The half brother of Pirates of the Carribbean star Johnny Depp is to publish a debut novel set in the Hollywood Hills.
The rights to Loser's Town by Daniel P Depp in Britain have been snapped up by Simon and Schuster in a "pre-emptive" deal, which happens when an offer is so high that the book is taken off the market.
The thriller is tipped for worldwide success a
nd a spokeswoman for Simon and Schuster said it is set to be published in the UK in early Spring next year.
The author's literary agent Meg Davis said she expected interest to be "global".
She told The Independent newspaper that the book, which centres around a blackmail plot, was "purely fictitious" and not based on Johnny's life.
"It's about a fictitious gangster who decides the only way to get someone to make his film is to blackmail a famous actor to be in it," she said.
Daniel was born in Kentucky and read classics at university there.
The former journalist and and bookseller has also taught scriptwriting.
Dividing his time between California and France, he writes and produces screenplays and worked on the film The Brave with his film star brother.
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