Fremantle Australia has acquired the screen rights to the DCI Jack Hawksworth crime novels, created by author Fiona McIntosh.
The series consists of Bye Bye Baby, Beautiful Death, Mirror Man, and a fourth book set to be published in 2023 by the Penguin Random House Australia (PRH) imprint Michael Joseph.
The first book in the series was published in 2007, introducing readers to Jack Hawksworth, a detective chief inspector who transports himself into murky world of cold-blooded killers, often using unconventional methods to solve crimes where others have given up.
McIntosh told IF working with Fremantle was an exciting new development for a character that initially began “as a bit of an indulgence”.
“I decided to write a character I would personally love to see on the small screen,” she said.
“Even then the story felt like it was unfolding in a cinematic way.
“The third was the book that needed to be written to round out the Hawksworth series and bring closure to one story strand that permeated the first two novels.
“It enjoyed immediate success, racing to #1 in Australian fiction and showing us that there was a solid appetite for more of this character and his stories.”
Fremantle head of scripted development Warren Clarke said the company was delighted to be collaborating with McIntosh.
“Fiona’s created a richly compelling series of crime thrillers through her much-loved character of DCI Jack Hawksworth,” he said.
Publisher Ali Watts said she was looking forward to seeing the story take on a new life.
“Through Fiona’s hugely popular series of crime novels, DCI Jack Hawksworth has found a very special place in readers’ hearts,” she said.
“We can’t wait to see his thrilling adventures adapted for the screen.”
McIntosh said she was busy hatching a plot that would bring Jack Hawksworth out to Australia.
“Penguin Random House is keen to publish that book as soon as we can because the audience is so hungry for it,” she said.
The series will be distributed by Fremantle International.