The Hexologists (preorder)

(preorder—to be published in September)

Dust jacket illustration by Omar Rayyan.

Interior illustrations by Ian Leino.

We’re proud to present The Hexologists, in which Josiah Bancroft kicks off an entertaining, inventive new series.

About the Book:

Amid a gilded age of convenience and excess, the capital city of Berbiton is still occasionally assailed by old-fashioned ghouls and rustic imps who prey upon the poor and powerful alike. Whenever the constabulary and giants of industry fail to rescue the browbeaten, it falls to the Hexologists, Isolde and Warren Wilby, to answer the fevered call.

Isolde Wilby enjoys a mystery much in the way that a terrier relishes a rat. Unconstrained by social nicety and compelled by a ruthless curiosity, Iz depends upon the tempering presence of her husband to keep her fed, rested, and friendly with persons she might otherwise overrun. Theirs is a partnership fueled by passion and a shared devotion to higher ideals.

Isolde and Warren’s preference for smaller clients is finally trumped by the specter of the greater good. When they are approached by the royal secretary and told that the king pleads to be baked into a cake—going so far as to wedge himself inside a lit oven—the Willbys quickly find themselves embroiled in a mystery that imperils a nation and challenges their cherished autonomy.

Both editions will be:

• Oversized, 7 x 10 trim size
• Printed offset in two colors (black and Pantone®) on 80# archival quality paper in Opaque Bright White
• Signed by Josiah Bancrot
• Dust jacket art by Abigail Larson
• Eight duotone interior illustrations by Ian Leino
• Smyth-sewn binding
• 328 pages

Lettered: 26 signed lettered hardcover copies, housed in a custom traycase

Limited: 500 signed numbered hardcover copies

From Publishers Weekly (Starred Review):

“Bancroft brilliantly inaugurates a new fantasy series with this suspenseful and humorous introduction to ‘private investigators of the paranormal.’” This light and charming tale encompasses a twisty mystery, detailed Victorian-esque worldbuilding, and nuanced protagonists who love each other dearly, all relayed in Bancroft’s superior prose. Readers will be eager to see how the series evolves.”

From Library Journal:

“This madcap thriller is recommended for readers who can’t resist the rising wave of fantasy mystery series.”

From Booklist:

“An entertaining investigative romp.”

From Madeline Miller, author of Circe:

“Bancroft is a wonder as ever! The Hexologists was a joyous delight on every page--buoyantly inventive, witty, poignant, gripping, and deeply satisfying.”