Hodder Fiction nabs two books by Curtis Brown Creative graduate Pitt

Hodder Fiction has nabbed The Beach Hut and The Carnival by Curtis Brown Creative graduate Leah Pitt.

Crime and thriller publisher Phoebe Morgan bought world English rights to the two books from Rosie Pierce at Curtis Brown, while German rights in The Beach Hut sold to Kerstin Schaub at Goldmann.

Hodder Fiction will publish the first title in paperback, e-book and audio in May 2024, and The Carnival in summer 2025. 

The Beach Hut is described by the publisher as “an atmospheric thriller set during a long hot summer on the Dorset coast”. The synopsis reads: “In July 1997, Matilda is killed in a tragic accident on the rocks, leaving her best friend Sophie alone, wracked with guilt. Decades later, Sophie is back for the first time since that terrible summer, to sell her family’s old beach hut and bury the memories forever.

“But on clearing out the hut, she finds evidence that Matilda’s death was no accident. As Sophie edges closer to the truth, the past starts to close in on the present. Because the close-knit community is still home to a killer, and they want Sophie gone.”

Pitt, who is a barrister based in Hertfordshire, commented: “I am absolutely thrilled to be part of the Hodder team and to see The Beach Hut come to life outside my own head!  To me, beachside summer evenings are the perfect prelude to the inevitable night-time shadows…” 

Morgan added: “Leah has created the perfect summer thriller – beautifully written with endless commercial appeal, this incredibly well-crafted story stayed with me long after I closed the final page. Leah is a hugely exciting new talent, and this story captures the rugged Dorset coastline and the desperation of adolescence brilliantly, then combines them with a killer twist and a clever emotional layer that undercuts the fast-paced plot.” 

Pierce said: “I read The Beach Hut in one sitting when away with friends, which was in hindsight very antisocial of me. But it is the perfect holiday read – gripping, expertly plotted and with emotional heart, too. I’m so excited that Leah’s books have found a home with the brilliant Hodder team.”