Penguin Michael Joseph snaps up Stuart’s ‘taut’ psychological thriller

Penguin Michael Joseph has acquired a “taut and gripping” psychological thriller entitled A Death at the Party by Amy Stuart, author of the Still Mine series (Gallery Books) and the founder of Writerscape, an online community for hopeful and emerging writers.

Editor Grace Long acquired world rights, excluding North America, from Samantha Haywood and Evan Brown at the Transatlantic Agency. The book will be published in paperback original, e-book and audio in August 2023.

A Death at the Party, Stuart’s first standalone novel, is described by the publisher as “a tense, cleverly woven thriller set over the course of a single day, as a woman prepares for a party that goes dreadfully wrong".

Its synopsis adds: “Nadine Walsh is determined to make her summer garden party the event of the year. But as she prepares to welcome her guests, she can’t help but be distracted. Her husband is of little help to her. Her two grown children are consumed with their own concerns. And her grievances against old friends and neighbours have set her on edge. Yet it’s Nadine’s own secrets that threaten to destroy her perfect party. By the end of the night, Nadine will be standing over a dead body in the basement. But which of her guests will she have murdered? And why?”

Stuart said: "I’m absolutely thrilled to be working with the incredible team at Penguin Michael Joseph to bring A Death at the Party to readers in the UK and beyond. I really believe this novel is perfectly suited to the UK readership with its nods to English greats such as Agatha Christie. The icing on the cake is sharing a publisher with some of my own favourite crime and mystery writers.”

Long added: “I’m so excited to be publishing A Death at the Party this summer. Amy has combined a clever and compelling murder mystery with a brilliantly enigmatic narrator in Nadine, whose biting social commentary and unravelling secrets expose the dark underbelly of her seemingly perfect suburban life. I raced through this, and look forward to readers everywhere getting their chance to attend this unforgettable party.”