Penguin Michael Joseph has acquired a Jane Austen-inspired murder mystery by debut author Jessica Bull for six figures after a four-publisher auction, while a number of deals have been inked in North America and Europe.

Jessica Leeke, Publisher, bought UK and Commonwealth rights, excluding Canada from Juliet Mushens at Mushens Entertainment in a two-book, six-figure deal.

North American rights have also been sold in a six figure pre-empt to Claire Wachtel at Union Square by Jenny Bent at The Bent Agency on behalf of Juliet Mushens. Across Europe, rights have been pre-empted in Germany by Droemer, Italy by Piemme and a deal is underway in France.

Miss Austen Investigates: The Hapless Milliner, the first novel in the proposed Miss Austen Investigates series set in Regency Britain, will be published in hardback, ebook and audio in early 2024 with a paperback to follow later that year. The story begins at a ball in Hampshire in the late eighteenth century, where a young, spirited and witty Jane Austen is plotting to secure a marriage proposal from Tom Lefroy. Interrupted by the discovery of a milliner’s dead body in a linen closet, she is thrust into a local murder mystery.  When her beloved brother, Georgie, is implicated in the crime, Jane has six weeks to expose the real killer, or Georgie will face the gallows.

Jessica Leeke said: ‘Jessica Bull has a lot of respectful fun with her Jane Austen and treats her with such affection, it makes for a truly joyful read. Jane’s investigation sends her on a journey through local society as her suspect list keeps on growing – and as you can imagine she must use her keen observational skills of the people around her to solve the crime and save her brother. It’s a warm, comforting delight of a novel with a cast and setting readers will want to return to again and again.’

Bull began her working life as a librarian for the London Borough of Camden and has worked for the past 20 years as a communications professional and consultant for a variety of organisations, including the House of Commons, Pearson, and Penguin Random House.

Juliet Mushens said: ‘As a lifelong reader of regency novels as well as crime this absolutely was the escapist, witty and clever book I didn’t know I needed in my life. Jess Leeke is the perfect editor and I’m excited to see them launch Jessica’s career.’