In Other Mystery-Related Deal News

First, a most unusual mystery series to Penguin:

Mehmet Murat Somer’s THE KISS MURDER and THE PROPHET MURDERS, the first

in a mystery series set in Istanbul starring a transvestite nightclub

owner who is a Thai kickboxing expert, has a fondness for the chic

style of Audrey Hepburn, and is drawn into solving crimes of passion,

blackmail, and sexual intrigue, to Alexis Washam at Penguin, in a

pre-empt, by George Lucas at Inkwell Management on behalf of Serpent’s

Tail (NA).

I suspect the writeup doesn’t quite do the books justice, but I want to read them. Next, Spinetingler editrix Sandra Ruttan graduates to a New York publisher:

Sandra Ruttan’s WHAT BURNS WITHIN, a debut police procedural series set

in the Vancouver area, and the second book THE FRAILTY OF FLESH, to Don

D’Auria at Dorchester, in a nice deal, in a two-book deal, for

publication beginning in May 2008, by Curtis Russell at PlainSmart

Publishing Agency (world English).

Turns out the deal’s been done for two months, but is only being reported now.