Number one bestselling thriller author Jo Spain has moved to Zaffre, the flagship adult commercial fiction imprint of Bonnier Books UK, in a six-figure deal. World English rights for three books were acquired by Zaffre publisher Ben Willis from Nicola Barr at Rye Literary.
Never To Be Found, the first book in the deal, is a standalone thriller to be published June 2026. It’s based on a chilling phenomenon in Japan known as Jōhatsu – people who vanish voluntarily from their lives.
It’s said 100,000 people per year are Jōhatsu. An entire industry has sprung up to support those who choose to disappear, these people are known as The Night Movers. When Veronica Page first started as a Night Mover in England, she just saw it as a business. She helped people in need, fleeing from abusive relationships, from work pressure, from debt, from unfulfilled lives. But Veronica learns that she’s capable of doing terrible things too, when she discovers that she’s helped a murderer to disappear, and if she doesn’t find him, she won’t be able to live with what he might do next.
Jo Spain said: ‘I’ve been intrigued by the Japanese phenomena of Jōhatsu for quite some time, the idea of vanishing entirely from your life, leaving your past, and everybody in it, behind. That, and the entire industry that’s sprung up around helping people who choose it, to disappear. I’m so excited to write about this fascinating practice and to add my own thriller twists and I love the passion Bonnier Books UK have shown, from the moment I first suggested the concept. Some books feel more magical than others and this one has all the markings of one I’ve loved writing, and hopefully, my readers, old and new, will love reading.’
Ben Willis said: ‘There are so many things to love about Jo Spain’s books. With every thriller she delivers a unique hook, superb characters, mind-bending twists and high-quality, razor-sharp writing. So it will come as no surprise to her readers that Never To Be Found showcases the very best of Jo. A combination of high concept plot and strong emotional core, it will leave you breathless. Jo is one of the most supportive and generous authors I’ve had the pleasure to work with, and we can’t wait to share her incredible books with readers for years to come.’
Jo is the author of thirteen bestselling thrillers, including three No.1s. She is translated into seventeen languages and was nominated as Irish Author of the Year at the 2024 An Post Irish Book Awards. She is also a successful screenwriter, and, along with her writing partner David Logan, she showruns Harry Wild, now in its fifth season and Acorn’s biggest ever TV show. On her own, she has written the new mini-series Mix Tape. It won the audience choice award at the prestigious U.S. festival SXSW and has just been released in Australia to rave reviews. The series has been picked up by BBC2 for a late summer 2025 release in the UK. Jo is currently adapting her own novels The Trial, with Metropolitan Pictures (Wednesday), The Last to Disappear with Finland MTV and Don’t Look Back with Archery Pictures.
Never To Be Found will be published in hardback, trade paperback, eBook and audiobook June 2026.
