Raven Books pre-empts McDorman's 'outrageously original' meta-crime novel in six-figure deal

Raven Books has scooped Dann McDorman’s "outrageously original" meta-crime novel, West Heart Kill, as the imprint’s autumn superlead title.

Alison Hennessey pre-empted UK and Commonwealth rights, including audio, to West Heart Kill and a second novel in a six-figure deal from Rachel Clements at Abner Stein on behalf of David Black at the David Black Literary Agency. West Heart Kill was also pre-empted in just 48 hours in the US by Knopf in a seven-figure deal, and has been sold in multiple international auctions across the world.

The author’s debut novel, publishing on 24th October, will be supported by an "extensive" marketing and publicity campaign. Proofs are already available, and the author is visiting the UK to meet booksellers in May.

The story unfolds over the Fourth of July weekend at an exclusive American country club in the 1970s. The publisher’s synopsis said: "Playing with the very concept of a crime novel, West Heart Kill features a murder, a body, a detective and a cast of suspects, but everything else – including how the story is told and where it ends up – is all to play for."

McDorman is an Emmy-nominated TV news producer who has also worked as a newspaper reporter, book reviewer, and cabinet maker. He said: "I’m thrilled to be at Raven Books – Alison and her crew ‘got it’ immediately, embracing the book in all its literary-historical-experimental weirdness."

Hennessey added: "It is a very long time since I have read anything as outrageously original as Dann’s debut; it’s a true love letter to classic crime but told in just such a sharp and clever way, jumping from first to third to second person narration throughout. And with an ending that is sure to provoke a lot of discussion – as it did at Bloomsbury! – I just can’t wait for everyone else to read it."