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.

JOE AND KAIA RETURN FOR ANOTHER ADVENTURE: SHIELD OF LIES BY SHEILA O’FLANAGAN IS PUBLISHED TODAY

SHIELD OF LIES, the second novel in best-selling author Sheila O’Flanagan’s Young Adult fantasy series, THE CRYSTAL RUN, is published today by Hachette Children’s Books in paperback and ebook. In THE CRYSTAL RUN, Joe stumbled into Kaia’s world and turned it on its head. The duo are back in SHIELD OF LIES to save Carcassia and the lives of other Runners, the teens who face the fate that Kaia had once resigned herself to.

Kaia is from a world in which blind sacrifice is a virtue, and a Runner's life expendable. It took Joe, an outsider, to show her that she must question the truth. Now, Kaia and Joe have been taken prisoner. Trusting her sworn enemies is the only way out.

With team-work, courage and ingenuity, Kaia and Joe must risk their lives and return to Carcassia to prevent more Runners from racing to their death.

THE CRYSTAL RUN series is ideal for young fantasy fanatics and lovers of Cornelia Funke, Eoin Colfer and Rick Riordan. SHIELD OF LIES is an exciting and gripping addition to the series and has been selected by iBooks as one of Spring’s Most Anticipated Books.

Sheila O’Flanagan is the author of twenty-five thought-provoking, gripping and unforgettable Sunday Times and ebook bestsellers, including THE MISSING WIFE which was published in the US in February by Grand Central following its UK success. It became a Sunday Times and Irish Times paperback bestseller in 2017, as well as becoming a No.1 ebook bestseller, and one of Amazon’s Top Ten Bestselling ebooks of the year. Her interlinked short story collection CHRISTMAS WITH YOU reached No. 2 in the Irish bestseller lists in the run-up to Christmas. Headline has sold over 7 million copies of Sheila’s books.

Adult readers will have to wait until May 31st for Sheila’s next novel, THE HIDEAWAY. Set in a picturesque Spanish villa, THE HIDEAWAY is the perfect companion for the summer holidays. Her most recent novel, WHAT HAPPENED THAT NIGHT, was published in paperback by Headline in February in the UK, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. It will be available in South Africa this month and in Canada in June.

Sheila recently signed a new two book deal with Headline, so fans of her work can anticipate two brand new titles in 2019 and 2020 from the Headline Review imprint.

Visit Sheila's website where you can also join her mailing list.

Follow her on Twitter. 

Praise for THE CRYSTAL RUN:

'Brims with all the hallmarks of a classic fantasy quest - a vividly evoked world, heart-rending conflict, compelling action' — LoveReading4Kids

'Will appeal to youngsters who enjoy reading about dangerous quests' — Sunday Independent

'Well-written, with a strong plot and excellent characters, this book gives us an
exciting, classic-style fantasy filled with intrigue' — Inis

'O'Flanagan's writing is crisp and concise and her plotting deft' — Belfast Telegraph

HELEN WALMSLEY JOHNSON’S POWERFUL MEMOIR, LOOK WHAT YOU MADE ME DO, OUT TODAY

Helen Walmsley Johnson’s brave and unflinching memoir on coercive control, LOOK WHAT YOU MADE ME DO, is published today by Macmillan in hardback and ebook. Helen’s frank account of life in an abusive relationship is a valuable read that opens up an important conversation about what coercive control is, and the fight to overcome it.

For more than two years, BBC Radio 4’s The Archers ran a disturbing storyline centred on Helen Tichener’s abuse at the hands of her husband Rob. Not the kind of abuse that leaves a bruise, but the sort of coercive control that breaks your spirit and makes it almost impossible to walk away. As she listened to the unfolding story, Helen Walmsley-Johnson was forced to confront her own agonising past.

Helen’s first husband controlled her life, from the people she saw to what was in her bank account. He alienated her from friends and family and even from their three daughters. Eventually, he threw her out and she painfully began to rebuild her life. Then, divorced and in her early forties, she met Franc. Kind, charming, considerate Franc. For ten years she would be in his thrall, even when he too was telling her what to wear, what to eat, even what to think.

LOOK WHAT YOU MADE ME DO is Helen’s candid and utterly gripping memoir of how she was trapped by a smiling abuser, not once but twice. It is a vital guide to recognising, understanding and surviving this sinister form of abuse and its often terrible legacy. It is also an inspirational account of how one woman found the courage to walk away.

You can read extracts from LOOK WHAT YOU MADE ME DO in both YOU magazine, and The Times Magazine. Yesterday, Helen appeared on the Victoria Derbyshire show, talking openly about the abuse she endured in her past relationships. She will be attending the Southbank Centre’s Women of the World festival tomorrow, joining a panel to discuss the how shame is used to control women. In June, she will be speaking at the Stoke Newington Literary Festival.

