W.F. Howes has secured the audio rights for the first three titles in the DC Ruth Hunter Murder Case series, by one of the UK’s most popular crime writers, Simon McCleave.
 
Launching in late July, the three audiobooks – Diary of a War Crime, The Razor Gang Murder, and The Imitation of Darkness – take readers back in time to the 1990s and follow the early stages of London detective Ruth Hunter’s blossoming career with the Metropolitan Police.
 
Originally a scriptwriter for TV and film, Simon McCleave published his first book, The Snowdonia Killings, in January 2020 and has since gone on to publish an astonishing 11 titles, collectively selling over 750,000 copies across the DI Ruth Hunter Crime Thriller series and DC Ruth Hunter Murder Case series.
 
Simon McCleave said: “As a big fan of audiobooks I have always felt that the format lends itself perfectly to the suspense and dramatic nature of my Ruth Hunter novels. I wanted to partner with an independent and experienced audio publisher who I could not only trust to bring my novels to life and deliver stunning products, but who could also offer me a great deal of freedom and flexibility for my titles. I am delighted to be working with W.F. Howes to offer existing Ruth Hunter fans a new way to experience my novels, while introducing my books to brand new audiences, too.”
 
Laura Smith, Senior Acquisitions Editor at W.F. Howes, who secured worldwide English language rights from Millie Hoskins at United Agents, commented: “During 2020, Simon has established himself as one of the most prolific and exciting emerging crime authors in the country, specialising in dark police procedurals, psychologically complex characters and shocking plot twists. With so many of his titles reaching the dizzying heights of the Amazon UK Kindle charts, we are extremely excited about the prospects of this hugely nostalgic, gritty, fast-paced prequel series.”
 
All three audiobooks will be narrated by actress Rachel Atkins, who played the voice of Vicky Tucker in The Archers for the BBC.