Pekkanen finds new home at Orion with two-book pre-empt by Eades 

Orion Fiction has acquired Gone Tonight by Sarah Pekkanen, author of novels including The Wife Between Us, An Anonymous Girl and You Are Not Alone (Pan).

Sam Eades, publisher at Orion Fiction, pre-empted UK and Commonwealth rights in two books from Matilda Forbes Watson at WME. North American rights were sold to St Martin’s Press via Margaret Riley King at WME, and rights have also been sold in Brazil and Italy. Orion will publish Gone Tonight on 3rd August 2023 in hardback, trade paperback, e-book and audio.

Gone Tonight is described by the publisher as “a fast-paced family thriller that follows a teenage girl on the run for most of her adult life, and the shocking consequences when the past finally catches up with her and her daughter".

Pekkanen said: “I am thrilled to have a new UK home in Orion! Sam Eades and I are completely aligned in the kind of books we love, and when my agent came to me with Sam’s pre-empt offer, I knew we would be a perfect match. Gone Tonight is such a special book for me – I would awaken at 4 a.m. after dreaming about my characters and run downstairs to write in the pre-dawn hours, unable to hold back the story that felt like it was exploding out of my fingertips. I cannot wait to share it with my wonderful UK readers."

Eades said: “I’ve been a fan of Sarah’s writing for some time, she writes compulsive thrillers with sharp psychological insight, exploring the intricacies of marriages, families, workplaces and friendships. Gone Tonight is exactly the kind of book I love to read; quality writing paired with a propulsive plot and a dark emotional core. As a mum to two girls, the mother-daughter plotline resonated with me, and as our hero Ruth says ‘there is one thing we women do even better than disappearing: we protect our children.’ I can’t wait to publish it.”