Sphere scoops 'up-all-night thriller' from US writer Garza

Sphere has scooped a “breathless, up-all-night thriller” on suspicion, obsession and motherhood by US author Amber Garza.

Lucy Dauman, senior commissioning editor at the Little, Brown imprint bought UK and Commonwealth rights for When I Was You and a second untitled novel from Caspian Dennis at Abner Stein, on behalf of Ellen Coughtrey at the Gernert Company.

It will be published in in trade paperback, e-book and audio in August 2020, with the paperback to follow in early 2021. The book has already been bought by US publisher Mira at auction in a six-figure deal, while it has also sold in France, the Czech Republic, Poland, Serbia and Russia.

When I Was You follows Kelly Medina, who becomes obsessed with a woman of the same name whose baby reminds Kelly of her own. The synopsis says: “With page-turning, atmospheric prose and a juicy twist, Amber Garza captures the nightmares we invite into our own homes and the peril of claiming someone else’s world as your own.”

Dauman said: “When I Was You is the kind of book you devour in one go, then want to go back and read all over again. In Kelly Medina, Amber has created a protagonist you are rooting for, even if you don’t quite trust her. I’m delighted to be publishing this dark, twisty and deliciously addictive story and can’t wait to bring it to readers everywhere.”

“When I Was You explores the complexities of being a woman – motherhood, marriage, relationships, female friendships, rivalry, envy, the quest to find our true selves,” Garza explained. “In the character of Kelly, I was able to explore some of the fears and confusing emotions we experience as women. But more than that, the novel is dark, twisty and mysterious. It was a blast to write and I’m thrilled to share it with the world.”