Hodder snaps up Sweren-Becker’s debut Kill Show

Hodder Fiction has acquired Kill Show, the debut novel of Daniel Sweren-Becker, described as a fast-paced, propulsive crime novel told entirely through interviews and dialogue, about a reality television show made in the wake of the disappearance of a young girl.

Crime and thriller publisher Phoebe Morgan bought UK and Commonwealth rights from Catherine Barbosa-Ross at HarperCollins US. Sara Nelson at Harper will publish in North America, and rights have also sold to HarperCollins Poland. Publication is scheduled in the UK and the US for October 2023.

The synopsis reads: “When Sara vanishes one terrible morning, her desperate family agree to allow cameras into their home in the hope that a TV show will help find their daughter – but as the nation becomes utterly obsessed with Sara, the producers uncover secrets they could never have imagined. And as the hunt intensifies and the show reaches a climax, the reader is forced to question their own morality, and put themselves in the shoes of the producers as they weigh up ratings versus real life.”

Sweren-Becker, also a playwright, said: “I’m fascinated by our collective obsession with true crime content. How do we detach from the horrific facts to find it entertaining? How do people doing this professionally sleep at night? And for those of us in the audience who can’t get enough—are we passive consumers or something much more uncomfortable to admit? I couldn’t be more excited to pose these questions and share my work with readers in the UK."

Morgan said: “I started reading Kill Show at 9 p.m. one evening and finished it at 2 a.m. the next morning. I knew I had to publish it – it’s incredibly readable, and Daniel’s unique, whip-smart style of storytelling gives you the same experience as binge-watching a TV crime drama. It raises fascinating questions about the morality of reality television, our global obsession with crime, and Hollywood’s insatiable desire to turn tragedy into cash. I completely loved this book and I cannot wait for readers to become as obsessed as I am!”