category: Fiction

All You Ever Wanted

A claustrophobic psychological thriller about privilege, family trauma – and what happens when you’re robbed of a fair start in life

 

You are inside. With your husband and baby.
Your life warm and calm and untroubled.
I am outside. Alone. Looking in. Watching you.
You have all I ever wanted.
Now it’s time for you to share.

EMILY has a picture-perfect life; gorgeous house, handsome husband and beautiful baby, Bonnie. But she is plagued with the sense that someone is watching her home. As she becomes more and more convinced, we wonder (as does her duplicitous husband, Simon) whether she’s being paranoid. After all, she’s still recovering from the birth of her daughter, Bonnie, she’s sleep deprived, she’s trying to hold down a job as a teacher, and she’s drinking too much.

When spirited and capable Anna appears, returning Emily’s lost cat, she quickly becomes a much-needed friend for an increasingly self-obsessed Emily.

But why is Anna so intent on mimicking Emily and Simon, and why is she so invested in their life?

When Anna takes Bonnie for the day without telling Emily, we begin to wonder if Emily’s paranoia may not be a construct of her imagination as she realises that those closest to you are far more dangerous than any stranger…

Susan Elliot Wright grew up in Lewisham in south-east London. Before becoming a full-time writer, she did a number of different jobs, including civil servant, cleaner, dishwasher, journalist, and chef.  She has an MA in writing from Sheffield Hallam University, where she is now an associate lecturer, and she lives in Sheffield with her husband. She is the author of The Things We Never Said and the Secrets We Left Behind.

Susan is represented by Kate Shaw at The Shaw Agency

End Of Story

END OF STORY is a piece of highly original speculative fiction, with an unpredictable twist, set in a world where fiction has been banned by the government for 5 years – and reading fairytales to children is punishable my law. Perhaps too much imagination can be a dangerous thing… It will be published by Hodder & Stoughton in March 2023 – you can check out the Bookseller announcement here.

It’s the year 2035 and fiction has been banned by the government for five years. Writing novels is a crime. Reading fairytales to children is punishable by law.

Fern Dostoy is a criminal. Officially, she has retrained in a new job outside of the arts but she still scrawls in a secret notepad in an effort to capture what her life has become: her work on a banned phone line, reading bedtime stories to sleep-starved children; Hunter, the young boy who calls her and has captured her heart; and the dreaded visits from government officials.

But as Fern begins to learn more about Hunter, doubts begin to surface. What are they both hiding? And who can be trusted?

Louise Swanson is the pseudonym for Louise Beech, who has published seven novels with Orenda Books. THE LION TAMER WHO LOST (2018) was longlisted for the Polari Prize while CALL ME STARGIRL (2019) and THE MOUNTAIN IN MY SHOE (2016) were both longlisted for the Guardian Not the Booker prize. Louise is represented by Emily Glenister at DHH Literary Agency.

Jamie

JAMIE is an uplifting standalone novel set in contemporary England which tackles themes of bravery, acceptance and chosen family. It’s also interesting to note that the novel provides an accessible introduction into what being non-binary means, with definitions provided in Jamie’s narrative voice after certain chapters, explaining terms associated with LGBTQ+. Lapinski has previously written the STRANGEWORLDS trilogy, the most successful middle-grade debut series published in lockdown. JAMIE will be published by Hachette Children’s in April 2023. You can check out the bookseller announcement here.

Jamie Rambeau is a happy 11-year-old non-binary kid who likes nothing better than hanging out with their two best friends Daisy and Ash. But when the trio find out that in Year Seven they will be separated into one school for boys and another for girls, their friendship suddenly seems at risk. And when Jamie realises no one has thought about where they are going to go, they decide to take matters into their own hands, and sort it all out once and for all.

As the friends’ efforts to raise awareness eventually become a rooftop protest against the binary rules for the local schools, Jamie realises that if they don’t figure out a way forwards, they might be at risk of losing both their friends forever.

