James Carol reunited with former editor at Bonnier Zaffre

Bonnier Zaffre has acquired two thrillers from author James Carol, reuniting him with his former editor at Faber, Katherine Armstrong.

Armstrong, editorial director at Bonnier Zaffre, bought UK, Commonwealth and EU exclusive rights in two standalone thrillers from Camilla Wray at Darley Anderson. Armstrong previously published Carol’s Jefferson Winter series at Faber, where to date it has sold over 300,000 copies, according to Bonnier Zaffre, and has been optioned for TV.

Bonnier Zaffre will publish the currently titled Kiss Me, Kill Me in Summer 2018. A "fast paced" psychological thriller with a "superbly dark ending", the book follows Zoe and Dan, who appear to the perfect marriage, but when Zoe discovers that she is pregnant, she realises that she has to leave Dan. Dan never wanted children and underneath his seemingly charismatic and attentive veneer is a controlling, aggressive and paranoid bully. But Dan has plans of his own – plans that don’t necessarily include Zoe. However, even the best laid plans can go awry, and you really need to be careful about who you trust.

Carol said: "It’s amazing to be working with Katherine again. Under her keen editorial eye the Winter books went from strength to strength, and I can’t wait to start working on the standalones with her. It’s going to be great getting these stories out to readers, and the fact that a company with the enthusiasm, passion and expertise of Bonnier Zaffre will be publishing them really is the icing on the cake."

Wray said: "There’s something very special about a team being reunited and it’s wonderful to see James and Katherine back together. We’re really excited to watch his standalone thrillers grow and be a huge success under Bonnier Zaffre’s commercial expertise and passion."

Armstrong added: "I am thrilled to be working with James again and to bring his fantastic new psychological thriller to readers. He is a natural storyteller and this thriller whips along at breakneck speed. Just when you think you’ve worked out the plot, James throws in a twist that has you going in another direction. This really is a fast-paced and fun read and I can’t wait to introduce readers to Zoe, Dan and a superbly dark ending that they will love."