In case you missed the news, Josh Winning has a new novel on the way! Announced in Publishers Weekly a few days ago, the next book will be BURN THE NEGATIVE, which has been sold to G. P. Putnam’s Sons! We don’t have a firm publication date, cover, nor synopsis just yet, but we’ll be sure to share them as soon as we do.
Congratulations, Josh!
We’re sure fans of Josh’s debut novel, THE SHADOW GLASS (Titan Books), will find much to love in his next novel, which is another tale connected to nostalgic horror/fantasy and entertainment.
Hot on the heels of the fantastic news that Faber Childrens’ has acquired two forthcoming YA novels from Alexia Casale, we are very happy to report that Viking Books has acquired two adult novels by Casale! The deal was announced in The Bookseller, and here are some of the details…
The first book, THE BEST WAY TO BURY YOUR HUSBAND is due to be published in 2024. Here’s the synopsis…
When Sally kills her husband with a cast-iron skillet, she’s more fearful of losing her kids than disposing of a fresh corpse. That just wouldn’t be fair — not after twenty years married to a truly terrible man. But Sally isn’t the only woman in town reaching the brink. Soon, Sally has formed an extremely unusual self-help group, and between them there are four bodies to hide. Can they all figure out the perfect way to bury their husbands… and get away with it?
Viking publisher Harriet Bourton described the novel as ‘wickedly arch’. The novel ‘is also devastatingly contemporary, given the sharp increase in reports of domestic abuse during lockdown, and Alexia writes with an insightful empathy… a gripping yet heartfelt page-turner that’s dripping with mirth (and just a little blood).’
THE FINAL GIRL SUPPORT GROUP, Grady Hendrix‘s latest acclaimed novel, is available as an audiobook in the UK, published by W. F. Howes‘s Jammer imprint! The winner of the 2021 Goodreads Choice Award in the Horror category, it is narrated by Adrienne King. Here’s the synopsis…
A fast-paced, thrilling horror novel that follows a group of heroines to die for…
In horror movies, the final girl is the one who’s left standing when the credits roll. The one who fought back, defeated the killer and avenged her friends. The one who emerges bloodied but victorious. But after the sirens fade and the audience moves on, what happens to her?
Lynnette Tarkington survived a massacre 22 years ago, and it has defined every day of her life since. And she’s not alone. For more than a decade she’s been meeting with five other final girls and their therapist in a support group for those who survived the unthinkable, putting their lives back together, piece by piece. That is until one of the women misses a meeting and Lynnette’s worst fears are realized — someone knows about the group and is determined to take their lives apart again, piece by piece.
But the thing about these final girls is that they have each other now, and no matter how bad the odds, how dark the night, how sharp the knife, they will never, ever give up.
The print and eBook editions of the novel are published in the UK by Titan Books. Here are just a few of the great reviews the novel has received so far…
‘A wildly entertaining romp through the conventions of horror’s slasher film subgenre… Hendrix masterfully evokes the paranoid existences of his diverse cast in the aftermath of their traumatic ordeals, and he so explicitly details the massacres and fictional film sagas that grew out of them that readers may believe them to be real. The result is a wonderfully suspenseful and darkly comic novel that cleverly subverts popular culture.Horror fans will be wowed.’ — Publishers Weekly(Starred Review)
‘Hendrix presents yet another thought-provoking, fun, and chilling winner.’ — Library Journal (Starred Review)
‘A bloody and grotesque but ultimately entertaining and inspiring take on horror movies, trauma, and self-determination.’ — Kirkus
‘[An] entertaining, fast-paced, and darkly humorous novel that reads like a sequel to a spooky ’80s horror flick.’ — Booklist
‘Hendrix’s cinematic knowledge is deployed with skill, and it’s not necessary to be a fan of slasher movies to enjoy this very clever, gleefully violent, self-aware deconstruction of the genre.’ — Guardian
‘This is a must-read for stalk ‘n’ slash fans and another hit from a horror writer at the top of his game.’ — SFX Magazine
Zeno represents Grady Hendrix in the UK and Commonwealth, on behalf of the JABberwocky Literary Agency in New York.
