Trapeze signs 'ambitious' domestic thriller with Shakespearean twist

Trapeze has signed an "ambitious" domestic thriller with a Shakespearean twist that "rivals the best books in the genre".

Katie Brown, commissioning editor at Trapeze, signed UK and Commonwealth rights to The Woman Inside by E G Scott from Nicola Barr at The Bent Agency.

The novel has already been snapped up for TV by Blumhouse Productions, the company behind "Whiplash", "Get Out", and the forthcoming adaptation of Gillian Flynn’s Sharp Objects (W&N).

The Woman Inside follows husband and wife Paul and Rebecca, whose 20-year marriage is based on a bedrock of lies and misdirection. When Paul catches the attention of the police after two women go missing in quick succession, Rebecca – who always thought she was better at keeping secrets – discovers Paul’s elaborate plan to build a new life without her. The breakdown of communication between the couple, and the projection of their own paranoia onto the other, leads to a "Shakespearean twist that rivals the best books in the genre", said the publisher.

The Woman Inside is being published as a super-lead title by Dutton in the US, and rights have also sold in nine other territories, including France, Italy and Czech.

Scott is a pseudonym for two NYC-based writers, one a publishing professional and one a screenwriter.

They said: "We are thrilled to be fulfilling the dream of having our first book published and are excited to be working with Trapeze in realising that dream. The international response to our project has been at once mind-blowing and extremely humbling, and the adaptation of our story to television is more delicious ‘icing’ on the proverbial cake. We’re very eager to see how readers respond to a book we had so much fun writing."

Brown said: "I’ve been looking for dark fiction to add to my list, and The Woman Inside was just what I wanted! I loved the unusual twist, the dual points of view each written by the two authors – adding that extra layer of authenticity – and most of all, I just loved the sheer ambition and audacity of this book. The global response is testament enough to the talent and potential of the two writers, and I can’t wait to share their book with UK and international readers."

The Woman Inside will be published by Trapeze in trade paperback and e-book on 22nd January 2019. The paperback will be published in summer 2019.