life, death and everything in between. A gripping, darkly funny, female-led thriller with a heart, it had us at 'Her dad took much longer to burn than she expected…'"
Johnstone's standalone thriller, Breakers, was shortlisted for the McIlvanney Prize for Best Scottish Crime Book in 2019. A Dark Matter is the first instalment of the Skelfs series. A second book in the series, The Big Chill, will be published by Orenda in August 2020.
Orenda publisher Karen Sullivan said: "We are absolutely thrilled by this news. A Dark Matter is a perfect vehicle for the screen, with its cast of unforgettable, beautifully drawn female characters.
"It’s dark, chilling and often shocking, but also warm and funny, as grandmother Dorothy, mother Jenny and grand-daughter Hannah take on a series of perplexing cases while dealing with their grief and the challenges of running two disparate businesses. I can’t wait to see what Blazing Griffin does with this rich, original material."