The audiobook edition of Alexia Casale‘s THE BONE DRAGON is out tomorrow! Narrated by Sasha Higgins, and published by Tantor Media, here’s the synopsis…
Evie’s shattered ribs have been a secret for the last four years. Now she has found the strength to tell her adoptive parents, and the physical traces of her past are fixed — the only remaining signs a scar on her side and a fragment of bone taken home from the hospital, which her uncle Ben helps her to carve into a dragon as a sign of her strength.
Soon this ivory talisman begins to come to life at night, offering wisdom and encouragement in roaming dreams of smoke and moonlight that come to feel ever more real.
As Evie grows stronger there remains one problem her new parents can’t fix for her: a revenge that must be taken. And it seems that the Dragon is the one to take it.
This subtly unsettling novel is told from the viewpoint of a fourteen-year-old girl damaged by a past she can’t talk about, in a hypnotic narrative that, while giving increasing insight, also becomes increasingly unreliable.
A blend of psychological thriller and fairy tale, The Bone Dragon explores the fragile boundaries between real life and fantasy, and the darkest corners of the human mind.
You can listen to a clip from the audiobook, below.
Here are just a few reviews the novel has received so far…
‘With a relentless emotional charge and unexpected twists, Alexia Casale’s first novel will captivate readers… Beautifully evoked… Dark, with unexpected twists and a strong – if disturbing – ending, the narrative has a relentless emotional charge… an outstanding debut that vividly portrays the power and fragility of the human heart and mind.’ — Guardian
‘Casale’s dazzling debut begins with a sick girl who, when presented with a fragment of her own rib, carves it into the shape of a dragon. And then it just gets stranger. A haunting portrayal of damage, resilience and revenge, and one of the finest novels of the year – in any category.’ — Financial Times (Books of the Year 2013)
‘Beautifully written, poetic and haunting, this is a superlative debut.’ — Financial Times (Summer Books Guide)
‘There are numerous young adult novels dealing with dark subjects such as bereavement, illness and abuse, but THE BONE DRAGON stands apart from the crowd. Bold, brave and often unsettling, this tale of a teenage girl profoundly affected by a past that she cannot talk about – even to herself – is also both understated and beautifully-written. As well as dealing with challenging issues, with its positive and thoughtful depiction of adoption and adoptive parents, it is a tribute to unconventional families and friendships of all different kinds. An intriguing blend of psychological thriller and fantasy, this is an impressive and unusual debut.’ — Book Trust
‘Please read this book: I confess to feeling a certain sense of trepidation in writing this review for fear that my words will not do the book justice. To put it simply, this book has that ‘something special’ factor. From the first few pages I was immersed in this unsettling, hypnotic story that flits seamlessly between real life and reality. The plot is engaging despite the difficult subject matter; Evie is a courageous yet damaged individual and at times her pain and anger is so raw it can be uncomfortable to read. The book also poses a moral question as it explores the idea of revenge and whether you could exact it and live with the consequences. This is a totally original novel and Evie is a character I’ll find hard to forget and I would urge everyone to read this exceptional novel.’ — Waterstones (Brentwood)
‘THE BONE DRAGON was published as Fantasy fiction for older children but it could equally have been marketed as a psychological thriller for adults. It all depends on how you interpret what you are reading… a deceptively clever novel… has the scariest happy ending since the original Grimm (in every sense) version of `Snow White’. Whether it is Fantasy fiction or a novel about living out your fantasy is up to each individual reader to decide. Either way, Evie’s story is a mesmerising read.’ — Fantasy Reads
Earlier today, we shared the news that the CD/MP3-CD edition of William Gibson‘s THE DIFFERENCE ENGINE is out today. Well, today W. F. Howes also publishes Gibson’s SPOOK COUNTRY in CD/MP3-CD formats! The second novel in the acclaimed Blue Ant series, it follows PATTERN RECOGNITION (which is also out now). Both novels in the series are narrated by Bronwen Price, and here’s the synopsis…
Spook Country — a gripping spy thriller by William Gibson, best-selling author of Neuromancer.
