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Francesca Pathak, publishing director at Orion Fiction, has pre-empted debut crime novel A Violent Gentleman by Danny O’Leary.
Pathak acquired UK and Commonwealth rights from Ben Dunn of Dunn Literary. The title will be published by Orion in January 2021.
Inspired by O'Leary's career as a bouncer and celebrity bodyguard, A Violent Gentleman is set amongst Los Angeles' underclass, and follows Essex-bred Jeremiah O’Connell as he teams up with high-class escort Noah in a quest to rid LA of a notorious drug lord who is backed by a cartel.
Pathak said: "I raced through A Violent Gentleman and what stands up, for me, is the true authenticity of the novel. After reading the book and meeting Danny, I just knew we had to publish it."
O’Leary said: "Having been immersed in so many mind-blowing events during my chosen career, it felt almost criminal not to write about them... I am overwhelmed to realise that my life's experiences have translated themselves into a novel—who'd have thought that all those times people said, 'You should write a book, Danny', that one day it would become A Violent Gentleman? It's a novel which felt almost cathartic to get down on paper, in a confessional kind of way."