Sphere acquires rights to thriller from actress and director Krysten Ritter

Sphere Fiction has acquired the rights to the new novel by actress, director and Marvel star Krysten Ritter. UK & Commonwealth (excluding Canada) rights to Retreat were acquired by Tilda Key, deputy publisher at Sphere Fiction, from Jane Finigan on behalf of Mollie Glick at CAA, and Stephen Barbara and Alexis Hurley at InkWell Management on behalf of Ritter and Storygiants and editor Lexa Hillyer, respectively.

Retreat is a "twisty, playful thriller" about Liz, a con artist who takes a legitimate job preparing a Mexican villa for a jet-setting socialite who hasn’t even been to see it yet. But when Liz is mistaken for her employer, she steps into her shoes.

Key said: "I read Retreat in a huge gulp, unable to tear myself away from Krysten’s flawless prose and wicked sense of humour. She had me hook, line and sinker from the brilliant opening, raised the bar with every clever twist and turn, and left me reeling at the genius finish. Sphere is very excited to publish Retreat and looking forward to introducing readers to this addictive book."

Ritter is an actress, director, and author of the internationally bestselling novel Bonfire, and is known for starring in Marvel’s "Jessica Jones", as well as the titular role in "Don’t Trust the B— in Apartment 23" and as Jane Margolis in "Breaking Bad".

Retreat will publish in March 2025 simultaneously with HarperCollins in the US.