In New York, a young Cuban called Tito is passing iPods to a mysterious old man. Such activities do not go unnoticed, however, in these early days of the War on Terror, and across the city, an ex-military man named Brown is tracking Tito’s movements. Meanwhile in LA, journalist Hollis Henry is on the trail of Bobby Chombo, who appears to know too much about military systems for his own good. With Bobby missing and the trail cold, Hollis digs deeper and is drawn into the final moves of a chilling game played out by men with old scores to settle…
W. F. Howes has also published the UK audiobook editions of NEUROMANCER, the aforementioned PATTERN RECOGNITION, DISTRUST THAT PARTICULAR FLAVOR (a non-fiction collection), and THE DIFFERENCE ENGINE (co-authored by Bruce Sterling).
Today, we have the three covers for Ben Aaronovitch & Andrew Cartmel‘s MONDAY, MONDAY #4! The three covers are by Abigail Jill Harding (above), Vv Glass, and David Buisian (below). Due to be published by Titan Comics on October 6th, here’s the synopsis for this issue:
A werewolf is on the loose in London and will stop at nothing to avoid capture!
Titan Comics has published all of the Rivers of London comics to date.
The Rivers of London comics are set in the same world as Ben’s internationally-bestselling, acclaimed Peter Grant / Rivers of London series of novels and novellas — published in the UK by Gollancz; in North America by Del Rey (1-3), DAW Books (4-) and Subterranean Press (novellas); it is also published widely in translation.
Tomorrow, W. F. Howes are due to publish William Gibson‘s latest new UK audiobook: SPOOK COUNTRY! The second novel in Gibson’s Blue Ant series, it follows PATTERN RECOGNITION (out now) — both novels in the series are narrated by Bronwen Price. Here’s the synopsis…
Spook Country — a gripping spy thriller by William Gibson, best-selling author of Neuromancer.
In New York, a young Cuban called Tito is passing iPods to a mysterious old man. Such activities do not go unnoticed, however, in these early days of the War on Terror, and across the city, an ex-military man named Brown is tracking Tito’s movements. Meanwhile in LA, journalist Hollis Henry is on the trail of Bobby Chombo, who appears to know too much about military systems for his own good. With Bobby missing and the trail cold, Hollis digs deeper and is drawn into the final moves of a chilling game played out by men with old scores to settle…
Those looking to buy a physical version of the audiobook (CD or MP3 CD, for example), will have to wait a little bit longer — that edition will be available on November 1st.
W. F. Howes has also published the UK audiobook editions of NEUROMANCER, PATTERN RECOGNITION, DISTRUST THAT PARTICULAR FLAVOR, and THE DIFFERENCE ENGINE (co-authored by Bruce Sterling).
In case you missed it, we wanted to share the interview Grady Hendrix did for Forbidden Planet TV, which you can watch above, celebrating the imminent release of THE FINAL GIRL SUPPORT GROUP. The novel is due to be published by Titan Books in the UK next week! Here’s the synopsis…
In horror movies, the final girl is the one who’s left standing when the credits roll. The one who fought back, defeated the killer, and avenged her friends. The one who emerges bloodied but victorious. But after the sirens fade and the audience moves on, what happens to her?
Lynnette Tarkington survived a massacre twenty-two years ago, and it has defined every day of her life since. And she’s not alone. For more than a decade she’s been meeting with five other final girls and their therapist in a support group for those who survived the unthinkable, putting their lives back together, piece by piece. That is until one of the women misses a meeting and Lynnette’s worst fears are realized — someone knows about the group and is determined to take their lives apart again, piece by piece.
But the thing about these final girls is that they have each other now, and no matter how bad the odds, how dark the night, how sharp the knife, they will never, ever give up.
Just as a reminder, the novel is available to pre-order in limited editions from Waterstones and Forbidden Planet.
