Hodder & Stoughton scoops second Engel novel

Hodder & Stoughton has scooped the second adult novel by Amy Engel, author of Richard & Judy book club pick The Roanoke Girls (H&S).

Senior commissioning editor Eve Hall acquired UK and Commonwealth rights for The Familiar Dark from Penguin Books USA imprint Dutton and plans to publish alongside them in hardback in March 2020.

Its synopsis states: “Set in the poorest of the Missouri Ozarks, The Familiar Dark opens with the murder of two 12-year-old girls. Eve Taggert’s daughter is one of them and, desperate with grief, she takes it upon herself to find out the truth about what happened. Eve is no stranger to the dark side of life, having been raised by a hard-edged mother whose lessons Eve tried hard not to pass on to her own daughter. But Eve may need her mother’s cruel brand of strength if she’s going to face the truth about her daughter’s death and about her own true nature.”

The Roanoke Girls sold 44,667 copies across all editions for £280,495 in the UK, according to Nielsen, while the new book was sold in 10 territories during London Book Fair.

Hall said: “I’m delighted to be publishing Amy Engel. The Familiar Dark oozes with the same soul-crushing atmosphere and perfectly-drawn sense of place as The Roanoke Girls. Amy expertly writes novels that are incredibly poignant at the same time as being twisty and shocking. She is a class act that I’m thrilled to be part of publishing.”