Yemi Dipeolu's debut goes to Faber in a six-figure pre-empt

Faber has acquired pulse-racing, character-driven thriller Kiss Marry Kill by debut author Yemi Dipeolu in a six-figure pre-empt.

Crime editor Sara Helen Binney snapped up world English rights for Kiss Marry Kill and a second novel from Kemi Ogunsanwo at Seventh Literary. The deal was negotiated as part of a pre-emptive offer worth six figures.

Kiss Marry Kill will be published on the Faber crime list in March 2026 in e-book and audio and in paperback in June 2026. Faber tipped it as "a major launch for readers who love the twisty family intrigue of Shari Lapena and the dangerous secrets behind closed doors of Lisa Jewell".

The publisher said: "In Kiss Marry Kill, Ife is determined not to let her new husband Ade’s ex Cynthia overshadow her new life. But in their cottage by the sea, Cynthia is everywhere: her clothes, her perfume, even her jewellery. And then, at their wedding reception, Ade is arrested for Cynthia’s murder.

"As the police investigation unfolds and Ife struggles to find a place for herself in their small Dorset town, she doesn’t know what to believe: the warnings and suspicion thrown on Ade by the police, or Ade’s own protestations of innocence?

Kiss Marry Kill is described by Faber as "a delicious and fast-paced marriage thriller hitting every beat genre readers love – new wife struggling with mother-in-law; women unsure if they can trust the men in their lives, but giving them all an immensely satisfying twist". 

Binney said: "Outstanding, unpredictable thrillers don’t come around very often, so this is something special. Kiss Marry Kill is a straight-up banger: smart, twisty and entirely driven by the women at its heart and their complicated and deadly, relationships."

Dipeolu said: "As a debut author, finding an editor that understood my vision right from the start was a wonderful experience. Sara Helen and the incredible Faber team have shown such passion and enthusiasm for my work and I’m so excited to be working with them."

Dipeolu is a British-Nigerian copywriter from south east London. She studied English literature with creative writing at the University of Surrey and has an MFA from Kingston University.