Breaking Bad's Krysten Ritter pens psychological thriller for Hutchinson

Actress, producer, and writer Krysten Ritter is publishing a debut psychological suspense novel, Bonfire, with Hutchinson this year.

Ritter, who is best known for her roles in Netflix original series Marvel’s "Jessica Jones" and "Don’t Trust the B---- in Apartment 23", as well as her role on AMC’s "Breaking Bad", will see her novel publish in hardback and e-book on 9th November.

The book was acquired by Jocasta Hamilton, Hutchinson publishing director for UK and Commonwealth rights, excluding Canada, for an undisclosed amount from Jane Finigan at Lutyens and Rubenstein on behalf of Stephen Barbara at InkWell Management and Paper Lantern Lit. 

Bonfire, informed by real-life instances of local conspiracy, is about a woman forced to confront her past in the wake of small-town corruption. Its protagonist is 28-year-old Abby Williams, who returns to her small hometown after a 10-year absence as an environmental lawyer sent to investigate Optimal Plastics, the town’s largest company and economic heart, accused of illegal dumping of toxic chemicals in local water. Her findings lead her to revisit the town’s biggest scandal—the disappearance of a girl who had been one of Abby’s prime torturers in high school. As Abby tries to find out what really happened all those years ago, she unearths an even more disturbing secret, the scope of which is far bigger and more twisted than she could have imagined.

Ritter herself grew up on a small-town farm in rural Pennsylvania. Her career began aged 15 as a model, and her body of work now spans film, television, theater, writing, producing, music, and fashion design. In film, she had also been in "Big Eyes", "Listen Up Philip", "Life Happens", "Confessions of a Shopaholic" and "She’s Out of My League". She is also the founder of Silent Machine, a production company that aims to highlight complex female protagonists. 

Hamilton said: "I was immediately drawn to Ritter’s fantastically atmospheric evocation of small-town America which, combined with a complex and believable heroine and multilayered plot, make this an irresistibly dark thriller."

Ritter added: “As a huge fan of psychological suspense novels, I was so thrilled to take on the challenge of writing my first book. This was an exciting opportunity for me to explore a character journey and really get inside the head of my protagonist, a process that has a lot in common with how I prepare to play a role.”