A E Gauntlett's debut thriller sold to Raven in six-figure pre-empt

The Wedding Guest, A E Gauntlett's debut thriller, has been pre-empted by Alison Hennessey at Raven Books in a six-figure deal. It will launch as the imprint's super-lead debut in spring 2024.

In this tightly plotted, brilliantly compulsive marriage thriller, classicist Annie and former surgeon Mark are about to tie the knot after a whirlwind romance. But as Annie casts her eyes over the rows of well-wishers there to toast the happy couple, she spots a man who shouldn’t be there. A man who has questions to ask about both bride and groom. And Annie quickly realises that her new life isn’t going to be the happily ever after she had planned.

The Wedding Guest is a propulsive and twisty story of desire, obsession and betrayal that will keep you guessing from first page to the last, and marks the arrival of a significant new voice in thriller writing.

Gauntlett says "As an agent, I’ve witnessed countless authors’ books pressed from a seed of an idea into people’s hands, and there is a quiet thrill in being behind the spotlight. It’s with some trepidation then that I now step out from the shadows with a novel of my own, but I do so knowing that I have the backing of a terrific publisher in Alison and Bloomsbury, and a brilliantly supportive agent in Ariella to guide me. I’m hugely excited for readers to discover Annie and her not-so-perfect day, and curious as to whether anyone in my life will realise they’ve made it into the book, in some form or another."

Hennessey says "I cannot wait for readers to have the same experience I did when I read The Wedding Guest, and to be constantly wrong-footed by Adam’s brilliant characterisation and razor sharp plotting. This was perhaps one of the easiest acquisitions I have ever done at Bloomsbury: the whole team here read it, loved it and demanded I buy it and I am so thrilled to be welcoming Adam to the Raven Books list, not as an agent, but as a highly accomplished debut writer."

A E Gauntlett is is a book agent at Peters Fraser and Dunlop (PFD), one of the oldest London literary agencies. He joined PFD in 2010, after completing his Masters in English Literature at King’s College, London, and has been an agent for eight years now. He represents a wide array of fiction and non-fiction across the adult and children's markets, and works with a number of big brands including GCHQ, Ordnance Survey, The Bank of England and The Alzheimer's Society. The Bookseller named him 2017's Shooting Star.