Bell Media is hitting the books on a trio of new development projects, as it lands the options on three novels from Canadian authors.

The options include a crime series from Street Legal creator William Deverell, including the books Kill All The Judges, April Fool and Mind Games, all published by McClelland & Stewart. The series centers on a lawyer balancing his courtroom and personal life in a Gulf Island community. Screenwriter Andrew Wreggitt (One Dead Indian, Shades of Black, Mayerthorpe) is on board to adapt the works for the small screen.

“In each of these series of novels you can see the action unfold, the characters are compelling and well-rounded and the twists and turns are good smart fun,” Corrie Coe, SVP of independent production, Bell Media, tells Playback Daily. “Crime and mystery are timeless genres and it’s particularly great that these series are all very different in tone and style.”

Toronto author Giles Blunt will be adapting his own work for TV based on his protagonist Detective John Cardinal, featured in books Crime Machine, Black Fly Season and Forty Words for Sorrow (all published by Random House Canada), revolving around a serial killer and the police officer assigned to his case.

And along with Shaftesbury, Bell Media is in development on another work from a Toronto author, Robert Rotenberg’s first novel, Old City Hall from Simon & Schuster. Rotenberg’s story looks at the drama of the criminal justice system after a radio host is arrested for murdering his wife. Shaftesbury is in the process of negotiating a top Canadian screenwriter to pen the script.

“Collectively the Bell Media executives felt these specific projects were a good fit written by talented Canadian writers,” adds Coe. “These lend themselves to be adapted into procedural-based series.”