Anna Valentine, Managing Director of The Orion Publishing Group, has acquired World, All Language rights in two novels from Adam Kay, author of the international publishing phenomenon This Is Going to Hurt. Rights were bought from Cathryn Summerhayes at Curtis Brown. The first, A Particularly Nasty Case, will publish in hardback, trade paperback, ebook and audio on 11 September 2025.
When a noxious hospital consultant dies of a heart attack, fellow doctor Eitan Rose smells foul play. But nobody else does, including some quite crucial players like the police and the coroner. Eitan’s colleagues are already treating him with suspicion following his recent breakdown, and are sceptical of his increasingly wild theories. When another doctor dies in similar circumstances, Eitan becomes convinced there is more to these deaths than meets the eye. Is there really a killer marauding the wards or is Eitan losing the plot?
Deftly told and deathly funny, A Particularly Nasty Case is the unputdownable debut novel from Adam Kay, BAFTA-winning writer and author of multi-million global bestseller This is Going to Hurt.
Anna Valentine, Orion MD, said: ‘Having sold over 5 million copies of his books across all formats, Adam Kay has proven that he is one of our nation’s greatest storytellers, and I’m incredibly excited that he is turning his hand to fiction, a natural next step for him as a BAFTA award-winning writer. A Particularly Nasty Case has all the hallmarks of what makes Adam’s writing unique and beloved by so many readers: scalpel-sharp wit, tense plotting and unforgettable characters, and I know that his fans are going to devour this as they have everything else Adam has written.’
Adam Kay said: ‘Because the ridiculously woke society we live in means that I can’t go around murdering people who annoy me, I’ve had to do the second-best thing and start writing crime fiction. I should probably point out that it’s not cosy crime – in fact, it’s probably the opposite of cosy. Itchy crime? I really hope people enjoy reading this book as much as I’ve enjoyed writing it (which was a lot, for the avoidance of doubt).’
Adam Kay is an author, screenwriter and comedian. His books have sold over five million copies, have been translated into thirty-seven languages, and have won numerous awards. He lives in Oxfordshire with his two children, dog, husband and beloved BAFTA.
Trapeze will publish A Particularly Nasty Case by Adam Kay in hardback, audio and eBook in September 2025
Adam Kay is at the Edinburgh Playhouse Saturday 17 August – shows at 5.30pm & 8.30pm. Tickets at edfringe.com
