Bloomsbury hires Hennessey to head crime list

Bloomsbury has appointed Alison Hennessey as editorial director of Bloomsbury Crime.

Hennessey was previously senior commissioning editor for the Harvill Secker crime list, where should looked after writers including Jo Nesbo and Henning Mankell. She recently published In a Dark Dark Wood by Ruth Ware.

Her acquisitions at Harvill Secker included "critically acclaimed" crime writer Eva Dolan, a historical Indian-set series from Abir Mukherjee and new books by author Denise Mina.

Prior to working at Harvill Secker, Hennessey was editor at Vintage Books.

Editor-in-chief at Bloomsbury, Alexandra Pringle, said: "Bloomsbury has been quietly building a crime list over the past six years, with notable successes including James Runcie’s Grantchester Mysteries, Stella Rimington and Richard Price. This summer we launch Kate Saunders’ Laetitia Rodd Mysteries, introducing a Victorian lady detective to the world of crime fiction.  Now is the time to bring in an experienced crime editor with literary taste and Alison is the perfect person to build and grow the Bloomsbury crime list."

Hennessey said: "It's been such a pleasure to work at Harvill Secker for the past four years and publish so many talented authors, but the opportunity to run my own list at Bloomsbury and work with the team there was just too good to resist. I can't wait to find some exciting new names to complement their enviable rosta of existing authors."