Million-copy bestseller Sue Moorcroft moves to Dialogue Books with new escapist trilogy

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Sunday Times bestselling author Sue Moorcroft will move to Dialogue’s Renegade Books, an imprint of John Murray Press with her new series The Legacy Trilogy. The books were acquired at auction in a six-figure World English Language deal by Christina Demosthenous, Publisher of Renegade Books, from Blake Friedmann’s Juliet Pickering, with the first book, SECRETS OF THE ITALIAN GUESTHOUSE, set to publish in paperback, eBook and audio in Spring 2026.

An atmospheric, emotional and charmingly romantic story of sisterhood, entwined history and family legacy, the new trilogy signals an ambitious next step from the beloved women’s fiction author.

With Sue Moorcroft’s signature warmth and heart, The Legacy Trilogy is set in magnificent Lake Como, northern Italy. On her death, Mairead Campbell leaves her guesthouse, Pensione Three Sisters, to her three granddaughters, Jade, Erin and Rosalie, the scattered daughters of Mairead’s unreliable son Giovanni. The estranged sisters have never met, and they come together over Mairead’s will. Inheriting the guesthouse is just the start of their journeys…

‘Renegade’s pitch for the Legacy trilogy was so appetising!’ said Sue Moorcroft. ‘Christina and the team impress me with their expertise and enthusiasm as well as their ambition for me and my books. I look forward to a wonderfully rosy future as a Renegade author.’

‘I have been a fan of Sue’s for years, so I am pinching myself,’ added Christina Demosthenous. ‘Sue has a huge talent for writing uplifting and charming novels that utterly sweep you away. She completely gets what readers of romantic fiction want, and she more than delivers. Always packed with heart, immensely relatable, beautifully immersive and just the right amount of feel-good, reading a Sue Moorcroft book promises to be a delicious slice of escapism. In SECRETS OF THE ITALIAN GUESTHOUSE we have all of this, and then some. We are so proud to be welcoming Sue to Renegade and working with Juliet. We can’t wait to take Sue’s career to new heights.’

Juliet Pickering said: ‘I’m delighted that Sue has found a fantastic new home with one of the most energetic and committed editors and publishing teams out there. Sue’s sales – both in the UK and globally – are incredible, and fresh vision on her publishing is exciting for all of us. We look forward to growing her readership even further and introducing Jade, Erin and Rosalie in their stunning Italian setting, next year.’

About Sue Moorcroft

Sue Moorcroft is a Sunday Times bestselling and internationally acclaimed author whose work has topped the Amazon Kindle UK charts and reached the Top 100 on Amazon Kindle US, Canada, Germany and Italy. Since 2005, she has published 25 novels, along with numerous short stories, serials, courses, and columns that have been enjoyed by readers worldwide. Her books have been translated into thirteen languages. Sue has won the Goldsboro Books Contemporary Novel of the Year, Readers’ Best Romantic Novel Award, two HOLT Medallions, and the Katie Fforde Bursary. In 2023, she was appointed President of the Romantic Novelists’ Association and continues to champion the prestige of romantic fiction through both the RNA and the #RespectRomFic movement.

Praise for Sue Moorcroft

‘A delight to read. Full of laughter and tears.’ – Katie Fforde

‘Sue’s novels are the perfect escape. You’re guaranteed a warm and sunny read whatever the weather.’ – Bella Osborne

‘There’s something so effortless about reading Sue Moorcroft because her stories are beautifully written, and mesmerisingly engaging… Sue Moorcroft shines a laser beam of understanding and sensitivity on the role of family, leaving the reader feeling as if they’ve been given privileged insight.’ – Linda Hill, My Weekly

‘Sue Moorcroft delivers great stories time after time.’ – Milly Johnson

‘Sue Moorcroft has it all: gorgeous scenery, heartwarming friendships, secrets, twists and turns and a scorching romance.’ – Good Housekeeping

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A MOTHER’S PROMISE, the true story of Renee Salt’s survival of the Holocaust, is a Sunday Times bestseller

A MOTHER’S PROMISE, the true story of Renee Salt’s survival of the Holocaust, written with Kate Thompson, is a Sunday Times bestseller, jumping straight to Number 6 in the hardback bestseller list.

A MOTHER’S PROMISE is published by Seven Dials (Orion) in the United Kingdom with US and Canadian editions set to be published on March 4th by Alcove Press and Simon & Schuster Canada.

