Faber snaps up 'meaty' debut novel by Chauvet in 24-hour pre-empt

Faber has acquired The Uprising of Rita Marsh by debut author Nilesha Chauvet, securing the crime novel in a 24-hour pre-empt.

Crime editor Sara Helen Binney and associate publisher Louisa Joyner snapped up UK and Commonwealth rights from Nelle Andrew at Rachel Mills Literary in a two-book deal. Binney is covering the crime list at Faber while Libby Marshall is on maternity leave. The novel will be published as a superlead on the Faber crime list in 2024.

The plot revolves around a vigilante paedophile-hunter who finds her work coming too close to home.

"By day, Rita Marsh is an ordinary small business owner running her late parents’ care home, caring for the elderly and infirm," the synopsis reads. "By night, she’s a vigilante, posing as a young girl online. She snares the men who try to prey on her, exposing them for what they are. She’s a force for good in a country whose justice system is crumbling.

"Rita has successfully kept her two lives separate for years, but when an old classmate returns from her past to tell her a years-old secret, her two worlds start to collide. With both of her selves unravelling, Rita will have to choose between justice and vengeance. Will she remain a protector – or become someone to fear?"

Chauvet is a British Indian debut novelist. She is also the managing director of the Good Agency, which advises commercial brands on purpose and helps charities to raise funds. A graduate of Faber Academy, Chauvet has also studied novel and short-story writing at Curtis Brown Creative and City Lit. She read philosophy and theology at Oxford and was ordained as an interfaith minister in 2004. Her debut has been awarded a London Writers Award with Spread the Word and was a finalist for the Spotlight First Novel Award.

"I’ve been deeply impressed by the enthusiasm Rita has received by the team at Faber," she said. "Their empathy and understanding of my work and commitment to quality storytelling has given me absolute confidence that I’ve found the right home. There is no better place, in my view. I can’t wait to introduce Rita Marsh to the world."

Binney said: "This book grabs you by the throat and doesn’t let go. Rita is a brilliant creation, driving the heart-pounding plot and meaty themes of the book while being deliciously complex and morally dubious. I’m delighted Nilesha chose the Faber crime list as Rita’s new home."