Two novels from William Boyle to No Exit

No Exit Press has acquired two novels from American author William Boyle: Gravesend and A Friend is a Gift You Give Yourself.

UK & Commonwealth rights were acquired from Caspian Dennis at Abner Stein on behalf of Nat Sobel and Judith Weber at Sobel Weber Associates, Inc.

In Gravesend, Ray Boy Calabrese is released from prison 16 years after his actions led to the death of a young man. The victim's brother, Conway D'Innocenzio, finally has a shot at revenge but when the chips are down, he finds that he doesn't have murder in him. Thus begins a spiral of self-loathing and soul-searching, pulling in Alessandra, a failed actress caring for her widowed father, and Eugene, Ray Boy's hellbound nephew, as it winds to a "violent" conclusion.

In A Friend is a Gift You Give Yourself, two women in their 60s join forces after one, Rena, widow of a Mafia captain, believes she has killed her neighbour after throwing an ashtray at him to fend off his advances. As she flees to safety, she is joined by Wolfstein, an ex-porn star turned con artist, who signs on for more adventure than she bargained for. Together, the pair’s escapades begin to rack up a serious body count in a story that is a "highly original blend of humour and violence".

Boyle, originally from Brooklyn, now lives in Oxford, Mississippi.

Gravesend has been shortlisted for the Prix Polar SNCF 2017, and nominated for the Grand Prix de Littérature Policière.

Geoff Mulligan, editor-in-chief of No Exit Press, said: "Both of these novels demonstrate William Boyle’s talent for writing compelling characters, evocative setting and pitch-perfect dialogue. Gravesend and A Friend is a Gift You Give Yourself are two gripping, unpredictable stories which we are thrilled to be able to publish in the UK."

Gravesend will be published in January 2018 and A Friend is a Gift You Give Yourself will be released in September 2018.