A&U acquires Moss’s solo YA novel

Allen & Unwin has acquired ANZ rights to Tamara Moss’s YA murder mystery, Five Voices, in a deal negotiated at auction by Jill Grinberg and Sam Farkas at Jill Grinberg Literary Management.

“Five Voices is a hugely popular podcast founded by five friends – Rosie, William, Simone, Zac and Ocean – who debate contentious issues while playing classic board games,” said the publisher. But after a serious argument during a podcast recording session one night, William is found dead. “Everyone claims to be innocent, but somebody must be lying. And deeply troubling secrets are poised to come to light.”

Moss said, “While containing the intrigue and tension of a murder mystery, at its core Five Voices is a story about the difficulty of accepting that nothing in life is black and white. A piece of my heart is embedded in this book, and I hope readers will fall in love with the characters as deeply as I have.”

Publisher Jodie Webster said, “Five Voices had me hooked from the first page. Such assured writing, a brilliant premise, provocative themes, appealingly flawed characters carrying so many secrets, white-hot intrigue and beautifully paced. I inhaled it and can’t wait to get it into the hands of readers!”

Moss grew up in Perth. After majoring in Asian studies, she taught in primary school for 10 years. She is the author of a middle-grade series that began with Lintang and the Pirate Queen (Random House) and now writes YA murder mysteries, the first being The Escape Game, co-authored with Marissa Meyer (Penguin). Five Voices is her first solo YA novel.

A&U plans to publish Five Voices in September 2026.

Category: Local news Rights and acquisitions