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Quercus is publishing crime writer Elly Griffiths’ first standalone title, The Stranger Diaries, in November 2018.
The Stranger Diaries is described by Quercus as “a modern gothic thriller” which Griffiths wrote partly in homage to her favourite author, Wilkie Collins. It will also feature “memorable characters, humour and quite a few endearing animals”, according to its author.
The book, an autumn lead title for Quercus, follows a year-long campaign leading up to the 10th book in Griffiths’ Dr Ruth Galloway Mystery series, The Dark Angel, which publishes in February 2018.
Quercus reported Griffiths sold over 300,000 books through the UK TCM with her sales growing book on book. Sales through the TCM of her most recent paperback in the Ruth Galloway series, The Chalk Pit, published in July this year, are 64% ahead of the previous title in the series, it said.
Jane Wood, Griffiths’ publisher who acquired UK and Commonwealth rights excluding Canada from Rebecca Carter at Janklow & Nesbit, said fans would be excited to try something "completely different" from the author.
“Over the past decade Elly Griffiths has built a large and dedicated fan base for her Dr Ruth Galloway mysteries as well as her Stephens & Mephisto historical crime novels," said Wood. "Her many followers will be delighted to hear that both series are set to continue. Meanwhile, we are hugely excited for Elly's fans to sample something completely different in The Stranger Diaries.”
Griffiths said she was "thrilled" to be "delving into the realm of the gothic whilst keeping a foot firmly in the modern thriller genre".
"The Stranger Diaries will channel Wilkie Collins, MR James and all my favourite ghost stories but I hope it will also contain memorable characters, humour and quite a few endearing animals," she added. |I haven’t finished with Ruth yet, though. I have a great idea for the next Dr Ruth Galloway mystery which will reunite all the characters in their favourite liminal zone of the North Norfolk marshes.”
The Stranger Diaries will be backed by “major” campaign, said Quercus. It publishes in hardback, e-book and audio on 1st November.