Vertigo mops up McSorley's 'irresistibly dark' thriller

Pushkin Press imprint Vertigo has landed Squeaky Clean, a thriller and the debut novel by Callum McSorley.

Daniel Seton, commissioning editor, acquired world English rights from Emily MacDonald at 42. It will publish in hardback in March 2023.

"Set in Glasgow, Squeaky Clean is a gritty, urban thriller with a comic edge, about a hapless car-wash worker and the city’s least popular police detective, who get pulled into the machinery of the criminal underworld and come up against a psychopathic gang leader," the synopsis explains. 

Seton said: "Squeaky Clean is an irresistibly dark and funny thriller set in the grim world of low-paid casual work. The fact that it’s such a fun read is testament to Callum’s natural, polished storytelling voice. You’d think this was his 10th novel rather than his first. Fans of gritty crime are in for a real treat."

McSorley is a writer based in Glasgow whose short stories have appeared in Gutter Magazine, Monstrous Regiment and New Writing Scotland.

"Squeaky Clean began nearly 10 years ago when I started washing cars while at uni," he said. "The people and situations I encountered in the car wash stuck with me for a long time, just waiting for the right plot. To have such a prestigious publisher as Pushkin pick up my story has been a dream, and working with Daniel and the team has been a joy. 

"I owe them and my agent, Emily MacDonald, a huge thanks for helping create something I can be really proud of. I can’t wait for people to read it. And, ultimately, it’s good to know those years spent scrubbing brake dust, tree sap and bird shit off cars weren’t wasted."