Raven Books scoops Imran Mahmood’s Mayfair murder thriller

Raven Books will publish thriller author Imran Mahmood’s second novel billed as a "timely investigation into wealth and trauma".

Sara Helen Binney, managing editor at Bloomsbury, made her first acquisition for Raven Books with I Know What I Saw. She acquired UK and Commonwealth rights excluding Canada from Camilla Bolton at Darley Anderson. Raven Books will publish the title in 2021.

Binney joined Bloomsbury Publishing from UEA in July 2019 to support Raven's editorial director Alison Hennessey and to begin to commission her own small list of titles at Raven Books.

"A woman has been murdered in a dark Mayfair house, and Xander Chute saw everything," the synopsis reads. "But the police can’t find her body, so they decide that Xander, who’s homeless, can’t be trusted. Dismissed by authorities and dogged by figures from a wealthy past he’s tried to forget, Xander is determined to prove his story, and sets out to uncover the truth about what happened in Mayfair."

Bloomsbury said: "Gripping and pacy, with twists to the final page, this brilliant literary crime novel is a timely investigation into wealth and trauma from one of the UK’s most striking voices."

Binney said: "I Know What I Saw is exactly the kind of book I came to Raven Books to publish: tense and twisty, brilliantly written and engaged with the world we live in now. Imran’s a fantastic writer with a great ear for powerful narrative voices, and I’m delighted to be giving his second novel a home here at Raven Books."

Hennessey said: "I am so thrilled that we are welcoming Imran to Raven Books–Sara Helen’s first acquisition for the imprint is exactly the kind of book we love here; original, intelligent, ambitious and beautifully written."

Bolton added: "We are thrilled and incredibly excited for Imran to join Sara Helen and Raven Books. It is a perfect home and a dream team, made extra special with I Know What I Saw being Sara Helen’s first acquisition for Raven Books."

Mahmood is a practising barrister with more than 25 years' experience. Born and brought up in Liverpool, he now lives in London. His début novel, You Don't Know Me (Michael Joseph), was chosen by Simon Mayo as a BBC Radio 2 Book Club Choice, was longlisted for the Theakston crime novel of the year and for the CWA Gold Dagger, 2018 and was shortlisted for The Glass Bell Award, 2018. It is currently being adapted for screen in three parts.