Here are just a few of great reviews the novel has received already…
‘A wildly entertaining romp through the conventions of horror’s slasher film subgenre… Hendrix masterfully evokes the paranoid existences of his diverse cast in the aftermath of their traumatic ordeals, and he so explicitly details the massacres and fictional film sagas that grew out of them that readers may believe them to be real. The result is a wonderfully suspenseful and darkly comic novel that cleverly subverts popular culture.Horror fans will be wowed.’ — Publishers Weekly (Starred Review)
‘Hendrix presents yet another thought-provoking, fun, and chilling winner.’ — Library Journal (Starred Review)
‘A bloody and grotesque but ultimately entertaining and inspiring take on horror movies, trauma, and self-determination.’ — Kirkus
‘[An] entertaining, fast-paced, and darkly humorous novel that reads like a sequel to a spooky ’80s horror flick.’ — Booklist
‘THE FINAL GIRL SUPPORT GROUP sizzles with action, originality, and a gleaming concept sharp as a scalpel.’ — Charlaine Harris, #1 New York Times bestselling author
‘Pray for morning, wish for speed, and be as quiet as you can, it doesn’t matter — Grady Hendrix’s THE FINAL GIRL SUPPORT GROUP already knows where you live and breathe.’ — Stephen Graham Jones, author of The Only Good Indians
‘Take slasher movie adoration, critique, and satire, mix with compelling, flawed characters and neck-breaking plot twists, and drop it all into an industrial blender with large blades. Voilà, you now have Grady’s maniacally clever and compulsively readable The Final Girl Support Group.’ — Paul Tremblay, National bestselling author of Survivor Song
‘A (bloody) valentine to the slasher franchises of the VHS era, but also a smart novel about survivor guilt and the concept of the enduring heroine.’ — Kim Newman, author of Anno Dracula
Zeno represents Grady Hendrix in the UK and Commonwealth, on behalf of the JABberwocky Literary Agency in New York.
You may have seen the North American cover for Grady Hendrix‘s highly-anticipated new novel circulating online for a little while, now. Today, we’re very happy to report that THE FINAL GIRL SUPPORT GROUP is going to get a UK edition!
Due to be published by Titan Books on July 13th, here’s the synopsis…
A fast-paced, thrilling horror novel that follows a group of heroines to die for, from the brilliant New York Times bestselling author of The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires.
Ever wonder what happens to those Final Girls? After the cops eliminate them as suspects, after the press releases their brace-faced, pizza-cheeked, bad-hair-day class photos that inevitably get included on the cover of the true crime book? After the candlelight vigils and the moments of silence, after someone plants the memorial shrub?
For Lynette Tarkington, it’s been a support group. Her, five other final girls, a therapist. Close to twenty years. Today’s the last day for group, but Lynne doesn’t know it yet. It’s also going to be the last day for one of the group. And maybe the final day for all of the final girls, because someone’s been planning a nasty surprise for them for a long time.
Zeno represents Grady Hendrix in the UK and Commonwealth, on behalf of the JABberwocky Literary Agency in New York.
Next month, William Gibson‘s new masterpiece, AGENCY is due to be published! The follow-up to the acclaimed THE PERIPHERAL, it is a gripping thriller set in an alternate present. Publishers Weekly has already said that, ‘Cyberpunk fans looking to dive into the “what-if’s” of an alternate timeline will be as enraptured as ever by Gibson’s imagination’.
Published in the UK by Viking, on January 23rd, here’s the synopsis…
San Francisco, 2017. Clinton’s in the White House, Brexit never happened — and Verity Jane’s got herself a new job.
They call Verity ‘the app-whisperer’, and she’s just been hired by a shadowy start-up to evaluate a pair-of-glasses-cum-digital-assistant called Eunice. Only Eunice has other ideas.
Pretty soon, Verity knows that Eunice is smarter than anyone she’s ever met, conceals some serious capabilities and is profoundly paranoid – which is just as well since suddenly some bad people are after Verity.
Meanwhile, in a post-apocalyptic London a century from now, PR fixer Wilf Netherton is tasked by all-seeing policewoman Ainsley Lowbeer with interfering in the alternative past in which Verity and Eunice exist. It appears something nasty is about to happen there – and fixing it will require not only Eunice’s unique human-AI skillset but also a little help from the future.
A future which Verity soon fears may never be…
Sure to be one of the biggest releases of the year, we can’t wait for you to read this one! For more insight into this novel, check out this interview with the author over at Locus Magazine. If you can’t wait, be sure to read THE PERIPHERAL before AGENCY arrives — it is out now, published by Penguin.
Of course, we also recommend you check out Gibson’s classic Neuromancer series, published in the UK by Gollancz. The first in that series is also available as a SF Masterworks special edition.
Zeno represents William Gibson in the UK and Commonwealth, on behalf of Nell Pierce at Sterling Lord Literistic.
