Wednesday, 8 October 2025 Books+Publishing @booksandpublishing
Allen & Unwin (A&U) has acquired world rights to Click, the sixth novel from Sarah Bailey, in a deal brokered by Lyn Tranter at Australian Literary Management.
‘Click is a taut crime thriller about a city on edge, a killer playing games and the two women determined to bring him down,’ said the publisher.
‘A backpacker’s body is found with a cryptic note, and two more women vanish without trace. When photographs begin to arrive in the inboxes of the media and police, it’s clear the killer isn’t hiding – they’re performing.
‘Journalist Oli Groves and rookie detective Penelope Kibbs are both drawn into the desperate attempt to stop the violence before more women are lost. But they soon realise the danger runs deeper than one killer – and closer than they want to believe.’
Bailey is a Melbourne-based author with a background in advertising and communications. She wrote the Gemma Woodstock series, which includes The Dark Lake (which was published in 2017 and won a Ned Kelly Award for Best First Fiction and a Davitt Award for Best Debut) followed by Into the Night (2018), Where the Dead Go (2019), and Body of Lies (2024) (all A&U).
Click is the second book featuring journalist Oli Groves, who first appeared in The Housemate (A&U, 2021).
On the acquisition, Bailey said, ‘I’m thrilled to be continuing Oli’s story in Click, as well as introducing readers to several new characters. Click explores the complexities of the modern media landscape and how technology is enabling different types of criminal activity and the challenges this presents to law enforcement.’
Publishing director Cate Paterson said, ‘With Click, Sarah Bailey proves herself a master of modern crime fiction. She manages to keep you glued to the page with building suspense but still go deep on current societal issues and nuanced, satisfyingly complex characters.’
A&U plans to publish Click in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand in April 2026.
Photo credit: Hugh Davies.
Category: Local news Rights and acquisitions