Penguin Michael Joseph takes McAllister into hardback with two-book deal

Penguin Michael Joseph has signed two novels from Gillian McAllister in a deal that will take her into hardback for the first time.

The first of the two newly contracted titles and McAllister’s first hardback, Wrong Place, Wrong Time, will be published in May 2022. Publishing director Maxine Hitchcock and commissioning editor Rebecca Hilson bought UK and Commonwealth rights to the book and a further psychological thriller from Felicity Blunt and Lucy Morris at Curtis Brown.

Wrong Place, Wrong Time is the story of Jen, whose son Todd is arrested for murder. The synopsis states: “When she wakes up the following day, Todd is in his room, and it is clear the crime hasn’t been committed yet – it is the day before. When she wakes up the next day, it is the day before that. As Jen moves back, day by day, she tries to get to the origin of Todd’s crime, and asks the question: if you could go back and change the past, would you? And what would happen if you did?”

Hitchcock said: “Gillian is fast becoming the Queen of the Moral Dilemma but she is so much more than that. With pulse-pounding tension she weaves amazing ‘what would you do?’ storylines with characters who are so very real that they serve only to intensify the nerve-shredding reading experience she always delivers. We are delighted to be embarking on the next chapter of Gillian’s already impressive writing career.”

Birmingham-based former lawyer McAllister's previous books for the publisher include How To Disappear, Anything You Do Say and Everything But the Truth. In March she passed the milestone of 300,000 books sold, according to Michael Joseph. Her books have been sold in 10 countries and her sixth novel, That Night, was published on 8th July, and is a Richard & Judy Book Club pick. Through Nielsen BookScan in the UK she he has sold just under 166,000 print books, excluding lockdown weeks.

McAllister, who also co-hosts the podcast “The Honest Authors” with Holly Seddon, said: “I could not be happier to continue my publishing career with Penguin Michael Joseph. They are so dynamic and focused on building my brand as an author, while allowing me to do the most important thing: write the very best, most ambitious books that I can. When I emailed both Curtis Brown and Penguin Michael Joseph saying I wanted to write a 'Groundhog Day' novel that moves backwards, I got the best reaction I could imagine: we love it.”