This December, Titan Books are due to publish the third novel in Robert Brockway‘s critically-acclaimed Unnoticeables series, KILL ALL ANGELS! Here’s the synopsis…
After the events of the first two books of the Unnoticeables series, Carey and Randall reached LA during the early ’80s punk scene, which was heavily mixed up with Chinatown. A young Chinese girl with silver hair is the Empty One that seems to run things there, and her ex-lover, an Empty One named Zang, has apparently turned against them and may or may not be on Carey’s side.
In modern times, Kaitlyn and company have also returned to LA, because her powers have been growing, and she has been having visions that may be telling her how to kill all of the angels. The downside being that they have to find a new one, first—and LA is the only place they know where to do that.
Titan have already published the first two novels, THE UNNOTICEABLES and THE EMPTY ONES.
Here are just a few of the reviews the series has received so far…
‘This is an off-kilter, offbeat piece of work…[The characters’] threads finally come together in an adrenaline-fuelled climax that reads like Hunter S. Thompson went drinking with Stephen King. Brockway’s style is raw and over the top, at times too clever and convoluted for its own good, but strangely readable, with unexpected depths.’ — Publishers Weekly on THE UNNOTICEABLES
‘Raucous, highly entertaining slice of madness, which cuts between the New York punk scene in 1970s New York City and present day Hollywood and offers plenty of chills and a lot of laughs… It’s fast, funny and creepy, with two hugely likeable central characters. Roll on book two.’ — SciFi Nowon THE UNNOTICEABLES
‘Whatever those guys are smoking over at Cracked.com is working… Just kick back and enjoy the wild ride. [THE UNNOTICEABLES is a] nasty, freaky, and haphazardly funny horror story.’ — Kirkus
‘THE EMPTY ONES is a fever dream of horror and fantasy infused with punk rock, blood and guts, and humor. Its atypical heroes will keep you enthralled, wincing and cheering.’ — The Qwillery
‘Brockway refuses to slow down for an instant, and the result is a wild ride from start to finish.’ — B&N Sci-Fi & Fantasy Blog on THE EMPTY ONES
‘In THE EMPTY ONES, Brockway turns the weird and crazy dials up to eleven and manages to pull off a novel that’s both hilarious and horrifying.’ — Kirkus
‘Brockway, a senior editor at Cracked, throws caution to the wind in this foul-mouthed, hard-drinking adventure, which reads like a collaboration by Hunter S. Thompson, the Sex Pistols, and H.P. Lovecraft.’ — Publishers Weekly on THE EMPTY ONES
Zeno represents Robert Brockway in the UK and Commonwealth, on behalf of the JABberwocky Literary Agency in New York.
Today, we turn back the clock a few years, and spotlight Elizabeth Hand‘s cult-classic, critically-acclaimed Cass Neary duology: GENERATION LOSS and AVAILABLE DARK. The novels are published in the UK by Constable & Robinson. Here’s the synopsis for the first novel…
The secrets of small-town life can be more deadly than fist fights and dead junkies…
Cass Neary is not afraid of living on the edge. A photographer whose shots of New York’s punk scene in the seventies earned her fame, caché, and a cultish kind of cool, Cass has spent much of her life in the dark, watching and waiting. But thirty years later she is alone, adrift and falling rapidly into oblivion. So when an old acquaintance asks her to interview a fellow photographer — a notorious recluse who lives on an island off the Maine coast — she accepts.
There, she learns about a decades-old crime that is still claiming new victims — and comes to realise that her days of living dangerously are not over yet: amid this inhospitable hinterland, Cass comes to realise that her final shot might also be a shot at redemption.
The series has been described as ‘Patricia Highsmith meets Patti Smith’ and as a ‘mesmerizing literary thriller’. Here are some more reviews…
‘Cass Neary… makes Lisbeth Salander seem like a model of mental stability… Stunning.’ — Publishers Weekly
‘In the spirit of Stieg Larsson”s The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo… As the dark Nordic forest thickens, so does the plot. Larsson fanatics may be unable to resist.’ — New York Post
‘Pulsing with tension throughout… charged with its own chilling luminosity.’ — Washington Post
‘A brilliant sequel to Hand”s acclaimed literary thriller GENERATION LOST… Stunning.’ — Booklist (Starred Review)
‘Fiercely frightening yet hauntingly beautiful, with a startling heroine you”ll never forget… Shimmers with gorgeous writing even as it scares the dickens out of you.’ — Tess Gerritsen
‘Intense and atmospheric, Generation Loss is an inventive brew of postpunk attitude and dark mystery. Elizabeth Hand writes with craftsmanship and passion.’ — George Pelecanos
‘A skin blistering crime novel as edgy and black as dried blood on a moonlit night.’ — Robert Crais
Elizabeth Hand’s latest novel, WYLDING HALL, was published recently by Open Road Media.
