Hutchinson Heinemann wins Amin Ahmad’s 'smart and lively' thriller at auction

Hutchinson Heinemann, an imprint of Cornerstone, has won the rights to Amin Ahmad’s "smart and lively" thriller A Killer in the Family at auction. Amy Batley, senior commissioning editor, acquired UK and Commonwealth rights from Flora Esterly at Holt.

The novel will publish in hardback in spring 2026 in the UK and the US, where rights were sold to Retha Powers at Holt.

Amin Ahmad’s A Killer in the Family has been described as a smart and lively book-club thriller set between New York City and Mumbai.

Batley said: “A Killer in the Family is a propulsive, energetic, show-stopping literary thriller with a completely unforgettable narrative voice. At its core, Amin’s novel raises plenty of urgent and profound questions about corrupting power, family ties and the dark underbelly of the American Dream.”

Ahmad said: "Growing up in India, all the classics I bought were Penguin paperbacks, and I am honoured to be published by PRH in the UK. I hope that UK readers will enjoy my tale of the fabulously rich and mysterious Khan family, with their many secrets and Machiavellian manoeuvres."