“Zodiac is an absolute blast. A brilliant and original ‘why-didn’t-I-think-of-that?’ premise, twisty plot, witty dialogue and characters you can really get behind. I’m struggling to think of a reader who wouldn’t love it.” – Sarah Lotz

A high concept and hugely original début thriller, for fans of The Shining Girls, Fatherland and True Detective.

In a society divided by Zodiac signs, status is cast at birth and binding for life. A few minutes can be the difference between a life of luxury or an existence of poverty and pain.

When the chief of police is brutally murdered and the only witness goes missing, the case is given to Detective Jerome Burton. He is expected to work with Lindi Childs, an astrological profiler who believes she can find the killer using star charts. They’re incompatible, and Burton strongly doubts that the answers are in the sky.

But after a second murder, the pressure on them mounts and Burton and Childs find themselves in the public spotlight. Despite their differences they are united by the belief that they’re dealing with a vicious serial killer. As they unravel the dark thread of fear, prejudice and tragedy behind the murders, the city creeps closer to tearing itself apart. Police clash with protestors, the signs turn against each other, and all the while the killer walks the streets, executing a grand plan that hangs over them all.

The world rights for the novel have been bought by Michael Joseph, an imprint of Penguin Random House. Emad Akhtar, the editor at Michael Joseph, said: “I was instantly hooked by Sam’s unique concept and it has been a joy to see him bring it to life. The story is at heart a brilliantly executed thriller, filled with memorable characters, and nail-biting moments throughout. It’s a project we and the other publishers around the world will have a lot of fun publishing.”

So far, the novel has had auctions and pre-empts for translation rights in Germany, The Netherlands, Italy, Spain and Turkey.

Zodiac is due to be published in the UK in July 2016.

Here’s the story on The Bookseller.