Former coffee expert at Harrogate Bettys turned author says he is excited by prospect of major TV adaptation
“Our books are very visual with stunning locations not just in North Yorkshire, but across the world, which is why we believe they would make a wonderful TV series”
North Yorkshire could soon star in an exciting new TV series thanks to a Harrogate writer whose great uncle was a key figure behind the famous Bettys tearoom.
Inspired by Wilkie Collins’ famous Victorian novel, the bestselling The Moonstone Legacy Quartet have been a big hit over the last decade for Harrogate man Tony Wild and co-author Diana de Gunzburg.
Now comes the news that the mystery adventure series could be adapted into a major TV show featuring fabulous locations across North Yorkshire.
“Tony and myself are so excited that our books may feature in a major television series, following in the illustrious footsteps of All Creatures Great And Small, Wuthering Heights, and Brideshead Revisited.
“There is no doubt that North Yorkshire boasts some of the most stunning and magical landscapes in the whole of the UK and they make the perfect backdrop to Lizzie’s adventures.”
As well as being a successful novelist, Tony Wild has travelled the world on numerous adventures.
It’s not surprise that as a relative of the Wild family, the fourth-generation family of Bettys founder Frederick Belmont which still runs the iconic Harrogate brand today, that Tony was a leading expert on coffee and tea.
He had started his working life as a director and shareholder in Bettys, before putting pen to paper as an author.
“I spent much of my time after university travelling the North West Frontier of Pakistan, " said Tony.
"That journey opened my eyes to the sub-continent and to the rich and complex relationship between the British and India.
"I wanted to write fiction for a change and wrote a story for younger children.
“I showed it to Diana to see what she thought.
"Suddenly, the book had become a collaboration.”
When Diana and Tony launched the first of their four books in the series, it was intended to act as a sequel to Wilkie Collins' classic 19th-century detective novel, The Moonstone.
The four books focus on the adventures, both realistic and mystical, of a brave teenage heroine Lizzie Abercrombie, whose life is shattered when her mother dies in a tragic accident on a full moon.
Lizzie quickly begins to suspect that the death was no accident and finds evidence pointing towards an ancient family curse tied to the Moonstone, a sacred meteoric Indian diamond stolen by her ancestor George Abercrombie.
The thrilling plot weaves through high-profile celestial events - including a pivotal total solar eclipse on a beach in Spain - forcing the characters to navigate the thin, blurring boundary between science fiction, historical fact, and reality.
In all of this, the authors of The Moonstone Legacy Quartet lean hard on their Yorkshire roots.
“Our books are very visual, with stunning locations not just in Yorkshire, but across the world, which is why we believe they would make a wonderful television series,” said Diana.
“Our fictionalised area is nestled in the North York Moors, inspired by real locations like Kepwick, Hawnby, and Brimham Rocks.
“Plans for a TV adaptation are well-advanced with a script written, a detailed pitch deck prepared for potential investors and a producer lined up.
“So, it’s a case of watch this space.”