Datura Books has signed a duology by RJ Dark, the crime fiction writing persona of bestselling fantasy author RJ Barker. Editor Simon Spanton bought world English language rights in physical, ebook, and audio from Ed Wilson at Johnson & Alcock. The first title, A Numbers Game, is out on 11 August 2026, followed by Incy Wincy on 12 January 2027.
The Yorkshire-set quirky crime novels follow Mal Jones, who just wants a quiet life as the foremost (fake) psychic medium on the Blades Edge estate. Until he gets a new client: Janine. Her husband won the lottery, and then died. Now, the winning ticket is missing. Mal gets drawn into a mystery he never asked for in an attempt to help Janine find the ticket and escape the estate once and for all. The only problem is that Mal isn’t the only one hoping to get his hands on the ticket. The crime lord of the estate amongst other criminals are all on the hunt. And then there’s the fact that some corrupt cops are after Mal’s best and only friend, Jackie. Aided by Jackie and Beryl, his nosy secretary, Mal sets out to find the ticket and a solution that pleases everyone.
Barker said: ‘Simon was one of the first people in publishing to notice my work, so it is a delight that the stars have aligned for us to be bringing out the Mal and Jackie novels together. These are books, and characters, I am hugely enthusiastic about. I can’t wait for readers to get the opportunity to meet my well meaning, funny, working class duo as they stumble through a mystery that puts both their lives in danger. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, and you’ll probably wince a bit but I don’t think anyone will regret spending time with them.’
‘I've long loved the warmth and affinity RJ Barker brings to his characters as they live lives on the edge in richly imagined worlds,’ said Spanton. ‘To have the chance to publish him as RJ Dark, writing crime novels with a twist that do the same for characters but in a more familiar but equally vivid setting, is a dream come true.’
RJ Dark is the pseudonym of fantasy author RJ Barker, whose books have won multiple awards. He lives in Leeds with his wife, son and a collection of questionable taxidermy, odd art, scary music and more books than they have room for.