John Jarrold

Transworld’s Simon Taylor has pre-emptively acquired two novels from bestselling novelist Jon Courtenay Grimwood. The agent was John Jarrold.

The first novel is Thrones and Powers . . .

On 30 May 1431, Joan of Arc – the Maid of Orleans, whose visions of the archangel Michael inspired her to lead the French against the English during the Hundred Years War – was burned at the stake as a heretic. She was just 19 years old.

Looking on in despair was a young French noble called Gilles de Rais – the only one of the Maid’s followers not to have deserted and disowned her. In the aftermath of Joan’s execution, Gilles is betrayed and condemned to immortality for his part in supposedly turning the Maid against Heaven’s purpose. Centuries later, he now lives quietly in Mexico City as the historian (his speciality is medieval France) Professor Don Gil de Ray, with a retired Yucatec terrorist as his housekeeper and guardian. Then in New York, on his way back to his hotel following a talk he’d given, he is brutally attacked. His assailant is an angel, demanding his obedience to a command from Heaven. And Heaven wants him to discover what has happened to God. But Heaven is a place Don Gil has denied and turned his back on for what it had allowed to happen to Joan . . .

He refuses, obviously. He has no interest in God, alive or dead. He doesn’t want access to Heaven, or to all of time (except perhaps to follow Joan through her future incarnations, to try – again and again, and to fail – to save her soul). After all he is Gilles de Rais, vilified over the centuries by those who would have history believe he was a monster, the original Bluebeard, so why would he – why should he – bend to Heaven’s will?

But then Lucifer makes him an offer: an offer it would be dangerous – for Earth (about which he cares little) and for the very few people he loves, and loves fiercely – to refuse . . .

The second book will be an as-yet untitled historical fantasy.

Jon Courtenay Grimwood was born in Malta and christened in the upturned bell of a ship. He grew up in the Far East, Britain and Scandinavia. Apart from novels he has written for magazines and newspapers. For five years he wrote a monthly review column for the Guardian. He has also written for The Times, Telegraph and the Independent. Felaheen, the third of his novels featuring Ashraf Bey, a half-Berber detective, won the BSFA Award for Best Novel. As did The End of the World Blues, about a British sniper on the run from Iraq and running an Irish bar in Tokyo. His novels have been shortlisted for numerous other awards including the Arthur C Clarke Award, the British Fantasy Award and the John W Campbell Memorial Award.

Moskva, his first crime novel, written as Jack Grimwood, was published Spring 2016. An Amazon Top 10 bestseller, it was listed for the Crime Writers Association’s Steel Dagger/Ian Fleming Award.

Nightfall Berlin, the second Tom Fox novel, was published Spring 2018. The Times called it, ‘A superb creation.’ The Observer called it, ‘Spring’s best thriller.’

Island Reich, his third Jack Grimwood novel, was published Spring 2021. The Financial Times called it ‘Triumphant’. Glasgow Life said ‘Jack Grimwood matches Robert Harris, Joseph Kanon, Ken Follett and John le Carré thrill for thrill…’

Arctic Sun, the third Tom Fox novel, was published Autumn 2023. It was The Times’ Thriller of the Month: ‘Strange alliances, personal vendettas and Cold War conspiracies build to a bloody climax in the snow’. The Independent said, ‘Your new favourite thriller writer’.

The Last Banquet, his literary novel written as Jonathan Grimwood, was published by Canongate in Summer 2013; the French edition was shortlisted, in 2015, for Le Prix Montesquieu.

His work is published in French, German, Spanish, Italian, Polish, Czech, Hungarian, Russian, Turkish, Japanese, Danish, Finnish, Dutch, Estonian and American, among others.

He is married to the journalist and novelist Sam Baker. They live in Edinburgh.

Jon Courtenay Grimwood said, ‘I’m absolutely thrilled to be with Simon Taylor at Transworld, and deeply impressed John Jarrold tied up a deal this swiftly; leaving me to get on with writing. Thrones is a book that really matters to me, and I find it hard to say how delighted I am.’

‘Simon was in touch within hours of seeing the press release about Jon joining the literary agency,’ said John Jarrold. ‘We were happy to agree an exclusive look at Thrones and Power for him and Transworld after a conversation, and I’m delighted it has led to a wonderful deal for two books.’

Simon Taylor said ‘Genre-defying, boundary-pushing, ideas-filled and hairs-on-the-back-of-the-neck-raisingly-exciting, Thrones and Powers is – IMHO – the novel of a writer at the peak of his powers. I’ve long been a fan of Jon’s work and am over-the-moon to be publishing this bold and brilliant novel.’