Hannah Todd

What I'm Looking For

I’m looking for commercial fiction across all genres, with a strong voice, clear pitch, and fantastic characterisation; all of the key elements for a novel that you just can’t put down and have to tell your friends about!

Within crime and thrillers, I’m looking for thrillers with an unsettling ‘it-could-happen-to-me’ feeling like R.J. Parker’s The Good Neighbour. I’m also looking for police procedurals too with a wider cast of supporting characters who have the potential to develop throughout a series. If you have a non-standard protagonist such as in Colin Bateman’s Mystery Man series then you get extra points too! I love to be genuinely shocked by a twist, but only if it feels as though I had a chance to see it coming… nothing is more unsatisfying than an off-page character turning up at the eleventh hour and being responsible for the crime! And with cosy crime, I would like to see anything set in quaint villages in which there are suspicious goings-on as well as themed cosy crime series such as Fiona Leitch’s baking-themed Nosy Parker Mystery series. Again, characterisation is key as well as the satisfying mystery.

When it comes to romance, I’m looking for everything from romantic comedies to cosy and destination romances. With romantic comedies, I need relatable characters like those by Bethany Rutter, Mary Jayne Baker, and Beth O’Leary. I love feeling as though you’ve made a friend when you put the book down! I’m also keen to find an author for LGBTQIA+ romance novels, like Double Booked by Lily Lindon, and of course, novels that will make me laugh out loud. For the latter, I found Nick Spalding’s Love on Both Sides and Lucy Vine’s What Fresh Hell? brilliantly relatable and utterly hilarious. In terms of cosy romances, the sense of community is paramount! An ensemble cast that shows the fun of bringing different personalities together like in Kitty Wilson’s Cornish Village School series is ideal. Also, another area of the market I’m keen to work in is destination romances in a beautiful setting as I love novels that whisk me away. I’m looking for pure escapism in every genre!

As for historical fiction, I’m looking for very accessible and character-driven historical fiction particularly based in both world wars. A story told from a fresh perspective in a respectful way is the perfect read for me, such as in Jan Casey’s The Woman with the Map or Adrienne Chinn’s The English Wife. I’m also looking for character-driven, immersive saga novels with strong female characters such as those by Lesley Eames and Pam Howes. I’m interested in both ends of the heartwarming vs. weepy spectrum and from ‘clogs and shawls’ to ‘wartime triumphs’.

And finally, I am also looking for commercial issues-led fiction with big moral dilemmas. Ideally, these will be focused on family, identity, and relationships such as those by Caroline Finnerty, Amanda Prowse and Kerry Fisher. If you can make me cry, feel torn by a decision, and utterly immersed in the narrative then you’re on to a winner!

With regards to all genres, I am particularly interested in voices from underrepresented backgrounds: such as writers of colour, the LGBTQIA+ community, and those with disabilities.