Zeno represents Elizabeth Hand in the UK and Commonwealth, on behalf of Martha Millard at Sterling Lord Literistic.
The US paperback edition of Simon Kurt Unsworth‘s critically-acclaimed THE DEVIL’S EVIDENCE is out today in the US! Published by Anchor, here’s the synopsis…
Thomas Fool is a detective from Hell – literally. Having survived the wrath of both angel and demon, and still without memory of his life on earth, Fool is currently spending his damnation as a bureaucrat heading up the Information Office of Hell. But when mysterious fires begin spooking higher-ups in the Bureaucracy – homicidal arson, it’s believed–and a series of unexplained murders plagues Heaven, Fool is dispatched north to investigate.
But Heaven is not what Fool imagines. In fact, it’s not so different from Hell. And friction between the two afterworlds is only beginning to mount as Fool conducts his investigation. The Devil’s Evidence is a thrilling ride through the spiritual realm, and a welcome return for the dead’s most endearing private eye.
Anchor also published the first in the series, THE DEVIL’S DETECTIVE. Both novels are published in the UK by Del Rey. Here are some of the great reviews the series has received so far…
‘Unsworth’s conception of a spiritual universe where deeper understanding may itself be the greatest curse is as nuanced and ingenious as his depiction of “poor little Fool,” perhaps the most oddly endearing sleuth to come along in years. The scales are tipped a tad more toward gaudy savagery and gratuitous cruelty than toward more intellectual digressions and plot twists. Still, one suspects Thomas Fool will return, with more respect from readers than from his spiritual jailers. It’s less a whodunit than a ripsnorter, with an emphasis on the ripping. Or maybe the snorting.’ — Kirkus on THE DEVIL’S EVIDENCE
‘Unsworth’s imagination soars! THE DEVIL’S EVIDENCE is a twisted journey into the afterlife, a dark labyrinth of mystery, and a brilliant contemplation on identity, transgression, and our struggle to recognize that we each make our own heaven and our own hell. A fresh new voice in dark fiction. Don’t miss this series!’ — Christopher Golden
‘The ultimate solution is a fairly clued surprise, and Unsworth’s creative worldbuilding leaves plenty of room for a sequel.’ — Publishers Weeklyon THE DEVIL’S EVIDENCE
‘Do you love Jim Butcher’s Dresden Files series? How about the Rivers of London series by Ben Aaronovitch? Like a bit of John Le Carre intrigue? If so, you will love THE DEVIL’S EVIDENCE. A hybrid between horror fantasy and crime procedural, Simon Kurt Unsworth’s novel had this writer hooked from its first opening, fiery lines… Unsworth has built a very horrible, yet believable universe with characters who you can hate as well as root for. While you don’t need to read the first novel to enjoy the second in the series, we really do recommend you start at the beginning. There’s a lot to take in and a great deal of character development to enjoy. A real page turner.‘ 10/10 — Starburst
‘Dark and luminous, compelling and insidious, THE DEVIL’S DETECTIVE is a novel that transcends genre.’ — Michael Marshall Smith
‘Inventive and intriguing – Unsworth turns a journey through Hell into a heavenly read.’ — Alison Littlewood
‘I think this might be the most whimsical murder story ever told. THE DEVIL’S DETECTIVE is relentlessly creative, fearlessly witty, and completely twisted. Naturally, I loved it.’ — Chelsea Cain
‘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
‘The debut novel from prolific short story writer Simon Kurt Unsworth depicts a very modern hell. There’s still suffering but it’s mostly to be found in the drudgery of the daily grind. Gruesome medieval tortures have given way to endless toil, confounding bureaucracy and arbitrary cruelty. Once you accept the logic of this underworld, what follows is an entertaining Dantean spin on the police procedural… Appropriately awash with gore and bodily fluids, THE DEVIL’S DETECTIVE is damned good.’ — Financial Times
‘THE DEVIL’S DETECTIVE grips. Unsworth’s storytelling is taut and lean, avoiding any lapses into potboiler… When he writes about Hell, he makes it downright hellish… The book eventually spins all this admittedly sumptuous horror into thought-provoking notions about salvation, hope and free will.’ — NPR
Later this month, Severn House is due to published the next novel in Simon R. Green‘s new supernatural mystery series, DEAD MAN WALKING. The follow-up to THE DARK SIDE OF THE ROAD, the first novel featuring Ishmael Jones
“Call me Ishmael. Ishmael Jones. I am the man in the shadows, that even the shadows are afraid of. The secret agent whose life is the greatest secret of all. And some of the cases I work are trickier than others.”
