Fontana snares Emma Nesporova’s medieval murder mystery, The Relics
Fontana has acquired The Relics by Emma Nesporova, a "richly layered and atmospheric" medieval murder mystery set in an Essex village in the aftermath of the Peasants’ Revolt.
Rosanna Forte, publishing director of Fontana, acquired world English language rights to the debut novel from Joanna Swainson at Hardman & Swainson. Publication is scheduled for summer 2027. Rights have also been sold in Germany, Spain and the Czech Republic.
The blurb reads: "When a curious map is discovered on the body of a dead man in Dedding church, manuscript illuminator Christina is summoned to provide her opinion on the strange artefact. But as it seems that those with power have no intention of uncovering the truth behind the murder, Christina finds herself drawn into an investigation far darker and more complex than she could have envisioned.
"With the aftermath of the Peasants’ Revolt and a previously unsolved murder hanging over the village, Christina quickly discovers that Dedding is a hotbed of lies, collusion and conspiracy and that the tendrils of power and corruption reach very deep indeed."
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Nesporova, who has a PhD in medieval history from the University of Cambridge, said: "I am absolutely thrilled to be working with Rosanna and her team at Fontana. I have wanted to write a novel set in the Middle Ages for a very long time – a world which is at times as hauntingly familiar as it is utterly bizarre.
"I hope readers enjoy the story as much as I enjoyed writing it. Thank you to Joanna and everyone at Hardman & Swainson for their enthusiasm for and belief in the book."
Forte said the novel "captivated me instantly with its claustrophobic and rich setting, its sweeping cast of characters, and its authoritative insight into a fascinating moment in medieval history".
She continued: "Emma delivers a masterfully plotted and complex mystery that kept me guessing until the final page. I’ve been looking for a murder mystery with this intensity of atmosphere for a long time and so I’m very excited to be publishing The Relics at Fontana."
Swainson added: "I’m so happy Rosanna will be publishing Emma’s wonderful debut, The Relics. The medieval setting is brilliantly captured, the mystery is satisfyingly complex, Christina is the best kind of heroine and the novel is a thing of beauty. Fontana feels like the perfect home for it."