Renee’s powerful story was featured in BBC documentary ‘What Happened at Auschwitz’ in January 2025 and Renee has appeared on Sky News, ITV’s Lorraine and in Prima magazine. She also met the Prime Minister Kier Starmer at Number 10 Downing Street at a reception for Holocaust survivors.

From invasion to liberation, September 1939 to April 1945, as Renee was marched from ghetto to camp, there was one constant. One hand that clutched hers – her mother’s. Every day for nearly six years, mother and daughter were bound together in hell. From Auschwitz-Birkenau to Bergen-Belsen, they were a powerful source of solace and hope for one another.

The strength of Sala’s love gave them both something fragile yet beautiful to cling to in an ugly, depraved world. It was her mother who hid Renee, lied to the SS, went right when she was directed left – whose small actions had life-saving consequences. Now, for Renee, the need to share has finally overcome the desire to forget.

Praise for A MOTHER’S PROMISE

‘A powerful testament to a mother’s love during unbelievable hardship… Renee’s story of resilience and survival is powerful, poignant, and deeply important. A must-read.’ – Elizabeth Bellak, co-author of RENIA’S DIARY

‘A privilege to read. It is a deeply moving memoir, beautifully written and researched. What a fascinating, heartbreaking story… How heartening to see the strength of family love and resilience threading through the narrative. I was engrossed from the opening… Renee’s own words are brilliantly supported by Kate’s in depth exploration of context and her well-crafted storytelling. In addition to the evocation of Renee’s past life, the narrative is fascinating from a textile history point of view, highlighting Nazi policies of plunder and exploitation… I valued the way in which she was able to share her memories, despite her deep reservoirs of pain and loss… As a dress historian I was also impressed by Renee’s sense of re-humanisation when given a wool skirt to replace the awful garments doled out at Auschwitz. I was elated when she described the profound joy of saving money from her post-war sewing work in order to treat herself to a shop-bought dress.’ – Lucy Adlington, author of THE DRESSMAKERS OF AUSCHWITZ

‘This is a most extraordinary memoir, distinctive for its detailed recollection and its fearlessness in recording the truth of what happened.  Such accounts stand against violence and tyranny for all time.’ – Rachel Hore

‘A moving portrayal of one young woman's heroic life story... Renee’s journey is one of hope through the ashes of the past.’ – Heather Dune Macadam, author of 999: THE EXTRAORDINARY YOUNG WOMEN OF THE FIRST TRANSPORT TO AUSCHWITZ

‘An unforgettable story about the power of love, a story that reminds us how important hope is, a story that proves to us that human beings are remarkable and endlessly inspiring.’ – Natasha Lester, New York Times bestselling author of THE PARIS ORPHAN

‘A powerful account of a young girl’s incredible resilience in the face of the unthinkable horror of the Holocaust, Renee Salt’s memoir is needed now more than ever. A riveting read.’ – Julia Kelly, bestselling author of THE LOST ENGLISH GIRL

‘This is a book that will stay with me for a long time... A beautiful account, so movingly told.’ – Anna Stuart, author of THE MIDWIFE OF AUSCHWITZ

‘Renee Salt and Kate Thompson come together in powerful unity in a way that is both deeply moving and unforgettable. This is a story the world needs to know.’ – Madeline Martin, author of THE BOOKLOVER’S LIBRARY

‘Quite simply the most important book you will read this year. It will stay with me for a very long time.’ – Hazel Gaynor, bestselling author of THE LAST LIFEBOAT

 About Kate Thompson

Kate is an award-winning journalist, ghostwriter and novelist. She spent five years’ working on national newspapers such as the Daily Express and Daily Mail, and also on all the major national woman’s magazine titles. Her debut novel, SECRETS OF THE SINGER GIRLS, was a Sunday Times bestseller in 2015, with first week sales of over 10,000. Kate’s first non-fiction book, THE STEPNEY DOORSTEP SOCIETY, was published by Penguin in February 2019 and reached number one in the history categories on Amazon.

THE LITTLE WARTIME BOOK CLUB, a standalone historical novel, was published in Spring 2024.

About Renee Salt

Reene was born Rywka Ruchla Berkowitz in Zdunska-Vola, Poland, in 1929 and is a Holocaust survivor. Renee and her mother survived both Auschwitz and Bergen-Belsen. After the Holocaust, Renee returned to her hometown to try and find any surviving members of her family. She moved in with an aunt in Paris where Renee then met her husband, Charles, a British soldier who had helped liberate Bergen-Belsen. They married in 1949 and had two children. Renee lives in northwest London and has five grandchildren. She regularly speaks in schools about her experiences during the Holocaust.

