Crime Writing Month: Sally Gardner's Wings & Co

I have a copy in my hands of Sally Gardner's first book in the Wings & Co series, Operation Bunny; the second book, Three Pickled Herrings, came out in February 2013. This younger age range, 7+, is very well served for new detective series (see also Mariella Mystery, Maisie Hitchins, Ghost Detectives).

Emily Vole makes headline news in the first weeks of her life, when she is found in an abandoned hatbox in Stansted Airport. Then, only a few years later, her neighbour Mrs String dies leaving Emily a mysterious inheritance: an old shop, a small bunch of golden keys and a cat called Fidget. It's the beginning of an adventure of a lifetime as the old Fairy Detective Agency comes back to life. It is up to Emily to reopen the shop, and recall the fairies to duty. Together they must embark on their first mystery and do battle with their great fairy-snatching enemy, Harpella.

At the Wings & Co. Fairy Detective Agency, Emily Vole and her friends are beginning to worry. It's five months since their official opening and they still haven't had one case. Then local landowner Sir Walter Cross dies suddenly and mysteriously. The detectives suspect fairy meddling. And when Mr Rollo the tailor mysteriously loses everything and Pan Smith's wedding plans are ruined the night before her big day, they're convinced there must be magic at play. Now they have not one, but three pickled herrings to deal with! Can they solve the mystery of who is stealing people's luck before the meddling fairy goes too far?

The Red Necklace to be filmed?

Book2Book announces that the film/tv rights of Sally Gardner's The Red Necklace have been bought by Dominic West:

The actor and director Dominic West and his production company White Soup have announced the acquisition of the film and television rights to THE RED NECKLACE by Sally Gardner.

Dominic West is celebrated for his portrayal of 'Jimmy McNulty' in THE WIRE, on which he was also a director in its award winning final season. The deal secures first options over the further books in the series, including THE SILVER BLADE, first published in the UK by Orion Children's Books. Development will take place in the UK.

Dominic West said: "I am delighted to be developing Sally's wonderful book for film. My daughter and all her friends who raved about Harry Potter, now rave about "The Red Necklace". The book has a great spirit of adventure, which I believe will translate to make this a hugely popular family film."

THE RED NECKLACE and THE SILVER BLADE are both currently available, and will be reissued with a striking new cover design in Spring 2010.