Joffe scoops King's 'deliciously twisty' thriller

Joffe Books has snapped up Casey King’s "sharp, propulsive" debut thriller, inspired by her career as a police officer, netting the title in a two-book deal. 

Grundy Haigh, editorial director, acquired world English e-book, print and audiobook rights to the as-yet-untitled debut and one another book, publishing under the pen name Casey King, from Kate Nash of the Kate Nash Literary Agency. It will be published in spring 2023. 

In the first instalment of the new series, the head of a female gang and a police officer must work together to pursue revenge, following a fatal shooting 10 years ago that shattered both their lives.

"Danielle Lewis is third in line to her uncle’s criminal empire," the synopsis reads. "Saoirse Kelly is on compassionate leave from An Garda Siochana. Following a violent episode in which both women miscarry, they leave Dublin to mourn in private. Now they’re back. As the two women become more and more entwined with the criminal underworld, they uncover a network of family secrets, betrayal and deceit, buried in a past neither can shake."

King is a former police officer and Irish crime writer from County Cork. Throughout her career in the Irish police force, she worked on numerous gangland operations and drug investigations.

“The solitary act of writing is made all the more rewarding when my agent, Kate Nash, places my novel in the capable hands of Emma and the team at Joffe Books," she said. "I am very excited for this collaboration and where Emma and Joffe Books will take this next stage of my writing career, as they bring my gritty, female-led, gangland thriller to the hearts and minds of readers.” 

Haigh added: “Casey is a fantastically talented writer and I was gripped by her sharp, propulsive writing from the start. The debut, a gritty page-turning gangland thriller sends the reader skittering into a world of brutal, yet relatable women and snarling family dynamics, bolstered by brilliant police procedural elements borne of Casey’s own experience in the Irish police force. 

"The result is a deliciously twisty ride into gangland Dublin that will keep readers glued to their seats. I am so excited that Casey has found a home with us at Joffe Books and I look forward to seeing where we will take these two novels.”