Graeme Macrae Burnet pens new novella BENBECULA for Polygon’s Darkland Tales

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Booker shortlisted author Graeme Macrae Burnet’s new book, BENBECULA, has been acquired by Scottish independent publisher Polygon. The book will be the sixth entry in Polygon’s acclaimed Darkland Tales series, in which Scottish authors reimagine key moments from Scottish history, myth and legend. Graeme’s novella will join previous titles in the series including RIZZIO by Denise Mina, HEX by Jenni Fagan, and most recently, QUEEN MACBETH by Val McDermid. Polygon Editor-at-Large Jamie Crawford acquired UK and British Commonwealth rights (excluding Canada) from Isobel Dixon at Blake Friedmann. BENBECULA will be published by Polygon in Winter 2025, with offers from other international publishers already under consideration.

The book is based on a true story from the 19th Century – chanced upon by Graeme late in the writing of HIS BLOODY PROJECT – concerning a murder committed on the Scottish island of Benbecula.

On the 9th of July 1857, a twenty-five-year-old labourer named Angus MacPhee bludgeoned to death his parents and aunt in the crofting community on the remote Hebridean island of Benbecula. Five years later, Angus's older brother Malcolm recounts the events leading up to the murders while trying to keep a grip on his own sanity. Malcolm is ostracised by the community and haunted by this gruesome episode, but is he as innocent as he seems? 

BENBECULA promises a tale of darkness, violence and madness, leavened by moments of black humour and absurdity, perfect for fans of HIS BLOODY PROJECT as well as Graeme’s wider work.

Author Graeme Macrae Burnet said, ‘I couldn't be more thrilled to be writing a novella for Polygon's Darkland Tales, a series that has quickly established itself as “must-read” for anyone interested in Scottish literature and history. I find myself immersed in a grimly fascinating murder case that has haunted me since I first came across it over a decade ago.’

‘Graeme is the perfect author for the Darklands series – wonderfully adept at mashing-up convention and genre, and a master at the darkly humorous and subversive tone that makes these books such compelling reads,’ says Jamie Crawford. ‘It will be hugely exciting to see his thrilling vision for this latest tale make its way on to the page.’

Isobel Dixon also commented: ‘Graeme is so brilliant at exploring the fertile borderlands of fact and fiction in his work and I’m delighted that Jamie Crawford realised how Polygon’s Darkland Tales series forms a perfect match for that sensibility. I know that readers will be utterly gripped by what Graeme makes of this historic family tragedy in the Outer Hebrides – already we’re fielding a great deal of interest in other rights.’

About Graeme Macrae Burnet

Graeme Macrae Burnet was brought up Kilmarnock, Ayrshire and now lives in Glasgow. He has also lived in the Czech Republic, France, Portugal and London. He has appeared at festivals and events in Australia, New Zealand, the US, Russia, Estonia, Macau, Ireland, Germany and France, as well as in the UK, and has twice been nominated for the Booker Prize. He has also been shortlisted for European and American literary awards.

His first novel, THE DISAPPEARANCE OF ADÈLE BEDEAU (Contraband, 2014), received a New Writer’s Award from the Scottish Book Trust and was longlisted for the Waverton Good Read Award. A second Inspector Gorski novel, THE ACCIDENT ON THE A35, was published in 2017, the year he won Author of the Year for the Sunday Herald Culture Awards. A CASE OF MATRICIDE, the final title in the Gorski trilogy, was published in October 2024 by Saraband in the UK and Biblioasis in the US.

HIS BLOODY PROJECT (Contraband, 2015) won the Saltire Society Fiction Book of the Year Award, and was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize and the LA Times Book Awards. It has been published to great acclaim around the world and is optioned for theatre and film. His novel CASE STUDY was longlisted for the Booker Prize and shortlisted for the Gordon Burn Prize and the Ned Kelly Award for International Crime Fiction 2022.

Graeme has also written shorter pieces to commission, including the short story ‘The Dark Thread’ for THESE OUR MONSTERS: The English Heritage Book of New Folktale, Myth and Legend (September Publishing, 2019/2024) and the serialised story ‘Wolverine Blues’, which was broadcast on BBC Radio 4 and is available to listen to on BBC Sounds.

