Oneworld signs the ‘ultimate’ thriller from Hodder & Stoughton editor Oliver Johnson

Oneworld has signed the “pulse-pounding” thriller from Hodder & Stoughton editor Oliver Johnson. 

UK and Commonwealth rights were acquired by publishing director Wayne Brooks from James Gill at United Agents. Caller Unknown will be published under the Magpie imprint as a lead title in August 2025.  

The synopsis for Johnson’s adult debut reads: “In the depths of a summer night, seven drugged children are found dumped on a highway verge in northern Maine. Their memories have been wiped. There is no record of their disappearance. Unknown to the world, they are pawns in a secret war.  No therapy or hypnosis can release the kids from their amnesia. They’re soon given up for adoption, begin their lives afresh, and then over time they’re forgotten. Until 20 years later, when two of them go on murderous rampages, as if suddenly woken from slumber.  

“Ed Constance was one of the seven. He seems to have broken free from his enemies’ control and changed his identity.  But Ed’s past is still closing in. He must accept the hard truth: he can run from the past but will never escape it.”

Brooks called Caller Unknown an “expertly paced” novel with “devious villains and a flawed protagonist who you cannot help but root for”. He called it “the ultimate summer thriller of 2025”. 

Johnson commented: “I’m delighted to be published by Wayne Brookes. As editors, we’ve been friendly opponents for years. He’s someone you always hear great things of, and he knows everyone in, and every nook and cranny of the industry.

“There’s a thrill knowing you’re with a great, creative publisher. Oneworld is such a company: punching above its weight since inception and the standard bearer for a collaborative culture.  I’m really looking forward to the journey ahead.”