HarperFiction secures chilling folk thriller, Sorrow Spring

Kate Bradley, publishing director at HarperFiction, has acquired world English rights for Folk Suspense novel Sorrow Spring in a two-book deal with thriller author Olivia Isaac-Henry through Sandra Sawicka at Marjacq. 

Publishing in autumn 2024, Sorrow Spring is described as “an eerie and chilling novel telling the story of a teenaged girl, Rina, who finds herself abandoned by her hippy mother in the parochial village of Sorrow Spring”.

“There she finds a community beholden to the past, and a village in the grip of an older community of women who worship the local spring and its patron saint. But when a child goes missing and a young mother is killed, Rina is drawn into the dark and sinister truth lying at the heart of Sorrow Spring.”

Bradley said: “Uncanny and unsettling from the first page, Sorrow Spring is an utterly gripping page-turner, and Olivia Isaac-Henry leads the reader into its dark corners with an assured and convincing hand. Folk Suspense is an exciting, emerging genre and Olivia’s voice is perfect for this space. The book’s themes of twisted sisterhood, othering in isolated communities and the dangerous truth at the heart of our supposedly innocent traditions are all tackled so cleverly by Olivia. Are the women of Sorrow Spring innocently honouring the past, or something much darker? We can’t wait for readers to work that out for themselves!”

Isaac-Henry added: “Sorrow Spring was inspired by local folklore and the many ancient beliefs that permeate the modern era. Kate immediately shared my vision for the book, and I’m excited to be working with her and the team at HarperFiction.”