Raven pre-empts PFD agent Gauntlett's 'razor-sharp' debut in six-figure deal

Raven Books has pre-empted The Wedding Guest, a debut thriller by PFD literary agent Adam Gauntlett, in a "major" six-figure deal.

Publishing director of the Bloomsbury imprint Alison Hennessey acquired world all language rights from Ariella Feiner at United Agents after the manuscript was submitted anonymously to editors. The book, to be published under the name A E Gauntlett, will be launched with a huge campaign across all formats. It will launch as the imprint’s super-lead debut for spring 2024. 

"In this tightly plotted, brilliantly compulsive marriage thriller, classicist Annie and former surgeon Mark are about to tie the knot after a whirlwind romance," the synopsis reads. "But as Annie casts her eyes over the rows of well-wishers gathered to toast the happy couple, she spots a man who shouldn’t be there. A man who has questions to ask about both bride and groom. And Annie quickly realises that her new life isn’t going to be the happily ever after she had planned.

"The Wedding Guest is a propulsive and twisty story of desire, obsession and betrayal that will keep you guessing from first page to the last, and marks the arrival of a significant new voice in thriller writing."

Hennessey said: "I cannot wait for readers to have the same experience I did when I read The Wedding Guest, and to be constantly wrong-footed by Adam’s brilliant characterisation and razor sharp plotting. This was perhaps one of the easiest acquisitions I have ever done at Bloomsbury: the whole team here read it, loved it and demanded I buy it and I am so thrilled to be welcoming Adam to the Raven Books list, not as an agent, but as a highly accomplished debut writer."

Gauntlett is a book agent at PFD, which he joined in 2010 after completing his Masters in English literature at King’s College, London, and has been an agent for eight years. He represents a wide array of fiction and non-fiction across the adult and children’s markets, and works with a number of big brands including GCHQ, Ordnance Survey, the Bank of England and the Alzheimer’s Society. The Bookseller named him 2017’s Shooting Star.

"As an agent, I’ve witnessed countless authors’ books pressed from a seed of an idea into people’s hands, and there is a quiet thrill in being behind the spotlight," he said. "It’s with some trepidation then that I now step out from the shadows with a novel of my own, but I do so knowing that I have the backing of a terrific publisher in Alison and Bloomsbury, and a brilliantly supportive agent in Ariella to guide me. I’m hugely excited for readers to discover Annie and her not-so-perfect day, and curious as to whether anyone in my life will realise they’ve made it into the book, in some form or another.’

Feiner added: "The Wedding Guest was an enormously fun book to go out on submission with, not least because Adam’s true identity was kept a closely guarded secret and my inbox was flooded with editors trying (and failing!) to guess who in publishing had written such a fabulous thriller, but most importantly, because Adam has conjured up such a stunning debut novel. The Wedding Guest is a truly gripping page-turner and one which showcases an exquisitely crafted writing style and a fresh voice. Alison and Raven Books feel the perfect fit to launch Adam’s debut novel and I can’t wait to see readers’ reactions to it."