Everybody needs GOOD...SAMARITANS. Two new Will Carver thrillers to Orenda Books

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Karen Sullivan at Orenda books has acquired UK & BC (ex Can) rights to two new novels from Will Carver.

GOOD SAMARITANS is a dark and daring new high-concept thriller, with all the right ingredients for a bestseller: one crossed wire, three dead bodies and six bottles of bleach.

Seth Beauman can’t sleep. He stays up late, calling strangers from his phonebook, hoping to make a connection, while his wife, Maeve, sleeps upstairs. A crossed wire finds a suicidal Hadley Serf on the phone to Seth, thinking she is talking to The Samaritans. But a seemingly harmless, late-night hobby turns into something more for Seth and for Hadley, and soon their late night chats are turning into day-time meet-ups. And then this dysfunctional love story turns into something altogether darker, when Seth brings Hadley home. Dead.

Maeve can’t believe Seth’s done it again. Can’t believe she’s trimming another person’s fingernails, removing traces of evidence, burning her clothes, wrapping someone in plastic. Can’t believe the police on the news are getting it so wrong. Can’t believe she and Seth are talking again, having sex again. It might not be traditional marriage counselling but it’s working.

For now.

Because somebody saw Seth the night he killed Hadley. And he wants something more than justice. He wants a taste.

GOOD SAMARITANS is cool, dark, and sexy, with a plot wound more tightly than its characters. A highly original thriller, that plays with and subverts the reader’s expectations.

Sullivan said: "I was riveted by this book and I can’t remember the last time I read a submission in one go … nor felt such a visceral sense of anxiety as I read. It’s stunning: dark, dangerous, sexy, wildly readable, brilliantly plotted and paced and, yet, completely different to anything I’ve ever read. In a nutshell, it is exactly the kind of book I want to be publishing at Orenda, and it’s going to be huge. This is a scorching return to the crime-fiction scene for the unbelievably talented Will Carver, and I am absolutely elated to get this on my list. It’s quite simply outstanding."

Carver said he is "absolutely thrilled" with the deal.

"I know how passionate they are about the books that they publish and the writers they represent. There’s a real sense of spirit and daring to the way they work that I admire. And I believe it to be the perfect fit for my books and the way that I write. Exciting times ahead", he said.

Carver's agent, Tom Witcomb, said: "I'm so pleased that Will is joining the Orenda family. There are few who match Karen and her team in terms of passion and enthusiasm for the books they publish, and that shows in the results they get. I can't wait to see what they do with GOOD SAMARITANS, a pitch perfect, subversive genre novel, that's sure to invigorate readers looking for a fresh, exciting voice. It seems a match made in heaven.'

Orenda will publish in Autumn 2018.

Lucy Clayburn is back! SHADOWS by Paul Finch published tomorrow by Avon

SHADOWS, the sequel to Paul Finch’s Sunday Times bestselling STRANGERS, is published tomorrow in paperback, ebook and audio by Avon. STRANGERS, the first book in the Lucy Clayburn series, was published last September by Avon.

As a female cop walking the mean streets of Manchester, life can be tough for PC Lucy Clayburn. But when one of the North West’s toughest gangsters is your father, things can be particularly difficult. When Lucy's patch is gripped by a spate of murder-robberies, the police are quick to action. Yet when it transpires that the targets are Manchester’s criminal underworld, attitudes change. Lucy is soon faced with one of the toughest cases of her life – and one which will prove once and for all whether blood really is thicker than water…

German rights are sold to Piper. Paul is also currently writing the next in his HECK series – watch this space!

About Paul Finch

A former cop and journalist, Paul was a writer for British TV crime drama, The Bill.  However, he is probably best known for his work in horror and thrillers. He has also written four Doctor Who audio dramas and his Doctor Who novel, HUNTER'S MOON, was published by Woodland Books in 2011.

Winner of British Fantasy Award 2002 & 2007, and the International Horror Guild Award 2007.

Visit Paul's blog here, or read more about Paul on the Blake Friedmann website. 

Follow Paul on Twitter  where you can treat yourself to a taste of the new novel — Paul’s been tweeting out snippets of the new novel for the past fortnight — and Facebook and see his most recent Facebook Live event, a conversation with Ash Cameron, here.