Praise for Graeme Macrae Burnet

‘Maddeningly brilliant.’ –  Hannah Kent

‘A writer of great skill and authority.’ – Barry Forshaw, Financial Times

‘Extravagantly talented.’ – Mark Lawson, The Guardian

‘He is an uncommonly interesting and satisfying novelist.’ – Allan Massie, The Scotsman

‘Utterly enthralling.’ – Angie Harms, Sunday Mail

‘There’s no denying that Booker nominee and Saltire winner Graeme Macrae Burnet’s clever blend of crime and literary metafiction has been an artistic and critical triumph. His books engross as much as they tease, setting up questions about authorship and artifice, but never at the expense of a compelling narrative.’ – Alastair Mabbot, The Herald

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THE GHOSTS OF ROME by Joseph O’Connor hits Number One in Ireland

THE GHOSTS OF ROME, the second literary thriller in the Rome Escape Line Trilogy by bestselling author Joseph O’Connor, has jumped straight to Number One on the Irish bestseller chart after three days on sale and is in the Top 20 in the UK hardback chart as well.

The novel is published by Harvill Secker in the United Kingdom and Ireland and has just been published in the US and Canada by Europa Editions. In the UK, THE GHOSTS OF ROME was launched at Daunt Books in Marylebone and at the Irish Embassy in London where Joe was in conversation with Emma Madigan, Irish Diplomat and Former Ambassador of Republic of Ireland to the Holy See. A sold-out event at the Pavilion Theatre in Dún Laoghaire, Dublin, launched the bestselling Irish edition.

February 1944. Six months since Nazi forces occupied Rome. Inside the beleaguered city, the Contessa Giovanna Landini is a member of the band of Escape Line activists known as ‘The Choir’. Their mission is to smuggle refugees to safety and help Allied soldiers, all under the nose of Gestapo boss Paul Hauptmann.

During a ferocious morning air raid a mysterious parachutist lands in Rome and disappears into the backstreets. Is he an ally or an imposter? His fate will come to put the whole Escape Line at risk.

Meanwhile, Hauptmann’s attention has landed on the Contessa. As his fascination grows, she is pulled into a dangerous game with him – one where the consequences could be lethal.

Like MY FATHER’S HOUSE before it, THE GHOSTS OF ROME has been published to widespread acclaim. In The Guardian, Laura Wilson called the novel ‘nail-bitingly tense… vivid and moving’ in her round up of the ‘Best Recent Crime and Thrillers’ while the Sunday Times named it as one of their ‘Books to Look out for in 2025. The Sunday Independent commented that ‘The version of the war created here rings so emotionally true and clear… The writing has the energy and tension of a thriller yet the language is rich, visual and beautiful. The narration swoops in close to each character then the lens widens, almost cinematically. It becomes a bird flying over the city, strong and free, observing the tragedy and chaos below. Fans will love this return to the Choir.’

Reviewers in the US also have high praise for THE GHOSTS OF ROME. In a rave review in The New York Times, Alex Preston said ‘O’Connor has often been likened to the great Irish modernists for the lyricism of his voice-driven novels. But THE GHOSTS OF ROME also situates him within a broader European tradition of memory and moral reckoning, one that returns again and again to World War II. O’Connor embraces this legacy while transcending its cliches… What emerges is not just a wartime thriller, though it is that, but a meditation on how we remember, how we resist and how, even in the darkest times, humanity endures.’ Kirkus Reviews said ‘the story is exciting and rich with prose that’s a joy to read… Top-notch storytelling filled with emotion and drama’ while Publishers Weekly called the novel ‘pulse-pounding’ in a starred review. More praise can be found below.

The first novel in the trilogy, MY FATHER’s HOUSE, was published by Harvill Secker and Europa Editions in 2023, when it flew straight to Number One on the Irish bestseller charts, remaining there for four consecutive weeks. It has now sold more than 100,000 copies in the English language. It was shortlisted for the 2024 Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction and the Eason An Post Irish Novel of the year 2023, and also longlisted for the 2024 Dublin Literary Award.

 

Praise for THE GHOSTS OF ROME

‘O’Connor has done his research with care, drawing on O’Flaherty’s unpublished letters, diaries and journalism. With his real people in place, the author spins a new tale of derring-do, recounted with the help of imagined interviews conducted many years later… O’Connor paints a lively picture of a city filled with Fascist police and German soldiers, some on furlough from the North, everyone watchful and hungry, the streets filthy, the black-market prices rising every day… THE GHOSTS OF ROME is both a tribute to the imagination and courage of his remarkable team and a riveting thriller.’ – Caroline Moorehead, The Times Literary Supplement

‘A mesmerising, tragic, horrifying, utterly unputdownable story… A deeply affecting read with an ending that’s sad yet life affirming, this is an outstanding choice for fans of WWII fiction and of writers like Anthony Doerr.’ – Emily Melton, Booklist, starred review

