Transworld pre-empts 'escapist and suspenseful' debut thriller from Ochs in six-figure deal

Transworld has pre-empted an “escapist and suspenseful” debut thriller from Sara Ochs in a six-figure deal. 

Finn Cotton, senior commissioning editor, bought UK and Commonwealth rights to The Dive and one untitled thriller from Kate Burke at The Blake Friedmann Literary Agency. US rights have been won at auction, also in a six-figure deal, and rights have already been sold in pre-empts or at auction in Germany, Holland and Finland.

Due to publish in hardback, e-book and audio in May 2023, this will be a lead debut launch for Bantam, supported with a major marketing and publicity campaign. 

The book is described as perfect for fans of The Beach (Penguin) and TV show “The Serpent”, as well as writers such as Ruth Ware and Lucy Foley. The Dive is set at a scuba diving school on one of Thailand’s world-famous party islands – a place where backpackers go to find themselves or get lost forever. When a young woman turns up dead during a scuba diving lesson, the morning after a full moon party, the diving instructor and her group of ex-pat friends realise they aren’t the only people who have fallen in love with paradise. A killer has too. 

Cotton said: “As soon as I began to read The Dive, Sara’s voice, the incredible opening chapters and the atmospheric writing took me on a journey to Thailand. I’ve always been fascinated by scuba diving and by the dangers associated with the sport, so I was immediately drawn to this escapist, suspenseful story. The whole Transworld team have fallen in love with this novel, and we couldn’t be happier that Sara has chosen us to be her publisher. We have big and ambitious plans for launching her writing career next year and look forward to getting this book into the hands of as many readers as possible around the world.” 

Ochs added: “Becoming part of the Transworld team has been an absolute dream come true. Finn’s vision and the entire team’s enthusiasm for The Dive has made the editing process an amazing experience. I am so grateful for the work they and my agent, Kate Burke, have done to bring this book to life. I can’t wait for readers to escape to the dark paradise at the heart of The Dive!”