Arrow snaps up playwright Harnetiaux's debut thriller

Arrow will publish playwright Trish Harnetiaux's debut novel, a psychological thriller about a Christmas party that turns deadly, later this year. 

Editor Sonny Marr acquired UK and Commonwealth rights to The Secret Santa from Marie Florio at Simon & Schuster US. Arrow will publish first in eBook on 1st October and then in paperback original on 31st October 2019. Harnetiaux’s psychological thriller will be published in the US by Simon & Schuster under the title White Elephant on 29th October in hardback. 

"A high-flying property agent throws a festive soirée in a mansion with a dark history," reads the synopsis. "But when a murder weapon is gifted as part of their Secret Santa gift exchange, the party turns fatal and the race is on to find the killer before they strike again."

Marr said: "The Secret Santa is a deliciously indulgent novel about the dark secrets that lie behind a glamorous veneer of holiday cheer. I instantly fell for this novel’s brilliant hook and its cast of wonderfully flawed characters who will shock and delight from beginning to end. We’re thrilled to be publishing Trish’s debut and we have exciting plans to bring her unique thriller to a wide raft of readers."

Brooklyn-based playwright Harnetiaux, whose published works include Tin Cat Shoes, How To Get Into Buildings, and If You Can Get To Buffalo, said: "I’m so honored to have my debut novel published by Arrow and to join their list of rockstar thriller writers. With the stress of the holidays, there's a real underlying danger of people snapping. So it just makes sense to have a murder mystery set at Christmas."