HarperFiction nets 'dark and twisty' Adamson thriller

HarperFiction has netted Five Strangers, a “dark and twisty” thriller from E V Adamson, in a two-book deal.

Editorial director Phoebe Morgan bought UK and Commonwealth rights from Clare Alexander of Aitken Alexander. It will be published in spring 2021.

The novel starts with five people witnessing a shocking event on Hampstead Heath one Valentine’s Day. Morgan explained: “Five Strangers opens with an amazing scene in which the London skyline is shattered by violence and each stranger must ask themselves: did they really see what they think they saw? It’s a tale of obsession, toxicity and secrets, and the way our lives are all interlinked, even if we don’t realise it. I fell in love with the powerful voice straight away; E V Adamson writes with a scalpel and I am thrilled to be bringing him to the HarperFiction crime list.”

Adamson is the pseudonym for Andrew Wilson, a novelist, biographer and journalist. He is also a creative writing mentor on the Gold Dust scheme and a new tutor on Faber Academy’s online crime writing course.

He said: “I’m thrilled that Phoebe Morgan and the fantastic team at HarperFiction are publishing my new novel Five Strangers. I’ve long been an admirer of the HarperFiction list and its stellar range of authors. I can’t wait to be able to share this new novel with readers when it’s published early next year.”