CJ Skuse's first adult thriller to HQ

Harlequin imprint HQ is to publish a "dark" and "funny" thriller for adults from C J Skuse, author of several YA novels, in April 2017.

Anna Baggaley, HQ senior commissioning editor, acquired world English rights to Sweetpea from Jenny Savill at Andrew Nurnberg Associates.

Sweetpea chronicles a year in the life of an ambitious but bored young woman living and working in a small British town. By day her job as a junior reporter is demeaning and unsatisfying, but outside of work she turns to altogether darker, grislier pursuits. Told in "wry and disturbingly funny" personal diary entries, Sweetpea is best described as Bridget Jones’s Diary meets "Dexter", the publisher said.

YA novels written by Skuse for Harlequin include Monster (Mira Ink) and The Deviants (MIRA Ink).

Baggaley said: "I couldn't be more thrilled to be working with C J on this truly incredible new project that really shows off how addictive and deliciously dark her writing can be. I'm so excited for Sweetpea which is so very of the moment and can't wait to get this amazing read into people's hands".

Sweetpea will be published on the 20th April 2017 in hardback, ebook and audiobook.