Bonnier Books has severed ties with prominent British true crime author Christopher Berry-Dee. The decision follows a Guardian investigation in which the 78-year-old writer was accused of domestic abuse and sexual misconduct, including an incident involving a 13-year-old student at his art school. Berry-Dee has categorically denied all allegations.
In an official statement, Bonnier Books expressed shock at the reports and confirmed the immediate termination of all existing agreements with the author. The publisher has also begun withdrawing Berry-Dee’s books from sale. Consequently, the bookstore chain Waterstones announced that it has removed all of the author's works from its physical and online stores.
Christopher Berry-Dee is one of the UK’s bestselling authors, with his books, such as Talking With Serial Killers, selling over a million copies. His work frequently relies on interviews with criminals. The writer has previously admitted to using deception to gain access to his subjects by promising to help them with their legal appeals.
It remains unclear how other publishers who have worked with the author will proceed, particularly Orion, an imprint of Hachette, which released his latest book last month.