A rogue agent has come in from the cold and wants to spill his secrets. The Organisation wants Ishmael Jones to find out if Frank Parker is who he says he is, and why he has emerged from the shadows after all this time. But when Ishmael reaches Ringstone Lodge where Parker is being held, he is menaced by a series of alarming incidents.
Severn House are also due to publish DEAD MAN WALKING in the US on September 1st, 2016.
The first in the series was well-received. Here’s just a small sample taken from the reviews…
‘[A] brisk, breezy first in a new mystery series… Convincing supernatural twists [and] witty chapter titles… readers will be anxious for a sequel.’ — Publishers Weekly
‘I really enjoyed the book. If anything it was over too soon. The author captures the English Country Manor Murder Mystery feel very well, as he sets up pretty much everybody as a suspect… I look forward to finding out more in future volumes.’ — British Fantasy Society
‘Genre-blending author Green introduces another wisecracking protagonist, Ishmael Jones…Fans of the British TV series Torchwood will enjoy the irreverent, otherworldly protagonist.’ — Booklist
Simon R. Green is also the best-selling author of the Nightside, Secret Histories and Ghost Finders series, all published as eBooks in the UK by Jo Fletcher Books.
Zeno represents Simon R. Green in the UK and Commonwealth, on behalf of the JABberwocky Literary Agency in New York.
Simon Kurt Unsworth‘s critically-acclaimed debut novel, THE DEVIL’S DETECTIVE, is out now in paperback in the US! Published by Doubleday, here’s the synopsis…
Something is changing in Hell.
A man is found dead, murdered in a horrific manner – even by Hell’s standards – and he is merely the first of many. Unfortunately, these deaths coincide with a political visit from a Heavenly delegation, so the pressure is on Thomas Fool, an Information Man, to track down and identify the murderer. It’s critical that Fool solves these crimes, but how can he find a killer in a place where murder is common currency?
With no memory of his past but an irresistible drive to discover the truth, Fool will follow the trail of clues straight into the heart of a dark and chaotic conspiracy. A revolution is brewing in Hell… and nothing is what it seems.
Here’s just a small sample of the aforementioned critical acclaim…
‘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
‘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. The whodunit aspects of this novel may, in the end, be less interesting than the phantasmagorical details surrounding it. But that’s far less a complaint than a compliment of the author’s visionary gifts. A grand, nightmarish page-turner that will have you riveted.’ — Kirkus
‘There is much to love with THE DEVIL’S DETECTIVE. The depiction of Hell is original, with it being less of a torture chamber and more of a place for continued hard work for the unworthy, and the world building is great… The novel is dark and full of twists and originality, and it’s suitable for anyone wanting to get into fantasy with a supernatural element.’ — Starburst
‘THE DEVIL’S DETECTIVE grips. Unsworth’s storytelling is taut and lean, avoiding any lapses into potboiler… When he writes about Hell, he makes it downright hellish… The book eventually spins all this admittedly sumptuous horror into thought-provoking notions about salvation, hope and free will’ — NPR
The sequel, THE DEVIL’S EVIDENCE, is also due to be published by Doubleday, on July 5th, 2016. We shared the US cover a little while ago, but here it is again…
The two novels are published in the UK by Del Rey — the paperback of THE DEVIL’S DETECTIVE is due out 0n February 25th, 2016 (it is still available in hardcover), and THE DEVIL’S EVIDENCE is due out on October 6th, 2016.
