Harvill Secker to publish Here and Gone by Haylen Beck

Harvill Secker will publish the standalone thriller Here and Gone by Haylen Beck in April 2017.

Here and Gone is a heart-stopping, twisting psychological thriller which will be enjoyed by fans of Paula Hawkins and Gillian Flynn. It has already received a wonderful endorsement quote from Lee Child who says: “A fantastic thriller – a lone woman, a nightmare scenario, high stakes, breathless suspense, and a satisfying conclusion. It doesn’t get better than this.”

The book begins on a desolate road in Arizona where Audra is fleeing her abusive husband in the family car. Her children, Sean and Louise, are buckled up in the back. Desperate not to draw attention, Audra is petrified when she is pulled over by the local sheriff. What happens next is every parent’s worst nightmare: one minute her children were here, the next they were gone.

The film rights to the thriller have already been optioned by Meridian Entertainment, with the film adaptation being co-produced by James Schamus, the writer of Brokeback Mountain and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and director of an adaptation of Philip Roth’s Indignation, out this November.

Haylen Beck is a new name to the Harvill Secker imprint, but Here and Gone marks a thrilling new direction from the Dead Good favourite and WH Smith Book Club author Stuart Neville. Stuart Neville’s Haylen Beck novels will be set in the US and are inspired by his love of American crime writing. A second standalone Haylen Beck novel will be published in 2018.

Stuart Neville says: “Writing as Haylen Beck has allowed me to tell a different kind of story inspired by my travels in America. Here and Gone is the type of high-concept flat-out thriller that I’ve always loved to read, and I hope others will enjoy it too.”

Geoff Mulligan, Stuart Neville’s long-time editor, says: “I’ve never read an opening chapter that had me so gripped and desperate to race to the finish. Within hours I had had an unprecedented response from fervent colleagues buzzing with excitement. We are certain that Here and Gone is set to become a word-of-mouth sensation with readers.”

Liz Foley, Harvill Secker Publishing Director, says: “From its heart-stopping opening scene to its dramatic finale, Here and Gone is a truly exceptional thriller. It has the gripping qualities of a Linwood Barclay or Harlan Coben plot with the emotional punch of Clare Mackintosh’s writing. We are hugely excited about making sure everyone is reading it come April next year.”

We can’t wait to read it!