Zaffre signs global crime-writing phenomenon Lars Kepler

 Zaffre, the flagship fiction imprint of Bonnier Books UK, has acquired The Mirror Man and two further ‘Joona Linna’ titles from global writing phenomenon Lars Kepler. 

Kate Parkin, M.D. of Adult Trade Publishing for Bonnier Books UK and Ben Willis, Publishing Director at Zaffre, acquired UK and Commonwealth rights from Niclas Salomonsson at Salomonsson Agency. 

Lars Kepler is the pseudonym for the critically acclaimed husband and wife team Alexandra Coelho Ahndoril and Alexander Ahndoril, authors of the number one internationally bestselling Joona Linna series, which has sold over 250,000 copies in the UK (TCM). With over 15 million copies sold worldwide and outstanding reviews from Time magazine, New York Times, Sunday Times, The Times, Daily Mail and more, this is a major acquisition for the Zaffre imprint. 

The first publication from Lars Kepler will be The Mirror Man, which follows a detective on the trail of a kidnapper who makes his victims’ worst nightmares a reality. This is a dark, compulsive thriller set at a breakneck pace with writing that delves into the depths of the human psyche. The Mirror Man will be one of Zaffre’s lead crime titles for 2022. 

Lars Kepler said: ‘We have only positive things to say about our former English publisher, but when we met the Zaffre team it was just like when you meet someone for the first time and feel in your heart that you will become good friends. The conversations were filled with energy, laughter and plans for the future. We are convinced that this is not only the beginning of a long friendship, but also something great for our books and our readers.’

Niclas Salomonsson said: ‘I couldn’t be more excited about collaborating with Bonnier Books UK

and the Zaffre team on Lars Kepler’s brilliant authorship. I feel very confident with Perminder Mann and her outstanding team and am thrilled to see The Mirror Man and the following Joona Linna novels be published by them.’’

Managing Director Kate Parkin said: ‘Like millions of other fans round the world, Lars Kepler’s dark, pitch perfect crime novels have kept me on the edge of my seat long into the night. We are enormously proud to be bringing the most compelling crime thriller voice of a generation to Bonnier Books UK and we can’t wait to introduce his latest novel The Mirror Man to readers and listeners. I can promise them the thrill ride of their life…’

Publishing Director Ben Willis said: ‘I still remember the visceral terror I experienced when reading Richard and Judy pick The Hypnotist a decade ago, and The Mirror Man is every bit as brilliant. Kepler does something unique: creates disturbing, chilling, gripping crime stories that are also beautifully written. I can’t wait to work with Alexandra and Alexander to bring their sales to the next level.’

The Mirror Man will be published in the UK and Ireland 23rd June 2022 in hardback, audio, and eBook.

Author photo credit: Ewa-Marie Rundquist

Pre-Frankfurt, Frankfurt and Other Book News

With the Frankfurt Bookfair starting today there has already been lots of bookish news emerging with pre-emptive book deals already taking place.

According to the Bookseller, Simon and Schuster won the auction for the UK and Commonwealth rights to a psychological drama by former Guardian journalist Sarah Vaughan.  Anatomy of a Scandal will be published in January 2018.

Michael Joseph won the auction rights to a new debut thriller by C J Tudor called The Chalk Man.  The book is due to be published in hardback on 11^th January 2018 and according to publishing director Maxine Hitchcock in the Bookseller it has all the ingredients to become one of the great contemporary thrillers.

HarperCollins UK and Harper Collins US (William Morrow) have snapped up the rights to the debut psychological novel The Woman in the Window.  Written by William Morrow’s own vice president and executive editor Daniel Mallory it was submitted under the pseudonym A J Finn.  The film rights have already been sold to Fox 2000.

According to the Bookseller, Corvus are to publish Troll a psychological thriller by David Thorne as part of a three book deal.

If you have not heard the news already then according to the Guardian Irvine Welsh’s 2009 novel Crime is being adapted for the television. Crime is about a detective inspector who has fled to Miami following a mental breakdown. In Florida, a coke-fuelled binge brings him into contact with 10-year-old Tianna, a victim of a sex crime, which brings back memories of a harrowing child-sex murder case back in Edinburgh.

Un-agented author T A Cotterell’s debut novel has been acquired by Transworld.  What Alice Knew, will according to the Bookseller be published on 20th April 2017.

The Seven Lives of Evelyn Hardcastle a debut novel by Stuart Turton has been sold to Bloomsbury. According to Harry Illingworth of DHH Literary Agency in the Bookseller, The Seven Lives of Evelyn Hardcastle has been described as Gosford Park meets Groundhog Day, by way of Agatha Christie.

 

Julia Wisdom has according to Booktrade info acquired two more thrillers from best-selling Swedish writer Lars Kepler. Both thrillers will feature Joona Linna, the maverick detective first introduced in the Sunday Times Bestseller The Hypnotist.

 

According to World Screen Laurence Bowen’s newly formed indie company has acquired the rights to adapt the novels of bestselling author Alastair Maclean. Maclean’s best known novels include The Guns of Navarone, Ice Station Zebra and Where Eagles Dare.  The first novel to be turned into a four or six part event mini-series will be San Andreas.

Brief criminal splattering’s

According to the Bookseller  Orion has triumphed in an auction for début thriller The Distance, winning a five-way best bids competition for a two-book deal, as rights are snapped up in territories elsewhere around the world.  Deputy publishing director Bill Massey bought UK and Commonwealth rights in the title.  The book features as its main character a woman known as Karla, who acts as the facilitator for the criminal community, living life on the edge of the law.

Simon & Schuster has won out in a six-way auction for debut spy novel Treason by former CIA clandestine operations officer Jason Matthews, scooping the title for a six-figure sum.

According to Book2Book, having sold more than one million copies of his début novel, The Hypnotist - over 500,000 copies sold in Sweden alone - and with translation rights now sold in 37 countries, Lars Kepler is going from strength to strength.  Both the second novel featuring Stockholm detective Joona Linna, to be published by Blue Door in September as The Nightmare (Paganinikontraktet [2010]), and the third, The Fire Witness (Eldvittnet [2011]), to be published by Blue Door in 2103) have been No 1 bestsellers.  The Hypnotist will be produced by the Swedish Film Industry (SF) and Sonet Film and will be the first Swedish feature film to be directed by Lasse Hallström (The Cider House Rules, Chocolat, Salmon Fishing in the Yemen etc.) in 24 years. The Hypnotist will be premiered in Sweden in September and released internationally in 2013.