Within 24 hours of submission, Rick Horgan at Crown yesterday preempted The Witch of Lime Street, a debut by screenwriter David Jaher; Tina Bennett at Janklow & Nesbit made the high six-figure deal for world English. The nonfiction work, said to be a narrative in the Erik Larson mold, depicts the real-life confrontation between the magician Houdini and a beautiful Boston Brahmin psychic medium, casting a light on a moment in history when science seemed on the verge of embracing the paranormal.
Larson, of course, is one of Crown’s most successful authors. His last three books have been national bestsellers for the imprint, including his most recent, Thunderstruck, which was released in 2006. Last month Crown struck a deal with him for two new books last month. Crown expects to publish Lime Street in early 2010.