L.D. Lapinski lives just outside Sherwood Forest with their family, a lot of books, and a cat called Hector. L.D. first wrote a book aged seven; it was made of lined paper and Sellotape, and it was about a frog who owned an aeroplane. When L.D. grows up, they want to be a free-range guinea pig farmer. They have an MA in Creative Writing, and when not working, L. D. can be found online, usually talking about Spider-Man. Their first series, THE STRANGEWORLDS TRAVEL AGENCY, is out now from Hachette Children’s Group. Lapinski is represented by Claire Wilson at RCW Literary Agency.

The Ghost Theatre

THE GHOST THEATRE is a dazzling punk re-imagining of Elizabethan London through the eyes of a clairvoyant, bird-worshiping protagonist and her unlikely theatre troupe. It is gripping and magic, deftly crafted and filmic in its descriptions. The UK and Commonwealth rights were snapped up by Bloomsbury in a 48-hour pre-empt, and will be published in 2023. US Rights are with Overlook. You can read the bookseller announcement here.

On a rooftop in Elizabethan London two worlds collide. Shay is a messenger-girl and trainer of hawks who sees the future in the patterns of birds. Nonesuch is the dark star of the city’s fabled child theatre scene, as famous as royalty yet lowly as a beggar.

Together they create The Ghost Theatre: a troupe staging magical plays in London’s hidden corners. As their hallucinatory performances incite rebellion among the city’s outcasts, the pair’s relationship sparks and burns against a backdrop of the plague and a London in flames. Their growing fame sweeps them up into the black web of the Elizabethan court, where Shay and Nonesuch discover that if they fly too high, a fall is sure to come.

Mat Osman is the bassist and founder member of iconic British rock band Suede and a composer of music for TV and films. He also worked as a culture journalist during the noughties, writing about art and travel for papers, magazines and online. Mat is represented by Victoria Hobbs at AM Heath.

The Theory of (Not Quite) Everything

THE THEORY OF (NOT QUITE) EVERYTHING is a tender, poignant novel about two siblings who, bound by their parents tragic deaths, find themselves living together with their outlook aligned on not quite everything… It was pre-empted by Mantle in the UK and will be published as a lead debut fiction title in March 2023. Rights have also been sold to HarperCollins in the US and HarperCanada in Canada.

Mimi Brotherton, younger sister of a mathematical genius, believes in truth. And, most of the time, in telling it. Her brother Art believes in facts.

Bound together by their parents’ tragic deaths, the siblings share their family home and have a strong, if unequal, relationship. Art has everything he needs (math and a devoted sister). Now, Mimi’s ready for a life of her own.

That might include love. At first, Art is cautiously enthusiastic, keen to demonstrate that love, like everything, is subject to rules. Then Mimi meets Frank, who is affable enough, but another mathematician, and Art bristles. Art is on the cusp of solving a notoriously intractable equation and success promises fame and fortune–he fears that this new man may be after his sister for the wrong reasons.

After a serious accident involves both men, Mimi is caught between them. Can she trust her heart to guide her to the truth?

In this delightful, bittersweet novel, Kara Gnodde explores how the answers to life’s questions–the bonds of family, and the calculations of the heart–follow a logic of their own.

Kara Gnodde grew up in Johannesburg on a diet of Dr Seuss and no TV. After graduating from the University of Cape Town, she joined Saatchis in London. She has lived in Japan, Hong Kong and Singapore, and is settled back in the UK, where she lives with her husband and three children. Hearing a discussion on the radio about a maths problem that could change the world gave her a place to start THE THEORY OF (NOT QUITE) EVERYTHING, her debut novel. Kara is represented by Charlotte Seymour at Johnson and Alcock.

What She Left Behind

Published in September, WHAT SHE LEFT BEHIND follows Lauren as she begins a new life with her therapist husband Paul. Things gradually become not quite as they seem, and the mystery enhances as we are introduced to Paul’s first wife Eliza as she desperately tries to escape Paul’s web, whilst Lauren becomes more and more trapped in it. As we move between the perspectives, we are left with the question – what ever did happen to Eliza? With a chilling twist, WHAT SHE LEFT BEHIND feels reminiscent of compulsive thrillers such as THE GIRL BEFORE and CLOSE TO ME.

