Two debut psychological thrillers to Avon

Avon has acquired two debut psychological thrillers from Sam Carrington and former poisons expert Carolyn Gillis.

Commissioning editor Natasha Harding acquired world English rights to a psychological thriller and a second novel by Carrington from Anne Williams at Kate Hordern Literary Agency.

The publication of the first title, Saving Sophie, has been brought forward for an immediate release date in August. Saving Sophie follows anxious mother Karen Finch, whose seventeen-year-old daughter Sophie is brought home drunk by the police one night with no recollection of the past evening. Sophie’s friend Amy does not return home however, and then a body is found.

Carrington’s work in the NHS and prison service serves as a key influence for her writing. She left the service to concentrate on her writing full-time.

Harding said: “Immediately after finishing it, I wanted this book in as many readers’ hands as possible. This is exactly what the market is hungry for at the moment, and given Avon’s incredible reputation as brand builders for authors within this market, I had to get Sam on the list. This is psychological crime at its best, with a jaw-dropping twist that will have readers buzzing long after putting it down.”

Avon will digitally publish Saving Sophie on August 12th 2016 with the paperback to follow in December. A second title will follow in 2017.

Meanwhile, editor Phoebe Morgan acquired world English language rights to a debut psychological thriller and a second novel by Gillis from Geraldine Nichol at The Book Bureau. 

The first, Lies Never Die, tells the story of two couples who work in a doctor’s surgery – giving them all-too-easy access to lethal prescription drugs. The two marriages begin to disintegrate as hidden affairs begin and a web of lies leads to "catastrophic "consequences.

The author previously worked in medical research at The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, and at the Poisons Unit at Guy’s Hospital where she became a co-author of a book on cyanide poisoning.

Morgan said: “The minute this manuscript came in I was completely gripped. This is a very intense, claustrophobic novel that will have fans of 'Doctor Foster' and 'The Affair' totally hooked; reading the breakdown of the characters’ mental health and their marriages is just mesmerising. The book has that car-crash feeling and you honestly trust absolutely no-one until the very last page. Carolyn is an amazing talent and we are very excited to welcome her to the Avon list.”

Avon will publish Lies Never Die in June 2017 with the author’s second book coming a year later.