Hodder pre-empts ‘gripping survival story’ by Paris in two-book deal

Hodder & Stoughton has pre-empted two books by B A Paris, with the first, The Prisoner, hailed by the publisher as a “gripping survival story, a twisted love story and at its dark heart a thriller to keep you up all night”.

Jo Dickinson, executive publisher at Hodder & Stoughton, acquired UK and Commonwealth rights including audio to the two standalone psychological novels from Camilla Bolton at Darley Anderson Agency. 

The Prisoner, which follows the story of a married couple who are abducted in the middle of the night, will be published in November 2022, with the second as-yet untitled novel scheduled for 2023. The US publisher is Catherine Richards at St Martin’s Press and the UK release will match the US publication date. 

Dickinson said: “I am thrilled to bring B A Paris to the Hodder list. She is a powerhouse of ideas and The Prisoner grips from the very first page and offers us an exceptional launchpad. Bernadette has so many fans already and I believe these new books will take her to even greater heights.”

The author’s first novel, Behind Closed Doors (HQ), has sold more than 3.5 million copies since its publication in 2016, according to the publisher, and the film rights have been optioned by Stone Village Productions. 

Paris, who worked in finance and as a teacher before beginning her writing career, said: "I am over the moon to have the opportunity to work with Jo Dickinson and the wonderful team at Hodder. I couldn’t be more excited about these next two books and am very much looking forward to developing my writing career with such a dynamic and outstanding publisher.”

Bolton added: “B A Paris is a one-in-a-million author and her sales to date are a testament to her commercial genius, hard work and dedication to her readers. We are in for an amazing ride with The Prisoner. We meet Amelie and her new husband as they are kidnapped in the middle of the night, taken to separate rooms and the questions begin… In true B A Paris style, The Prisoner is a gripping survival story, a twisted love story and at its dark heart a thriller to keep you up all night."