Helen Walmsley-Johnson was the author of the Guardian’s popular ‘The Vintage Years’ column, on older women and style. She worked for the Daily Telegraph, before joining the Guardian as Alan Rusbridger’s PA for seven years. Her book about middle-age, THE INVISIBLE WOMAN, was published to great acclaim in 2015. She lives in Rutland.

Follow Helen on Twitter

Praise for LOOK WHAT YOU MADE ME DO:

‘A brave and gripping book…Her book, part-memoir, part self-help unpicks exactly what happened to her, demonstrating just how blithely easy it is to succumb to this form of domestic abuse, but critically it’s also about how to recognise it, survive it, and rebuild your life in the aftermath.’ — The Bookseller

‘Walmsley-Johnson has succeeded in her fundamental aim: to offer a valuable map of coercive abuse. She has also written a warming, subtle and realistic narrative of recovery.’ — Terri Apter, The Times Literary Supplement

Praise for THE INVISIBLE WOMEN:

‘THE INVISIBLE WOMAN always speaks to me, and for me. It's about saying up yours to the cult of youth, but also about seeing the life of the 50 + as hilariously funny (not unlike the life of the 15-year-old, when you come to think about it).’ — Professor Mary Beard

‘THE INVISIBLE WOMAN remains a warm, companionable book with a tart aftertaste. Above all – and this is perhaps not quite its intention – it is a reminder to all of us, man, woman, young or getting on a bit, that, no matter how solid our lives seem, we are all of us one bad decision or single piece of rotten luck away from losing everything. And for that we should be both grateful and prepared.’ — Kathryn Hughes, Guardian

‘I imagined this book as a witty riposte to ageing, and in some ways it is. But it’s much more than that. It’s full of serious insights. The author, approaching 60 at the time of writing, tells us about ageing and about how it seems to have changed in her lifetime. She makes the point that, years ago, retirement was “a reward” but now it “could be seen as the punishment”. She is excellent, too, on midlife crises, the death of parents, memory, and how to deal with the passing of time.' — Evening Standard

LUCY MANGAN’S MEMOIR, BOOKWORM, PUBLISHED BY SQUARE PEG

An enchanting memoir on childhood reading, BOOKWORM by Lucy Mangan, is published in hardback and ebook today by Square Peg. Lucy revisits childhood favourites in this immersive read, reflecting on what these stories meant as a young reader, and how these meanings have changed over time. Jacqueline Wilson has praised BOOKWORM as ‘passionate, witty, informed, and gloriously opinionated'. 

When Lucy Mangan was little, stories were everything. They opened up new worlds and cast light on all the complexities she encountered in this one.

She was whisked away to Narnia, Kirrin Island, and Wonderland. She ventured down rabbit holes and womble burrows into midnight gardens and chocolate factories. She wandered the countryside with Milly-Molly-Mandy, and played by the tracks with the Railway Children. With CHARLOTTE’S WEB she discovered Death and with Judy Blume it was Boys. No wonder she only left the house for her weekly trip to the library or to spend her pocket money on amassing her own at home.

In BOOKWORM, Lucy revisits her childhood reading with wit, love and gratitude. She relives our best-loved books, their extraordinary creators, and looks at the thousand subtle ways they shape our lives. She also disinters a few forgotten treasures to inspire the next generation of bookworms and set them on their way. Bringing the favourite characters of our collective childhoods back to life – prompting endless re-readings, rediscoveries, and, inevitably, fierce debate – Lucy brilliantly uses them to tell her own story, that of a born, and unrepentant, bookworm.

Lucy Mangan is a journalist and a writer for the Guardian. She has written for most major women’s magazines, including Grazia, Marie Claire and Cosmopolitan, and has a weekly column in Stylist magazine. She was named Columnist of the Year at PPA Awards in 2013. Her works include MY FAMILY AND OTHER DISASTERS, HOPSCOTCH AND HANDBAGS: The Essential Guide to Being a Girl, and THE RELUCTANT BRIDE. A commemoration of 50 years of Roald Dahl's CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY, INSIDE CHARLIE'S CHOCOLATE FACTORY was published by Puffin UK/US in 2014.