Praise for Paul Finch and his novels:

 ‘Finch is a born storyteller and writes with the authentic voice of the ex-copper he is.’ – Peter James

‘An ingenious and original plot. Compulsive reading.’ – Rachel Abbott

‘A deliciously twisted and fiendish set of murders and a great pairing of detectives.’ – Stav Sherez

‘Avon’s big star…part edge-of-the-seat, part hide-behind-the-sofa! An excellent series.’ – The Bookseller

‘An explosive thriller that will leave you completely hooked on Heck.’ – We Love This Book

‘Edge-of-the-seat reading…Heck is formidable – a British Alex Cross.’ – The Sun

I KNOW WHERE SHE IS - debut thriller to Canelo

Editorial director Louise Cullen has acquired I KNOW WHERE SHE IS by SB Caves for Summer 2017 publication

I KNOW WHERE SHE IS features a mother whose child was abducted ten years earlier, and seems unlikely to ever be found until a mysterious young woman appears claiming that Francine’s daughter is being held captive. The chain of events that follows sees Francine face her worst nightmares and do things she never thought herself capable of in a quest to find her child.

Cullen said: 'SB Caves’ novel grabbed me from the first page and did not let go. I read much of it on the edge of my seat and raced through to the breathless finale. This novel has pace, tension, action aplenty and is an unsettling exploration of a dark side of human nature. Most of all, it is about a mother who will do whatever it takes to save her child.'

Caves said: 'I'm delighted that Canelo have faith in my writing and I'm really looking forward to working with them.'

The author is currently working on his second novel, a UK based thriller.

Follow SB Caves on Twitter here.

Orenda Books signs THE OTHER TWIN, a dark, sexy debut psychological thriller

Lucy V. Hay's debut thriller THE OTHER TWIN has been acquired by Karen Sullivan of Orenda Books in a two-book World English Language deal negotiated with Hattie Grünewald. Orenda is delighted to publish in early 2018.

Karen says: ‘This is a book whose premise grabbed me from the outset, and the writing, sublime and complex plotting, and very contemporary setting and storyline made it stand out from the rest. THE OTHER TWIN focuses on twenty-something Poppy and her quest to find out the truth behind the death of her sister India, who has fallen to her death from a bridge over the London to Brighton railway. Taking the reader into the lanes of Brighton, into the city’s gay scene and well-heeled families, THE OTHER TWIN is not just a fabulously layered, dark and twisty psychological thriller, but also an expose of the social media generation, where resentments, attachments and accusations are all played out online and identities are made and remade according to what is convenient or expedient at the time. This is an exceptionally relevant thriller, with an unforgettable cast of characters, a relentless tension and a chilling denouement, and Lucy is an unbelievably talented writer. I am looking forward to see her soar in the Orenda stable, and could not be more excited to welcome her to the team.'

Hattie says: ‘Lucy and Karen make a dynamic team and THE OTHER TWIN is a wonderful debut – dark, sexy and with twists you won’t see coming. I’m very excited to see Orenda publish.'

Lucy says: ‘I'm delighted to be working with Karen. As a crime fiction fan I've loved Orenda's output, so feel THE OTHER TWIN couldn't be in better hands.’

THE OTHER TWIN will be published in early 2018. For more information, please contact Karen@orendabooks.co.uk.

Read more about Lucy and follow her on Twitter.

Orenda Books signs an EXQUISITE psychological thriller

Karen Sullivan, publisher of Orenda Books, is delighted to announce the acquisition of World English Language Rights for Sarah Stovell’s debut thriller EXQUISITE in a two-book deal negotiated with Hattie Grünewald at Blake Friedmann Literary Agency.

Karen says, ‘Hattie pitched this book to me at the London Book Fair earlier this year, and I was immediately intrigued; in fact, it’s possibly the first submission that I’ve ever “chased”. This is a sophisticated, exceptionally well-written, dark and twisty psychological thriller that revolves around the intense, sinister relationship that develops between two women: one an aspiring young writer who is drifting through her life, with a dead-end job and a freeloading boyfriend, and the other a successful author living an apparently idyllic life in the Lake District with her husband, children, and a clutch of bestselling books. Driven by a dual first-person narrative, EXQUISITE is a breathlessly pacy, relevant and original thriller, with a genuinely astonishing twist that will have readers flipping back the pages to see what they’ve missed. Beautiful prose, superb characterisation, atmospheric descriptions of the Cumbrian setting and an outstanding plot make EXQUISITE, quite simply, everything that its name suggests. It’s a perfect fit for the growing Orenda list and I am very excited to welcome Sarah to the team.’

Hattie says, ‘I’m thrilled that Sarah Stovell’s intense and captivating thriller has found a home at Orenda. I’m sure that with Karen’s help this will be a book on everyone’s 2017 wishlist!’

Sarah says, ‘I am delighted to be working with Karen on EXQUISITE and my next thriller. She's a great editor with a fantastic group of authors, and I feel really hopeful about our future together.’

EXQUISITE will be published in June 2017. For more information, please contact Karen@orendabooks.co.uk.