The UK rights for FOLLOW THE BUTTERFLY acquired by Pushkin Press at auction in a two-book deal!

We are absolutely amazed to let you know that Pushkin Vertigo, the crime and thrillers imprint of Pushkin Press has now acquired, at auction, the UK rights for both Martta Kaukonen’s debut thriller and its upcoming sequel

Founded in 2015, Pushkin Vertigo presents the best crime fiction from all four corners of the globe. Their list spans classic crime writers like Margaret Millar and Friedrich Dürrenmatt, Japanese masters of mystery like Seishi Yokomizo, and contemporary award winners such as Emma Viskic and Jonathan Ames.

Not only did Pushkin Vertigo acquire Martta Kaukonen’s FOLLOW THE BUTTERFLY but also its upcoming sequel.

The deal was negotiated by Rhea Lyons at HG Literary, New York, on behalf of Elina Ahlback of Elina Ahlback Literary Agency.

Download the English materials for both FOLLOW THE BUTTERFLY, and its sequel by clicking here

Here’s what the Pushkin Press said:

“We couldn’t be more excited to have acquired Martta Kaukonen’s twisty addictive psychological thriller FOLLOW THE BUTTERFLY and its sequel. Ida has to be the most sympathetic serial killer in crime fiction, and is one of the most original protagonists we’ve come across in a very long time”
– Daniel Seton, Pushkin Press, United Kingdom

The very first rights for the title have just been sold to Estonia (Hea Lugu), Germany (Heyne) and Psichiogos (Greece) and the worldwide interest is really high!
FOLLOW THE BUTTERFLY is an exciting debut thriller about a 20-year old female serial killer Ida, that starts visiting a celebrity therapist, to avoid a seemingly inevitable jail sentence.
Told by 4 different narrators, the story unfolds and twists at neck-breaking speed, not all is how it seems and even the most trustworthy people can let you down.

FINNISH PRAISE:
”Kaukonen succeeds in tricking the reader time and again: just when you think you’ve figured it out, the narrator changes and the tables turn.”
– Maaseudun tulevaisuus newspaper

FOLLOW THE BUTTERFLY
by Martta Kaukonen

An addictive psychological thriller in the spirit of Gillian Flynn

Ida, 20, a serial killer who was abducted as a child, starts therapy with celebrity therapist Clarissa. Only one of them knows that they share a mutual secret from the past. Will the other one realize it before she gets murdered?

Clarissa is a middle-aged psychotherapist, the best in her field. She is familiar to everyone from her TV appearances and from glossy magazines. For her, every patient is a princess. And someone only she can save. Or can she? Clarissa already has one suicide to answer for; a teenage boy’s death never seizes to haunt her.

When Ida becomes Clarissa’s patient, a cat-and-mouse game begins in which rules are followed by no one. The kind of game that never ends well.

Martta Kaukonen (1976) lives in Helsinki and is a film critic, whose reviews have been published in both Finland’s biggest newspaper Helsingin Sanomat and a popular women’s weekly magazine Me Naiset. Martta has a master’s degree in arts. She has interviewed the likes of Robert Downey Jr. and Justin Bieber. Martta met her future husband at his second hand bookshop and fell in love. Alongside writing, Martta loves psychological thrillers, film noir, flea markets, abandoned houses and travelling.

Martta’s debut novel FOLLOW THE BUTTERFLY was published in March 2021.