Interactive murder mystery brand Hunt A Killer signs global publishing deal with Scholastic

The interactive sci-fi, horror murder mystery entertainment company, Hunt A Killer has forged a new global partnership with Scholastic for launch of a series of novels, ebooks, and audio books, featuring all the characteristic clues of the Hunt A Killer games.

The first title to hit shelves through the global publishing deal will be Perfect Score, written by Angelica Monai, which will land in January 2022. The young adult novel promises to be a ‘mind-bending mystery’ featuring a cast of new characters and pages of intriguing clues.

Founded in 2016, Hunt A Killer began life as a single event that brought together elements from the escpae room, interactive theatre, and live entertainment sectors by engaging participants in a 200-acre living crime scene.

Since then, the entertainment brand has established itself as a premier murder mystery company known for its complex and unpredictable stories. Today, the company ships 150,000 episodic and complete mystery game boxes to its subscribers each month. It also sells purpose-built games through various retail channels.

The brand has, to date, sold some two million games.

Its new partnership with Scholastic – the global children’s publishing, education, and media company – will take the brand in novels, ebooks, and audio books on a global scale.

“We’re excited to partner with Scholastic and to see our brand represented on bookshelves across the nation,” said Hunt A Killer CEO and co-founder, Ryan Hogan. 

“Our mission as a company is to consistently raise the bar with engaging, interactive stories, and we want to continue to do that through new mediums. Working with Scholastic is a great opportunity to grow the audience for our brand of immersive, entertaining, and suspenseful storytelling.”

Following in the style of Hunt A Killer’s bestselling games, Perfect Score readers will be encouraged to use clues throughout the book – including notes, emails, news articles, school records, and more – to help aspiring P.I. Jolene Kelley find the culprit behind her guidance counselor’s death.

Debra Dorfman, vice president and publisher, global licensing, brands and media, at Scholastic, said: “Our team at Scholastic are big fans of the Hunt A Killer games, so we are thrilled to expand its impressive storytelling to a natural new format.

“The Hunt A Killer books are perfect for fans of the murder mystery games, as well as young adult readers who love a fast-paced whodunnit and innovative new ways to tell a story. We can’t wait for readers to get their hands on Perfect Score.”