Heaven and Hell - Zeno Agency Ltd.

US Publication Day: THE DEVIL’S DETECTIVE by Simon K. Unsworth

Posted on Tuesday, March 3rd, 2015

Today, Doubleday publish Simon Kurt Unsworth‘s critically-acclaimed debut novel, THE DEVIL’S DETECTIVE. The first in a duology of crime novels set in Hell, here’s the synopsis…

A sea change is coming to Hell… and a man named Thomas Fool is caught in the middle.

Thomas Fool is an Information Man, an investigator tasked with cataloging and filing reports on the endless stream of violence and brutality that flows through Hell. His job holds no reward or satisfaction, because Hell has rules but no justice. Each new crime is stamped “Do Not Investigate” and dutifully filed away in the depths of the Bureaucracy. But when an important political delegation arrives and a human is found murdered in a horrific manner—extravagant even by Hell’s standards—everything changes. The murders escalate, and their severity points to the kind of killer not seen for many generations. Something is challenging the rules and order of Hell, so the Bureaucracy sends Fool to identify and track down the killer… But how do you investigate murder in a place where death is common currency? Or when your main suspect pool is a legion of demons? With no memory of his past and only an irresistible need for justice, Fool will piece together clues and follow a trail that leads directly into the heart of a dark and chaotic conspiracy. A revolution is brewing in Hell… and nothing is what it seems.

THE DEVIL’S DETECTIVE is an audacious, highly suspenseful thriller set against a nightmarish and wildly vivid world. Simon Kurt Unsworth has created a phantasmagoric thrill ride filled with stunning set pieces and characters that spring from our deepest nightmares. It will have readers of both thrillers and horror hanging on by their fingernails until the final word. In Hell, hope is your worst enemy.

THE DEVIL’S DETECTIVE is due to be published in the UK by Del Rey next Thursday, March 12th.

Here’s just a small selection of the aforementioned critical response…

‘Unsworth’s care in constructing an imaginary world enables him to make the most of his debut’s challenging concept: a hard-boiled detective novel set in Hell itself… Unsworth offers intriguing variations on traditional themes and some memorably hair-raising prose…’ — Publishers Weekly

‘A clever spin on the traditional police procedural… a rousing success. The story is well crafted, and the setting is ingeniously conceived… We’ve seen other novels set in Hell, but we haven’t seen a Hell quite like this…’ — Booklist

‘With wit, ingenuity and prodigious timing, first-time British novelist Unsworth imagines an unsettling afterlife that at times feels uncomfortably close to some of the more unbearable regions of our waking dreams… visionary… A grand, nightmarish page-turner that will have you riveted.’ — Kirkus

‘Hell as the setting for a noir investigation turns out to be as fun as it sounds in THE DEVIL’S DETECTIVE. Inventive and pacy, Simon Kurt Unsworth has created a world – underworld? – distinctly his own.’ — Andrew Pyper

Cover Reveal: Simon Kurt Unsworth’s THE DEVIL’S DETECTIVE (US)

Posted on Tuesday, September 9th, 2014

Last Friday, we shared a teaser image for the Simon Kurt Unsworth‘s upcoming THE DEVIL’S DETECTIVE – the UK edition, that is. Today, we’re delighted to be sharing with you the US cover art. Due to be published by Doubleday in the US on March 3rd, 2015. Here’s the synopsis…

Debut novelist Simon Kurt Unsworth sends the detective novel to Hell. In THE DEVIL’S DETECTIVE, a sea change is coming to Hell… and a man named Thomas Fool is caught in the middle.

Thomas Fool is an Information Man, an investigator tasked with cataloging and filing reports on the endless stream of violence and brutality that flows through Hell. His job holds no reward or satisfaction, because Hell has rules but no justice. Each new crime is stamped “Do Not Investigate” and dutifully filed away in the depths of the Bureaucracy. But when an important political delegation arrives and a human is found murdered in a horrific manner — extravagant even by Hell’s standards — everything changes. The murders escalate, and their severity points to the kind of killer not seen for many generations. Something is challenging the rules and order of Hell, so the Bureaucracy sends Fool to identify and track down the killer… But how do you investigate murder in a place where death is common currency? Or when your main suspect pool is a legion of demons? With no memory of his past and only an irresistible need for justice, Fool will piece together clues and follow a trail that leads directly into the heart of a dark and chaotic conspiracy. A revolution is brewing in Hell… and nothing is what it seems.

THE DEVIL’S DETECTIVE is an audacious, highly suspenseful thriller set against a nightmarish and wildly vivid world. Simon Kurt Unsworth has created a phantasmagoric thrill ride filled with stunning set pieces and characters that spring from our deepest nightmares. It will have readers of both thrillers and horror hanging on by their fingernails until the final word. In Hell, hope is your worst enemy.

THE DEVIL’S DETECTIVE is due to be published in the UK by Del Rey UK on March 12th, 2015. We’ll share with you the UK cover as soon as it’s available.

UK Cover Reveal: Melinda Snodgrass’s EDGE SERIES

Posted on Monday, August 18th, 2014

We’re very happy to share with you today these stunning covers for the first two novels in Melinda Snodgrass‘s Edge Series! The novels – THE EDGE OF REASON and THE EDGE OF RUIN – are due to be published in the UK by Titan Books in September 2014 and early 2015, respectively.

Here’s the synopsis for THE EDGE OF REASON…

A contemporary fantasy that explores the tensions between science and rationality, religion and superstition. An intelligent blend of Dante’s Infernoand Urban Fantasy…

Richard Oort is a cop. He’s also the last Paladin: a reluctant hero, fated to defend the world against demonic forces that threaten to plunge us into another Dark Age.

Richard is on patrol one night when he leaps to the defense of a terrified young woman fleeing something impossible: beings that can only be described as monsters. Beings that can only have been created by magic. But in saving the beautiful Rhianna, he gets drawn into the machinations of a mysterious billionaire who just might be Prometheus and Lucifer. And who claims to be waging a millennia-old war on the side of reason and light, defending humanity from others of his kind who want nothing more than to see us destroy ourselves with superstition, religion, darkness, fear.

But when Richard discovers he’s a Paladin — product of a genetic fluke that enables him to wield Lucifer’s sword — he becomes a central figure in the battle between Light and Darkness. But is he strong enough to bear the burden?

Melinda is also working on a third novel in the series – more news as and when it is available. She is also working on Imperials, an epic space opera series that recently sold to Titan Books. Here are some reviews of the Edge Series…

‘If H.P. Lovecraft and H. L. Mencken had ever collaborated, they might have come up with something like THE EDGE OF REASON. This one will delight thinkers — and outrage true believers — of all stripes.’ — George R. R. Martin

‘[A] gritty narrative of a war between light and dark… Balanc[es] a harsh critique of organized religion with touches of humor and a good-hearted priest who grounds his faith in the Golden Rule…’ — Publishers Weekly

‘Snodgrass has a thick, meaty writing style that will satisfy the hungriest reader… she deftly weaves [her characters’] stories together to bind the interest and excitement of the story. Events in this novel will challenge the beliefs and thought systems of many and leave readers questioning themselves – but in a highly satisfying manner.’ — RT Book Reviews

Zeno represents Melinda Snodgrass in the UK and Commonwealth, on behalf of Kay McCauley at Aurous, Inc.