Pan Macmillan has signed two books in the Cryptocross series by debut author I.L. Harcourt.

The books are set in Moorley Manor, the most haunted mansion in Cornwall, where the restless ghosts have unfinished business and require the assistance of a skilled medium to exorcise them. 

'Together with spiritualist Sibyl and her trusty Ouija board, you will enter each room of the estate to solve a series of word-grid puzzles that become progressively challenging as you navigate the shadowed halls of the mansion. As you complete each puzzle, you’ll unlock hidden key words that compel you onward, as you unearth the tragic stories behind each phantom and piece together clues about a legendary cursed ruby necklace hidden deep within the walls. Your journey through the mysterious estate brings you closer to the truth, and to the sinister poltergeist waiting in the attic. But events take a frightening turn when Sibyl realizes she may not be the only living being treading these haunted corridors...'

Commissioning editor Lydia Ramah pre-empted UK and Commonwealth rights from Hannah Schofield at LBA. The first in the series, Cryptocross: The Haunting of Moorley Manor (65 Word Puzzles from Beyond the Grave), will be out in September 2027 in time for Halloween. Courtney Littler at Tytora, part of St. Martin’s Publishing Group, who also pre-empted the books, will publish the series in the US.

Harcourt said: "I'm thrilled that Cryptocross has found such a fabulous (haunted) home. Lydia and Courtney have been wonderful to work with and I'm really looking forward to these books finding their readership in other spooky puzzlers like me!"