Salt swoops for ‘major talent’ Michael’s psychological thriller about memory and self-reinvention

Salt Publishing has signed Reservoir, a tense psychological thriller by Livi Michael.

Jen Hamilton-Emery, director of Salt, acquired English language UK and Commonwealth rights, including Canada, from Charles Walker at United Agents. Salt will publish as a paperback original on 15th March 2023.

The story begins at the International Conference Centre in Geneva, where Hannah Rossier, formerly Annie Price, comes face to face with Neville Weir, someone from her childhood whom she never expected, or wanted, to meet again.

As Neville’s reasons for attending the conference become clear, the dark waters of Hannah’s past start to rise. The synopsis continues: “Hannah is a psychotherapist, with a specialist interest in memory. She has reinvented herself successfully, moving from a small northern town in England to Lucerne, Switzerland, with her husband, Thibaut.

“Nobody, not even Hannah, knows the full truth about herself. Her ‘memories’ consist of glimpses of the place where she played in childhood, known simply as ‘The Wild’. Over the three days of the conference, she has to decide whether she can avoid Neville, or whether she should submit to an encounter with him and with her past. And in her keynote lecture about the neuroscience of memory, how much to conceal or reveal. But can her specialism save her from drowning?”

Michael said: “I am delighted to be joining this distinguished list. Salt books are innovative, searching and provocative — invariably a joy to read.”

Hamilton-Emery added: “Livi is a major talent – we’re thrilled she’s joining the list with this tense novel of memory and self-reinvention that threatens to unravel when a chance encounter brings sinister complications.”

Michael’s books include her War of Roses trilogy (Penguin), Skywolves (Puffin) and The Whispering Road (Putnam Publishing Group). Her short stories have been published in several magazines and anthologies including Confingo, Granta, Interpreter’s House, Metropolitan, Nightjar Press, The Lonely Crowd, The Manchester Review, and The City Life Book of Manchester Short Stories. She has also co-written a play, “Singers Not Sinners".