Visit Lucy’s Guardian page

Follow Lucy on Twitter

Praise for BOOKWORM:

‘Throughout BOOKWORM [Mangan] artfully evokes that peculiar magic of reading as a child…Deliciously unrepentant, Mangan’s BOOKWORM makes a timely case not just for how vital reading is, but also for rereading books as a child, and how reading remains consoling, fortifying and, sometimes, magical.’ — Helen Davies, The Times

‘A wonderful romp through the pages of childhood, illuminated by wisdom, humour and enthusiasm.’ — Bernard Cornwell

‘Absolutely gorgeous. I felt like this was written just for me, and I think everyone will feel this way.’ — Jenny Colgan

'Beautiful and moving... It will kickstart a cascade of nostalgia for countless people' — Marian Keyes

‘Mangan is writing to and for her fellow book junkies, the ones who can’t leave the house without a book (or three) in their bag, for whom even the thought of doing so brings them out in a cold sweat. BOOKWORM invites us to relive and re-evaluate our own childhood reading, and has the good manners to entertain us along the way.’ — Claire Hennessy, Headstuff

‘What a treat! If you remember reading any of these for the first time, or just identify as a bookworm in general this book is such a delight…I can’t think of a better tribute to the power of reading…an ideal gift for any bookworm you know.’ — Bee Reader

TEMPLAR SILKS by Elizabeth Chadwick published today by Sphere

Elizabeth Chadwick’s glorious new adventure is published today by Sphere in hardback, ebook and audiobook, narrated by Jonathan Keeble. TEMPLAR SILKS marks an exciting return to the character of William Marshal, England’s greatest medieval knight, following him across continents, from England to Jerusalem, as from his deathbed he recalls a crucial journey to the Holy City, and the peril and heartbreak he found there.

William Marshal was an Anglo-Norman soldier and statesman who served five English kings, eulogised by Stephen Langton as the ‘best knight that ever lived’. Elizabeth Chadwick’s novels about him are widely praised, and her vivid depiction of this extraordinary man in books like THE GREATEST KNIGHT has made him one of her best-loved characters. Fulfilling a vow he had made while on crusade – the subject of this thrilling new novel – William Marshal was invested into the order of the Knights Templar on his deathbed in1219. He was buried in the Temple Church in London, where his tomb can still be seen.

Elizabeth Chadwick’s bestselling standalones THE GREATEST KNIGHT and THE SCARLET LION also feature this compelling historical figure, while characters around William feature in other novels – among them his father John Marshal in A PLACE BEYOND COURAGE and his daughter Mahelt (also called Maud) in TO DEFY A KING, which won the Romantic Novelists’ Association Historical Novel of the Year Award in 2011.

US rights to TEMPLAR SILKS have been sold to Shana Drehs of Sourcebooks, with German rights going to Blanvalet and Czech rights to Euromedia, with option publishers elsewhere including Portugal, Poland, Russia and Latvia. Her work is published in 24 languages and has sold more than a million copies in the UK alone.

A sacred promise. A perilous journey. A deadly entanglement.

Lying on his deathbed, William Marshal, regent of England, sends a trusted friend on a journey to bring him the silk Templar burial shrouds that he has kept hidden since returning from the Holy Land thirty years ago.  It is time to fulfil his Templar vows and become one of their order for eternity.

While he waits, William vividly recalls his long-ago pilgrimage to Jerusalem with his brother Ancel, and their sacred mission to bear the cloak of their dead young lord to Christ's tomb in the church of the Holy Sepulchre. Their journey is fraught with uncertainty and danger, but it is in Jerusalem, the holiest and most dangerous of cities, that William becomes entangled with the mercurial Paschia de Riveri, concubine of the highest churchman in the land. He has travelled a long and risky road to save his soul, but now the greatest danger he faces is losing his heart.

Elizabeth Chadwick won a Betty Trask Award for THE WILD HUNT, her first novel, and has been shortlisted for the Romantic Novelists' Award several times, winning in 2011 for TO DEFY A KING. THE SCARLET LION was selected by Historical Novel Society founder Richard Lee as one of his 'Ten Landmark Historical Novels of the Last Decade'.

Visit Elizabeth’s website

Follow her on Twitter

Praise for TEMPLAR SILKS:

‘A great example of historical fiction done well… brilliantly written…the whole story sits together with ease with a real feeling of authenticity…This book feels like a fair representation of a man who is remembered as the backbone of early English history.’ — The Bookbag

‘Nobody in my opinion brings the medieval world to life in full colour like Elizabeth Chadwick…a gloriously exciting depiction of some of medieval Europe’s danger spots, where peril lay around almost every corner and in every town…Elizabeth Chadwick has such a gift in the way she surrounds her reader in the past.’ — For Winter Nights 

Praise for Elizabeth Chadwick:

‘This is historical fiction at its best.’ — The Bookseller

‘An author who makes historical fiction come gloriously alive.’ —The Times

‘Picking up an Elizabeth Chadwick novel is like having a Bentley draw up at your door: you know you are in for a sumptuous ride.’ — Daily Telegraph

‘I rank Elizabeth Chadwick with such historical novelist stars as Dorothy Dunnett and Anya Seton.’ – Sharon Kay Penman

‘One of Elizabeth Chadwick’s strengths is her stunning grasp of historical detail…Her characters are beguiling and the story is intriguing and very enjoyable.’ — Barbara Erskine