Toronto-based Blink49 Studios has acquired the rights to Death on the Island, the debut mystery thriller novel by Canadian-Icelandic author Eliza Reid, the former First Lady of Iceland.

Blink49’s Carolyn Newman and Virginia Rankin are attached as executive producers alongside producer and writer Lynne Kamm, executive producer and writer on CBC’s Plan B; Reid (pictured); and Iceland-based Truenorth’s Kristinn Thordarson and Leifur B. Dagfinnsson.

The six-part series will follow the aftermath of the collapse of the Canadian ambassador’s deputy at a remote Icelandic soirée. His wife decides to partner with an ambitious young Icelandic detective to get to the truth.

The novel from the Ottawa-born author is the first in a planned series and was published in Canada by Simon and Schuster yesterday (April 29), and is set for publication in the U.S. on May 13. It will be released in the U.K. as Death of a Diplomat on June 5.

The project is a result of Blink49’s partnership with the North American literary management company Transatlantic Agency, signed in June 2023.

“We’re thrilled to be adapting Eliza’s gripping novel – a compelling, high-stakes story that blends international intrigue, a complex female lead and a richly atmospheric setting which is exactly the kind of storytelling we’re passionate about bringing to life for a global audience,” said Virginia Rankin, Blink49 executive producer, in a statement.

Image courtesy of Blink49 Studios