Lauren can’t believe she’s escaped her old life in London for a new start with her partner, Paul, and his two young children. Haunted by her past, Lauren knows how lucky she is: a dream home, a ready-made family. And she also knows how much she could lose.

But as Lauren struggles to adjust to motherhood, her fears grow. She’ll never live up to the ghost of Paul’s perfect wife, or help him forget his grief over her tragic death. And as village rumours begin to swirl about their house in the woods, Lauren feels ever more isolated – despite Paul’s reassurances. She wants to trust Paul – she owes him everything – but how can she, when she can barely trust herself?

In her other life, Emily makes TV – having worked on award winning television programmes including EDUCATING YORKSHIRE, FIRST DATES, and SAD: WHO DARES WINS – as well as developing original programming for all the main broadcasters. Her lifelong fixation with story and character is the thread that runs through her work, and ultimately led to the pursuit of a writing career. Her debut MY BEST FRIEND’S SECRET was published by Quercus in 2021, and WHAT SHE LEFT BEHIND was published by Quercus in September 2022. Emily is represented by Teresa Chris at Teresa Chris Literary Agency.

How To Solve Your Own Murder

This title is currently under option.

In 1965, when Frances Adams was seventeen, a fortune teller at a country fair told her that one day she’d be murdered. Thus began a lifetime of trying to prevent the crime that would be her eventual demise.

No one took Frances seriously for sixty years – until, of course, she was murdered. But for Frances, being the village busybody was a form of insurance. She’d spent a lifetime compiling dirt on every person she met, just in case they might turn out to be her killer. In the heart of her sprawling country estate lies an eccentric library of detective work, where the right person could step in and use her findings to solve her murder, if they can make sense of her superstitious filing system first.

When her great-niece Annie arrives from London and discovers that Frances’ worst fear has come true, Annie is thrust into her great-aunt’s last act of revenge against her sceptical friends and family. Frances’ last will and testament stipulates that the person who solves her murder inherits her millions, and she’s challenged a group that includes Annie to prove to the world that Frances was right all along about her future. Can Annie unravel the mystery and find justice for Frances, or will digging up the past lead her into the path of the killer?

K L Perrin is originally from Seattle, Washington, where she spent several years working as a bookseller before moving to the UK to do a Masters and PhD. She lives with her family in Surrey, where she can be found poking around vintage bookstores, stomping in the mud with her two kids, and collecting too many plants. Perrin is represented by Zoe Bent at The Bent Agency.

Queen K

QUEEN K by Sarah Thomas was inspired by Thomas’ work as a private tutor to the super wealthy. The events of QUEEN K are narrated by an unreliable tutor who, while teaching an oligarch’s daughter, becomes privy to suspicious deaths and to the downfall of his wife. Exploring the dark side of Russian money and what happens to oligarchs who get on the wrong side of Putin, QUEEN K is a topical, pertinent and thrilling debut that pulls back the curtain on power plays within one extraordinary family. You can check out the Bookseller announcement here.

On a balmy evening in late March, Kata hosts a party on the superyacht that she owns with her husband. Tables cover the massive deck, adorned with orchids, champagne bottles, name cards of famous people, while uniformed staff flank a red carpet on the landing dock. This night marks the attainment of something she’s wanted for a long time: acceptance into the glittering world of high society. But there are those who wish to come between Kata and her goal. They are complex and angry, full of resentment. And they are closer to home than she could ever have imagined.

Sarah Thomas is represented by Katie Greenstreet at Paper Literary, and QUEEN K will be published by Serpent’s Tail in February 2023.

Appliance

APPLIANCE is a highly inventive and humane novel about a world obsessed with progress, and a story of how technology and our hunger for new things has the capacity to erode our human rights and freedoms. It is the first novel from the award-winning poet, and has received excellent reviews (including in The Telegraph and The Scotsman) since its publication in May 2022, and has been included in the best science fiction lists of 2022 in The Guardian, The Times, and the Financial Times.

