Corvus pre-empts Berlin Duet by S. W. Perry

Corvus has pre-empted Berlin Duet, an epic tale of love, espionage and war that flits between silent-movie Hollywood, the nightclubs of pre-war Vienna and the ruins of Soviet-occupied Berlin.

Sarah de Souza, editor at Corvus, bought world rights for the novel from Jane Judd at Jane Judd Literary Agency. Berlin Duet will be published in hardback and eBook in August 2024.

Described by the publisher as a “lush, moving, ambitious novel of a love which endures the devastations of war”, Berlin Duet follows English spy Harry Taverner and Jewish photographer Anna Cantrell, whose lives become unexpectedly intertwined over two tumultuous decades. In 1934, they share a night dancing at Berlin’s most elegant hotel before parting ways, neither expecting to meet again as the shadow of Nazism darkens Europe. But years later, they cross paths amongst the ruins of a defeated Germany, and their fateful reunion sparks a stunning revelation that binds their shared pasts. As the Cold War dawns, Harry and Anna walk a treacherous line between love and duty, integrity and survival, fear and faith.

“S. W. Perry’s rich, intelligent prose has been beloved by readers of the Jackdaw series for years and this book marks an exciting new chapter in his acclaimed body of work,” de Souza said. “Berlin Duet is a love story, a spy story and an epic page-turner that made me laugh, weep and gasp with surprise and will delight historical fiction fans everywhere.”

S. W. Perry said:

“I’m thrilled that the fantastic team at Corvus who made the Jackdaw series a success, have helped me tell a story I’ve been itching to write since the November day in 1989 when I stood in the crowd at Checkpoint Charlie and watched the Berlin Wall open up.”

S.W. Perry worked as a broadcast journalist with several radio stations before retraining as an airline pilot. His debut novel, The Angel’s Mark, was listed for the CWA Historical Dagger.