'Gripping' suspense debut to Avon

Avon has acquired a psychological suspense novel by debut author Libby Carpenter about the disappearance of two little girls, decades apart.

Editor Phoebe Morgan acquired world English language rights for Ninety-Nine Red Balloons and a further novel, from Caroline Hardman at Hardman & Swainson.

Ninety-Nine Red Balloons begins when eight-year-old Lily has disappeared. As her family is left reeling, secrets and tensions emerge.

When grandmother Maggie reads about Lily's disappearance in the newspapers, memories of her granddaughter's abduction engulf her. But when she sees a familiar face during the police appeal, what starts as a passing thought becomes an obsession that takes over her life.

Morgan said: "Ninety-Nine Red Balloons is an incredible read; complex, full of secrets and with an absolutely killer twist that made my heart turn over. The horror of Lily’s disappearance will strike fear into the bones of every parent, making this a gripping novel from start to finish. We’ll all be holding onto our children’s hands more tightly after reading…"

Avon will publish Ninety-Nine Red Balloons in November 2017.