 ‘Are they paying you extra for this? You’d better be getting something. For the inconvenience, I mean. Here for the whole weekend is what they said. What if we’d had guests? They never asked. And in any case what are the dangers? Being tested like lab rats, we are. Did they even try to provide any assurance it was all perfectly-‘This is the prototype. The first step to a new future. A future that will be easy and abundant. A future in which distance is no longer a barrier to human contact. And all it takes is a simple transport unit, in every home, every street, every town. Quick. Clean. Easy. A future driven by data, not emotion. And so begins the journey of a new technology that will soon change the world and everyone in it – the sceptics and the converts, the innocents and the evangelists. A scientific wonder that quickly becomes an everyday aspect of life.

 But what of our inherent messiness? In a world preoccupied with progress, what will happen to the things that make us human: the memories, the fears, the love, the blood, the contradictions, the mortality? As we push for a sense of perfection, what do we stand to lose?Questioning, innovative and shot through with a rich humanity, Appliance is much more than a novel. It examines our faith in technology, our hunger for new things and the rapid changes affecting all our lives. It challenges us to stop and reflect on the future we want, the systems we trust, and what really matters to us.

J O Morgan is a Scottish author. His 2018 work Assurances, looking at the RAF’s early involvement with maintaining the nuclear deterrent, won that year’s Costa Poetry Award. He has been twice shortlisted for both the Forward and the T S Eliot prize. His novel Pupa, in which human society is depicted with a different biological lifecycle, was published in 2021.

J O Morgan is represented by Eleanor Birne at PEW Literary Agency, and APPLIANCE was published by Jonathan Cape in May 2022.

Fearless

*This book is currently under option*

FEARLESS is a fast-paced thriller featuring lone-wolf protagonist Ben Koenig, who, six years after disappearing off the face of the earth, is hunted down and recruited for a dangerous mission – he’s the only man for the job, as he is incapable of experiencing fear…. There is also a fascinating central female character, US Marshal Jen Draper – smart, ruthless, with a passionate dislike for Ben – but is she working with him or against him?

The new series was signed by Constable in a six-figure deal in the UK and by Flatiron in the US, along with the continuation of the Sunday Times bestselling and Dagger winning Washington Poe series, which was previously in development for TV and has been the recipient of numerous awards and accolades (listed below). You can read the Bookseller announcement here.

Six years back Ben Koenig headed up the US Marshal’s Special Operations Group. They were the unit who hunted the bad guys. The really bad guys. They did this so no one else had to.

And then one day Ben sold his house, liquidated his assets and disappeared off the face of the earth. He told no one why and left no forwarding address. For six years he became a grey man. Someone you didn’t remember. He drifted from town to town, from state to state, never visiting the same place twice. He was untraceable – officially, he no longer existed.

But now his face is plastered across every television screen in the country. Someone from Ben’s past is going to extraordinary lengths to find him and they don’t care how they do it. They have a job for him, a revenge mission, one Ben won’t be able to refuse. Because in the hellish heat of the Chihuahuan desert lies a town called Gauntlet. Some people in Gauntlet have a secret and they’ll do anything protect it. And they know Ben is coming. They’ve killed before and they’ll kill again.

It’s easy to dismiss Ben Koenig as just another drifter, someone you don’t need to concern yourself about. But that would be a mistake. Because Ben has a condition, a unique disorder that means he is incapable of experiencing fear. And that makes Ben Koenig a different kind of animal . . .

Multi-award-winning author M. W. Craven was born in Carlisle but grew up in Newcastle. He joined the army at sixteen, leaving ten years later to complete a social work degree. Seventeen years after taking up a probation officer role in Cumbria, at the rank of assistant chief officer, he became a full-time author. THE PUPPET SHOW, the first book in his Cumbria-set Washington Poe series, was published by Little, Brown in 2018 and went on to win the Crime Writers’ Association Gold Dagger in 2019. It has now been translated into twenty-five languages. BLACK SUMMER, the second in the series, was longlisted for the 2020 Gold Dagger as was book three, THE CURATOR in 2021. The fourth in the series, DEAD GROUND, was published in 2021, became an instant Sunday Times bestseller and has been longlisted for the Ian Fleming Steel Dagger and the Theakston Old Peculiar Novel of the Year 2022.

Craven is represented by David H Headley at D H H Literary Agency, and FEARLESS will be published by Constable in the UK and Flatiron in the US in Summer 2023.