Penguin Michael Joseph wins Saeed McLynn’s 'spellbinding' debut

Penguin Michael Joseph has snapped up The Midnight Carousel by Fiza Saeed McLynn, a “spellbinding” debut about an enchanting carousel that causes people who ride it to mysteriously disappear.

In her first acquisition for the imprint, Lily Cooper, senior commissioning editor, bought UK and Commonwealth rights for The Midnight Carousel and one other novel from Hellie Ogden at WME in a six-figure deal. Foreign rights sold immediately in Germany and Romania with more expected. The Midnight Carousel will be published in early 2025.

Described by the publisher as “Moulin Rouge” meets The Doll Factory (Picador) by Elizabeth Macneal, The Midnight Carousel opens in 1900 Paris, where carousel-maker Gilbert is building a masterpiece in the wake of his wife and son’s tragic deaths. But as he finalises his creation, a dangerous idea forms in his mind…

Twenty years later, the carousel winds up in Chicago, where it falls into the hands of a young woman named Maisie, who has come to America in search of a new life. Initially entranced by the beautiful object, Maisie is unaware that behind its glittering façade, the carousel is concealing a terrible secret: for the last two decades, it has been linked to a series of unfathomable disappearances. As the pattern starts to repeat itself, Maisie is brought together with troubled detective Laurent, who has spent years trying to understand what caused these people to go missing. Together, can they finally lay old demons to rest – and carve out new lives for themselves?

After reading History at Oxford University, Saeed McLynn had a brief career in finance and then spent the next 12 years helping the bereaved as part of her work as a complementary therapist. The Midnight Carousel is her debut novel.

McLynn said: “When I first dreamed up the idea of writing about the different reactions to loss, I had no idea that so many people would be moved by the story.

"Lily blew me away with her passion and vision for this book, and I feel incredibly fortunate to be working with the team at Penguin Michael Joseph.”

Cooper said: “Sweeping, romantic and utterly spellbinding, The Midnight Carousel is exactly the sort of book that I was hoping would land in my inbox in my first few weeks at Penguin Michael Joseph. With an irresistible premise, elegant writing, beautifully realised characters, and a page-turning plot, readers who board The Midnight Carousel are in for an unforgettable ride.”