Claire Schultz’s debut horror EVEN YOUR BONES WOULD DO won in six-figure auction by Berkley PRH in US and Daphne Press in UK
We are delighted to announce that Claire Schultz’ debut EVEN YOUR BONES WOULD DO has been sold in multi-way auctions in the US and UK.
Gabrielle Pachon at Berkley secured North American rights to the novel plus a second title for a ‘significant’ six-figure sum. Davi Lancett acquired the UK rights, also at auction, for Daphne Press.
Pitched as a sapphic haunted house story, EVEN YOUR BONES WOULD DO is a twisty, lyrical, and tragic retelling of the Bluebeard fairytale perfect for fans of Ava Reid’s A Study in Drowning, Roshani Chokshi’s The Last Tale of the Flower Bride, and V. E. Schwab’s Gallant. It follows a young woman named April in 1930s Chicago, who takes the chance at a new, exciting life when a rich man shows up on her doorstep and asks for her hand—promising to show her the world and give her all the riches she could ask for. But her new husband is not what he seems, and the draughty house she is brought to has secrets of its own: not least the whisper of another woman, one who was there before April, a previous wife, with soft hands and a pointed chin and bright eyes. Marie, who must help get April out, out, out, before she too is subsumed by the grim fairytale which traps all the wives of Thornwood House within…
Davi said: “Claire’s book stole our hearts as soon as we read the premise. It gives a tantalising hint at the core of this outstanding story, but it’s the sumptuous prose, delicious atmosphere, and powerful imagery that demand your attention and deliver a book that will stay with you long after reading.”
Clara said: “As agents, we always hope that a submission will live up to its brilliant pitch. Claire had me at ‘Bluebeard with lesbian ghosts’—and then surpassed it utterly with her writing, which demonstrates not just extraordinary poise and storytelling, but an aching, roiling emotion at its core. It blew me away. I cannot wait for readers to have that same experience.”
Congratulations, Claire!