Stephanie Glencross

I love dark, juicy, and riveting stories: high-concept psychological suspense, clever and satisfying mysteries, and propulsive thrillers with real momentum. I’m especially drawn to work that feels accessible but slightly unexpected – books you tear through, but which still offer a fresh angle, an original lens, or a smart twist on familiar terrain. I don’t have a rigid or prescriptive wish list and genuinely relish being surprised by a manuscript I didn’t know I was looking for.

I’m interested in crime and thriller led by hyper-competent protagonists – crime for the post-true crime readers. People who are exceptionally good at what they do, or who are forced to become so. This might include analysts, forensic specialists, journalists, hackers, researchers, fixers, or private citizens with a very specific expertise or skill set. I love problem-solving narratives where the pleasure comes from watching someone think, adapt, and outmanoeuvre – including clever, contemporary takes on the heist – and where tension builds through insight, pattern recognition, and decision-making as much as action.

I’m particularly interested in standalone novels that feel complete and satisfying, but which introduce characters, roles, or worlds with the potential to continue if readers want more. For me, the books that do this best are immersive and compulsive but also layered – offering emotional depth or structural ambition that lend itself to a franchise effect.

I’m also excited by crime and thriller that translates brilliantly across formats, particularly audio. Strong openings, short chapters, sharp dialogue, and a sense of episodic momentum really appeal to me – storytelling that pulls the reader (or listener) forward and makes just one more chapter irresistible.

I’m drawn to fresh genre blends and love seeing crime intersect boldly with other forms – whether speculative elements, historical re-imaginings with contemporary resonance, or literary approaches that deepen psychological tension – as long as the story still delivers pace, intrigue, and payoff. I’m also always excited by distinctive voices and vivid, location-driven settings that feel new or under-explored within the genre, and would love to be taken somewhere unexpected – for example, Dubai. I’m intrigued by storytelling that plays with structure or form in ways that heighten immersion without sacrificing readability.

I’m also drawn to crime and thriller that offers comfort without cosiness – stories with the narrative confidence and accessibility of classic commercial fiction, reframed for contemporary readers. I’m interested in work that plays with familiarity, whether through nostalgia, recognisable archetypes, or glossy, inherited worlds, and then pushes them into darker, sharper, more emotionally complex territory. Think John Grisham or Patricia Cornwell – ‘for now’. Or Beverly Hills, 90210, but dark.

Crime and thriller novels I’ve loved recently include: God of the Woods by Liz Moore (atmosphere-driven, moral complexity), Night Watching by Tracy Sierra (claustrophobic tension, psychological menace), First Lie Wins by Ashley Elston (voice-led, propulsive, addictive), Not Quite Dead Yet by Holly Jackson (high-concept, pace, emotional pull), Ghostwriter by Julie Clark (meta twists, commercial smarts), Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy (setting integral to story), Wrong Place Wrong Time by Gillian McAllister (structural play), Middle of the Night by Riley Sager (nostalgia-tinged menace with a strong hook), and We Are All Guilty Here by Karin Slaughter (dark, relentless, character-led).

I’m always keen to find crime, thriller, dark commercial, or book-club-leaning fiction with a genuinely powerful love story at its heart – think One Day-level emotional intimacy meeting crime or thriller stakes. I’m also intrigued by crime and thriller that plays with the supernatural in smart or surprising ways, and by stories that tap into nostalgia with a darker, more emotionally complex edge – a grown-up, unsettling take on the familiar, such as a messed-up Nancy Drew for adults, or the tonal lure of Stranger Things.

Above all, I’m drawn to a great story – one that’s utterly absorbing, emotionally compelling, and impossible to put down! I’m interested in where the genre is heading, not just where it’s been, and I’m always inspired by writers who engage deeply with crime and thriller while pushing at its edges. If you’ve written something smart, accessible, and a little left-field, I would absolutely love to read it.

Submission Guidelines

Submissions should be emailed to stephanieglencross@davidhigham.co.uk

If you would like to submit your work, please email st****************@************co.uk. Please include a covering letter in the body of your email and attach a synopsis and the first three chapters of your book (in Word, double-spaced and with page numbers). Please put your name and the title of your manuscript in the subject line of your email.

Unfortunately, due to the volume of submissions I receive, I am not always able to respond to every one even though I try very hard to. If you haven’t heard back within 16 weeks please assume that I haven’t chosen to take it further at this time. Thank you very much for thinking of me for your work.

Guidelines & Details