The novelist Peter Abrahams launched a detective novelist career under the pen-name Spencer Quinn, The Daily Beast revealed. Abrahams’ literary career began with “The Fury of Rachel Monette” and other novels, including the upcoming YA title, “Reality Check”.
Then the author began to work on “Dog On It,” a private detective tale told from the POV of a private detective’s trusty dog. His agent Molly Friedrich was concerned about “lackluster sales” for his other novels, so she suggested the pseudonym.
The book climbed the NY Times Bestseller List, and the author just landed a three-book contract for his new namesake. Abrahams explained the shift: “Humor was never a huge factor in my work before, but writing about Chet and Bernie really opened me up to explore the funny side of things more fully. It’s a happier piece of work–I wouldn’t say it’s light or frivolous, because there are still some very dark things happening in the background, but it felt fresh, even life-affirming.”