We are absolutely delighted to announce deals for Tasha Coryell’s debut thriller IF I KILL YOU, represented by Katie Greenstreet. North American rights were acquired in a ‘major’ six-figure deal by Jen Monroe at Berkley, and UK and Commonwealth rights were acquired in a ‘major’ six-figure deal by Leodora Darlington at Orion.
UK and Commonwealth rights were sold at auction following multiple pre-empt attempts that were turned down, including one that came in less than 24 hours after submission.
Greenstreet and the Paper Literary rights team have closed lightning speed deals, including a pre-empt in France by Robert Laffront. Coryell’s debut is also at auction in Italy after turning down a pre-empt, with first offers in for Germany.
“Razor-sharp, fresh, funny, and irresistibly compelling, If I Kill You, is a brilliant thriller that examines our fascination with true crime. When a handsome lawyer named Wesley is arrested for a series of murders, recently ghosted 30-something Hannah begins writing him letters as an outlet for both her frustration at her failure to launch and her feminist rage. The exercise empowers her, and even feels healthy at first – until Wesley writes back. Their correspondence tips Hannah’s interest in the case from curiosity to obsession, leaving space for nothing else as her life implodes around her. Hannah is the first person Wesley calls upon his release, and they quickly fall into a routine of domestic bliss. Well, as blissful as one can feel while secretly investigating their partner for serial murder…”
Darlington said: “I was bowled over when Tasha’s manuscript landed on my desk. The pitch was compelling, and only a few sentences in, I knew that Tasha’s voice was something special, too. Tasha perfectly encapsulates the millennial experience; the frustration of looking around and seeing that you don’t have what other people your age have; the ease with which interest can slip into obsession; how selective society is about the voices and lives we choose to raise up as important. I could wax lyrical for days about If I Kill You, but I’ve just got to let readers discover this incredible book for themselves. Guaranteed, you will be thinking about the characters Tasha writes long after you turn the final page.”
Coryell said: “Hannah’s search for love and serial killers has lived inside my head for so long and I am thrilled to be working with Leodora Darlington at Orion to bring that journey to readers. All the thanks go to my agent Katie Greenstreet who saw my vision and recognised all that the book could be.”
Greenstreet said: “Discovering Tasha’s book in my submissions pile was truly the stuff of publishing dreams – it’s the literary thriller I’ve been looking for my whole career. Propulsive, biting, and shot through with millennial ennui, I defy future readers not to finish If I Kill You in one sitting! The passion that Leodora and her team have shown for Tasha’s work from the moment my pitch landed in her inbox has blown me away, and I’m delighted to be partnering with Orion to introduce the world to this exceptional novel.”