S&S scoops two novels from Richell in six figure pre-empt

Simon & Schuster (S&S) has acquired two novels from author Hannah Richell in a six-figure pre-empt. 

S&S UK and ANZ acquired The Search Party and a further untitled novel in a six-figure pre-emptive deal struck with Sarah Lutyens at Lutyens & Rubinstein. Clare Hey, publishing director, fiction at S&S UK, bought UK and Commonwealth rights in a joint acquisition with Cassandra Di Bello at S&S ANZ. 

The Search Party will be published in 2024 and is toted as "suspenseful, escapist commercial fiction" for fans of Clare Mackintosh, Lucy Foley, Lucy Clarke and Lisa Jewell. Set over one May weekend in a glamping site sitting on the edge of a cliff in Cornwall, it is an opportunity for old friends to reunite. That is, the synopsis reads, until a huge storm blows them off course and changes everything. 

Richell has previously published four novels with Orion. Her books are available in 24 territories and have been translated into 19 languages. Her novels have been selected for the Richard & Judy Book Club, the Waterstones Book Club, W H Smith Book of the Week, shortlisted for two Australian Book Industry Awards and an Indie Book Award in Australia, as well as shortlisted for the Bonniers Bokklubb Book of the Year Award in Sweden.

Hey said the success of novels such as The Paris Apartment and TV shows such as "White Lotus" showed a demand for smart destination thrillers. She added: “Hannah Richell has nailed not only the claustrophobic tension of a weekend which spirals out of control, but also the complex relationships between her characters, and this makes for an incredibly pacy and satisfying read.” 

Di Bello added: “There is so much love for Hannah Richell in the Australian market and like many others, I have long been a fan of her writing. Her skill in exploring relationship dynamics is unparalleled and we are so excited by how she has applied this to an exciting new direction.”

Richell said she has been “blown away” by the response from S&S. She added: “Their impressive, co-ordinated pitch, clear vision and contagious excitement proved utterly irresistible. I’m thrilled to know that this novel, which began as my own dark escape during the pandemic, will be published next year and I’m delighted to be launching a new chapter in my writing career, supported by Simon & Schuster – and the always brilliant Sarah Lutyens.”