‘O’Connor is a novelist capable of real poetry who also gives thriller fans a reason to turn the pages… Meticulously researched… This tremendous piece of work captures everything from the Ardeatine massacre to the musicality of the eternal city, which the roar of war cannot quell… There’s also a satisfying ending before the touching coda, setting things up nicely for the trilogy’s final entry. If it’s even half as good as this, it will be a very good book indeed.’ – Pat Carty, The Business Post

‘From the opening tour de force sequence of the Allied air-raid on Rome to the brilliantly done (and unexpected) coda, I found it utterly gripping and, if anything, even more enjoyable, atmospheric and informative than MY FATHER’S HOUSE was (a high bar to clear)… a tremendous read.’ – Peter Kemp

‘There is no finer writer of historical fiction than Joseph O’Connor. Nazi occupied Rome springs to life under his skilful pen.  In THE GHOSTS OF ROME, the tension builds almost unbearably as the Contessa faces down Commander Hauptmann. Beautifully written, warm and witty, this story of a terrorised city is a must-read. Thrilling, terrifying and entertaining in equal measure. Bravo!’ – Liz Nugent

‘It was hard to turn pages fast enough to keep up with the rapid-fire pace of THE GHOSTS OF ROME. Joseph O’Connor lures readers into a little known, but important, facet of World War II history and keeps them hooked until the very last page.’ – Marie Benedict, New York Times bestselling author of THE MYSTERY OF MRS. CHRISTIE and THE ONLY WOMAN IN THE ROOM

‘The lyricism of his writing is sublime.’ – Ryan Tubridy

‘Joseph O’Connor’s THE GHOSTS OF ROME is as thrilling, beautiful and sensational a novel as you’ll read this year or any year.’ – Donal Ryan, What Our Top Authors Are Reading Now, Irish Sunday Times

‘O’Connor’s characters, historical and fictional, resonate with all the villainy, heroics, indecisiveness, kindness and headstrong daredevilry that make up any group of humans from kindergarten on – but here, uniqueness can prove lethal.’ – E. B. Boatner, Lavendar

‘Lovers of suspenseful stories, students of WWII history and those who are looking for a novel with relatable characters and a worthy moral framework will surely find this one to their pleasure.’ – Reading the West

‘Eternal Rome is always in the background as bombings scatter ancient artifacts and the city’s great age brings old shadows to the streets... Superb storytelling.’ – Candace Siegle, Greedy Reader

‘O’Connor continues to stun with this follow-up to MY FATHER’S HOUSE ...Chilling, engrossing, inspiring!’ – Kelly Justice, Fountain Books

‘NOT just another WWII story, this one is filled with such memorable characters and the suspense is truly thrilling and I am exceedingly anxious for the third and final book in this wonderful series. I need to know what happens… the suspense is killing me!’ – Mollie Mitchell, Heathfire Books

‘Intense and riveting... I’ve become attached to the characters, and it is easy to get lost in the time and place of events. O’Connor is a master storyteller and not to be missed! A must read!!’ – Stephanie Crowe, Page & Palette

 

 About Joseph O’Connor

Photo credit: Urszula Soltys

Joseph O’Connor was born in Dublin, where he still lives. THE GHOSTS OF ROME is his eleventh novel: he is also the author of film scripts, radio and stage plays, two collections of short stories, and several bestselling works of non-fiction.

2022 was the 20th anniversary of Joseph O’Connor’s novel STAR OF THE SEA which was an international bestseller, selling more than a million copies in the UK alone and being published in 38 languages. It won France’s Prix Millepages, Italy’s Premio Acerbi, the Irish Post Award for Fiction, the Nielsen Bookscan Golden Book Award, an American Library Association Award, the Hennessy/Sunday Tribune Hall of Fame Award, and the Prix Litteraire Zepter for European Novel of the Year.

His novel GHOST LIGHT was chosen as Dublin’s One City Book novel for 2011. Published in 2019, SHADOWPLAY, has won him extraordinary praise, was shortlisted for the Walter Scott Prize, The Dalkey Novel Prize, the Costa Novel Prize, among others, and won him Novel of the Year at the An Post Irish Book Awards. The French edition was shortlisted for the Jean Monnet Prize and the Vintage paperback was a Richard and Judy Winter 2020 pick.

He holds an honorary Doctorate in Literature from University College Dublin and received the Irish PEN Award for Outstanding Contribution to Irish Literature in 2012. He is the Inaugural Frank McCourt Professor of Creative Writing at the University of Limerick.

 

Visit Joseph O’Connor’s website.