Hodder & Stoughton is thrilled to announce the acquisition of a major fiction debut, THE WICKED COMETH (publishing 8th February 2018) by Laura Carlin, and one further novel. World Rights were pre-empted by Editorial Director Melissa Cox from Laura Macdougall at Tibor Jones.
THE WICKED COMETH is a novel set in a fascinating fissure in England’s history; a period in time caught between the reign of the Regency dandy and the moral exactitude of the Victorian era. Down the darkest London streets and alleyways, acts of unspeakable wickedness are left unchecked and some of the poorest in society are disappearing, with no one willing to speak for them. But Hester White, a bright young woman from the slums of Bethnal Green, refuses to let the truth stay buried.
When she is thrust by chance into the world of the aristocratic Brock family, Hester sees an opportunity to improve her station in life under the tutelage of the fiercely intelligent and mysterious Rebekah Brock. An intimacy develops between them that will cross every boundary Hester has ever known, but her trust is tested as a complex web of deceit begins to unravel and she must race against time to uncover a conspiracy darker than her wildest speculations.
Cox said: ‘Laura is a tremendously exciting new talent and I was delighted to find so many of the elements I love best in historical fiction within THE WICKED COMETH; it has a perfectly realized atmospheric London, a tender, slow-burning love story, and a mystery that unspools in a way that will leave readers unable to put the book down. We are absolutely thrilled to be launching Laura Carlin’s writing career at Hodder, and we can’t wait to share this book with the world.’
Carlin said: ‘I’m delighted to be working with Melissa and the team at Hodder. Inspired by an obscure and inglorious event in British history, I hope to have created a novel that breathes life into a story of intrigue, love, conflict and resilience. As a debut author, it is a privilege to be working with someone of Melissa’s calibre, with her industry experience and her love of literature. Her enthusiasm and vision for the book is extremely exciting and I couldn’t be more thrilled with this opportunity.’
THE WICKED COMETH is Laura Carlin’s first novel. Having left school at 16, she turned to writing after 28 years of working for a local bank. She lives in Derbyshire with her civil partner, two children and a Siamese cat called Antigone.
THE WICKED COMETH will be published in hardback and eBook on 8th February 2018.
For film rights please contact Laura Macdougall at Tibor Jones (laura@tiborjones.com). For publicity enquiries please contact Veronique.Norton@hodder.co.uk and for foreign rights interest please contact Anna.Alexander@hachette.co.uk.