Elliott & Thompson nabs book on the E17 Nightstalker from Matt Blake

Elliott & Thompson (E&T) has nabbed investigative journalist Matt Blake’s first book, Hearth of Darkness, to publish on Halloween 2025.

In her first acquisition for E&T, publisher Katie Bond acquired UK and Commonwealth rights from Dotti Irving at Greyhound Literary, who was selling her first book to E&T. It will be published in hardback, e-book and audiobook on 31st October 2025.

"Matt Blake tells the powerful true story of discovering his new home was once the lair of the E17 Nightstalker," the synopsis says. "Hearth of Darkness follows Matt’s struggle to unravel the chilling secrets of his house, where the weight of the past threatens to suffocate the present. It was meant to be a refuge for him and his young daughter after a painful divorce. But when strange things begin to happen, he is forced to confront his own fears and vulnerabilities."

Blake said: "There are only so many times in a writer’s life — maybe only once — that a story comes along that you simply have to tell. This is mine, a story that I hope will resonate with anyone who’s ever wondered what happened in their home before they moved in, and what secrets its walls may keep. Hearth of Darkness is a story that was born in the dark, and I can’t wait to bring it into the light."

Irving added: "From the moment I read Matt’s original Guardian article, I knew that he had to write this book. The true story of his discovery that the notorious E17 Nightstalker had once lived in his new home led him on a quest that will make readers look over their shoulders and ask themselves the haunting question; can a house remember?"

Bond commented: "I was hooked immediately by Matt’s writing and the compelling mix of personal dilemma as he seeks safe harbour for him and his daughter and his investigative skills as he sets out to uncover his house’s past and make rational sense of the inexplicable. It’s irresistibly readable and you may well find yourself spooked and having to leave the bedside light on."