Orion signs three from Arlidge in high six-figure deal

Orion Fiction has bought three books from bestselling thriller author and “Silent Witness” screenwriter M J Arlidge for a “high six-figure sum”.

Publisher Emad Akhtar acquired world all language rights to the books from Hellie Ogden at Janklow & Nesbit UK. The first novel, All Fall Down, will be the ninth in his Detective Helen Grace series and will publish in hardback, e-book and audio on 11th June 2020.

The publisher explained: "All Fall Down is a high concept serial killer thriller in which victims are called and told ‘you have one hour to live’. The targets spend their last hour alive in a state of pure fear, with no idea why they’ve been targeted – until they come face to face with the killer. The job of finding the connections between the victims and racing against time to solve the case falls to Helen Grace.”

Akhtar said: “Arlidge has been one of the breakthrough crime-thriller launches of recent years and it was always hugely exciting and fun working with Matt back at Penguin. Readers all over the UK and the world have absolutely loved his thrillers and I’m delighted to have the opportunity to publish him and take his wildly entertaining, gripping reads onto even bigger things.”

Arlidge has sold over a million copies of his thrillers in the UK alone and is a bestseller in Europe, said Orion. BookScan figures show he has sold 546,649 copies for £2.78m through the TCM. His most recent book, A Gift for Dying (Penguin), was released in September.

He said: “I’m thrilled to be joining the talented team at Orion. I love their energy, ideas and ambition and can’t wait to write the next chapter for myself and DI Helen Grace!”

All Fall Down will be supported by a major marketing and publicity campaign next summer.

Ogden said: “I’m excited to watch this partnership flourish as Matt continues to grow as one of the UK’s biggest crime names with the creative flair of Orion behind him.”