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Century has won a four-way auction for a “heart-racing” thriller by Lily Samson, the pseudonym of a London publishing editor.
Fiction publishing director Emily Griffin acquired UK and Commonwealth rights including audio to In the Dark plus one untitled thriller from Cathryn Summerhayes at Curtis Brown. North American rights were pre-empted by Jeramie Orton at Pamela Dorman Books. In the Dark will publish in spring 2024 in Century hardback, e-book and audio.
The synopsis explains: “In the Dark is a heart-racing thriller with a dark game at its core, which tells the story of Elena and Adam, who move into a house-sit in Wimbledon and become immediately drawn into the world of Sophia and her husband Finn, who live nearby. When Sophia proposes a wicked game that involves the two women swapping their husbands in secret at night, Elena finds herself experiencing a sexual awakening that blossoms into an illicit love affair. But as Sophia’s plans become increasingly complex and dangerous, Elena will realise she’s playing a game that could cost her everything.”
Samson is the pen name for an editor who works at a London publishing company. She studied English at the University of Oxford and divides her time between London and Paris, where her French partner resides. In her spare time she enjoys indulging her obsession with Hitchcock movies and moonlighting as a freelance artist.
She commented: “I am overjoyed to be published by Century and Pamela Dorman Books. Working with Emily and Jeramie – such passionate and inspiring editors with wonderful vision for In the Dark – is a dream come true, and I hope we will work on many more psychological thrillers to come. I am also very lucky to have Cathryn Summerhayes as my agent who sold In the Dark with such energy and panache.”
Griffin added: “This compulsive thriller had me in its grip from page one. In the Dark is dark, sexy, twisty and impossible to pull yourself away from. The upscale world at its heart will appeal to fans of Our House and Anatomy of a Scandal and the game at its core, and the dark twist that propels it, makes this a shocking thriller that is sure to drive unmissable word-of-mouth buzz. Lily Samson is the new name to watch in the psychological thriller genre and this is a book that will be published with huge fanfare on the Century list in spring 2024. We can’t wait to get started.”