S&S lands 'chilling' trilogy about love and obsession by Neville

Simon & Schuster UK has acquired a trilogy from Stuart Neville, the award-winning author of mystery thrillers including The Twelve and Collusion (both Vintage).

UK and Commonwealth rights were acquired by deputy publishing director for fiction Katherine Armstrong from Caspian Dennis at Abner Stein, on behalf of Nat Sobel at Sobel Weber Associates. US rights have already been acquired by Juliet Grames at Soho Press. S&S UK will publish the first in the trilogy, Blood Like Mine, in hardback in August 2024.  

The synopsis reads: “Blood Like Mine tells the story of Rebecca Carter and her daughter, Monica, nicknamed Moonflower. They travel the American West, always keeping on the move, always hiding, always looking behind them. They speak to no one and only interact with people when it is absolutely necessary. But wherever they go, bodies are left behind. Special Agent Marc Donner of the FBI has been tracking a killer for the best part of two years. A killer who strikes once every few weeks and who leaves their victims – all men – with their throats opened, their bodies bled out and their spinal cords severed. After all this time, Donner has only gleaned a handful of facts about the killer, but it’s never been enough to track her down – until now. And so begins a cat-and-mouse game between Donner and his prey. But who is the actual hunter – and who is the actual prey?”

Commenting on the acquisition, Armstrong said: “Stuart is one of the best writers working today and I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to work with him again. He’s a writer not only of immeasurable talent, but also of great heart and humanity. All his characters are wonderfully nuanced and in Blood Like Mine he’s really surpassed himself. ’Let the Right One In’ meets Stephen King in this chilling thriller about a mother’s love, a daughter’s devotion, a man’s obsession – and the darkness that lives within us all. Everyone at S&S UK is incredibly excited to be publishing this fantastic trilogy and I can’t wait to unleash Rebecca and Moonflower on the world.”

Neville added: “I’ve known Katherine for years and I’m thrilled to be working with her once again, and of course I’m excited to start a new chapter of my career at Simon & Schuster. While Blood Like Mine retains the crime and thriller elements familiar to my readers, it also returns to my horror roots. I can’t wait to share Rebecca’s and Moonflower’s journey through this trilogy.”