HarperCollins Publishers Australia is thrilled to announce that they have acquired World rights to publish Miss Caroline Bingley, Private Detective by historical fiction author Kelly Gardiner and AustenCon producer, Sharmini Kumar. HarperCollins Australia publisher Roberta Ivers secured rights from agents Danielle Binks and Jacinta di Mase of Jacinta di Mase Management and will publish simultaneously with HarperCollins US imprint HarperVia and HarperCollins UK imprint HQ in April 2025.
Published to coincide with the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen’s birth, Miss Caroline Bingley, Private Detective breathes new life into the much misunderstood character from Austen’s beloved Pride and Prejudice in a historical, cosy crime mystery that explores the darker side of the British Empire, and the human cost of colonial power. Set two years after the events of Pride and Prejudice against the gritty underbelly of Regency London, Miss Bingley puts her large fortune and sharp mind to use investigating the disappearance of Georgiana Darcy’s maid, uncovering intrigue, murder and scandal in the process … and her own incomparable powers of investigation.
Kelly Gardiner said: ‘Miss Caroline Bingley, Private Detective was such fun to write, and we’re thrilled that it’s now being brought into the light, as our tribute to Jane Austen and her magnificent creation, Miss Caroline Bingley.’ Sharmini Kumar said: ‘Austen wrote brilliantly about her world, but we wanted to see what would happen if her characters met people Austen might not have known, and were thrown into situations with which Austen was not familiar … like murder.’
Roberta Ivers, Publisher at HarperCollins Australia, said: ‘I’m so excited to be publishing this brilliant, affectionate tribute to outspoken, independent women of the Regency era alongside my colleagues in the US and the UK, Rakesh Satyal and Cat Camacho. Not only is this story a delicious romp about women who won’t take no for an answer, it treads a skilful line between humour and pathos, with serious themes around colonial privilege that give us the other side of Austen’s story. I know everyone will fall in love with Caroline Bingley’s superior talents, as we all have around the world.’
Rakesh Satyal, Executive Editor, HarperVia said: ‘This ingenious homage to Austen is both respectful to the source material and daring in its scope, revealing to us new layers of this oft-visited and beloved world. I’m thrilled that this book will be available to readers around the globe. It’s fresh, wise, and endlessly diverting.’
Cat Camacho, Commissioning Editor, HQ, said: ‘I devoured _Miss Caroline Bingley, Private Detective in one sitting. At the first page the authors pick you up from wherever you are and transport you utterly into the Regency world. It’s a brand-new, completely fresh take on the classic we all love, giving fan favourite characters their own stories and voices for the first time. I can’t wait to see it unleashed on the world.’
Literary agent Jacinta di Mase said; ‘From the moment I first pitched the concept to Roberta Ivers during an informal catch-up between sessions at Sydney Writers Festival in 2022, I knew she was the right publisher for the inimitable Caroline Bingley.’ While fellow agent Danielle Binks adds; ‘The reaction from the entire Harper family has been wonderful! It felt like we jumped from admiration to love, from love to acquisition in a moment, and we’re delighted at this home for Caroline, Kelly, and Sharmini.’
Authors’ photo credit: Liliana Braumberger
