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Constable has struck a two-book deal with Irish thriller writer Siobhan MacDonald – the first, a novel of dark psychological suspense, featuring a heart surgeon whose life spirals into chaos over the course of a weekend.
Krystyna Green, publishing director at Constable, acquired world English language rights in two standalone thrillers by MacDonald, from Jo Bell at the Bell Lomax Moreton Agency.
Green said: "I had come across Siobhan and her writing a few years ago but at the time circumstances meant I couldn’t acquire her there and then, and I am just so pleased that five years on, she is writing even better powerful, page turning novels of psychological suspense set in the Irish countryside – and I’m now in a position to be able to commission them."
The first in the deal, Guilty, will publish in June 2020, with the mass market paperback coming in May 2021.
The story begins with the word "Guilty" painted on heart surgeon Luke Forde's boathouse, followed by a chilling notice in the local newspaper announcing a death. When this is followed by the delivery of a small, coffin-shaped package with a decapitated, bloody effigy, he is terrified. Someone knows his secret. And now, someone is out to get him.
Green called it "a terrific twist on a familiar theme", as one of the few typescripts she has come across that has at its heart a man in peril, and a man hiding a dark secret.
The second book in the deal, which Green said "had me with the title alone", is The Bride Collector. It will be published in June 2021.
MacDonald, who is based in Limerick, added: "I’m delighted to work with Krystyna at Constable, the home of many respected and award-winning writers. I look forward to continuing the journey to publication with her guidance."