Crime & Thriller Literary Agents Open to Submissions

Literary fiction, upmarket fiction, historical fiction, literary thrillers, crime, gothic horror, speculative fiction, non-fiction, graphic novels

Literary and upmarket fiction/non-fiction, genre-bending/speculative-adjacent literary, literary historical, family novels, literary thrillers/crime, gothic horror edges, non-fiction art/music/aging/neurodiversity/psychotherapy/sport/science, graphic novels

Submit by email following DHA's submissions guidelines at https://davidhigham.co.uk or submissions/

Mystery, romantic suspense, psychological suspense, speculative, crime, thriller, horror, book club

Wants: Cover letter, synopsis, first 3 chapters or 50 pages

Jade represents adult commercial fiction, especially thriller, suspense, horror, book club fiction, romantic suspense and speculative fiction with a darker edge.

Submit via the Darley Anderson online submissions portal. Include a cover letter, one-page synopsis, and the first three chapters or first 50 pages or 10,000 words.

Adult fiction, young adult fiction, book club fiction, romantic comedy, literary fiction, mystery, thriller, horror, narrative nonfiction, cultural criticism, essays, current affairs, pop culture, psychology, nature, science

Wants: Query letter, comparable books, first twenty pages or proposal

Dana Murphy represents a wide range of fiction and nonfiction for adults and select fiction for teen readers. She wants fiction with heart, humor, specificity, surprise, high-concept hooks, confident voice, rom-coms, book club fiction, literary fiction with form or genre elements, mysteries, thrillers, horror, found family stories, and narrative nonfiction or essay collections about culture, pop culture, criticism, power structures, object histories, big ideas, and deeply researched cultural history.

Submit through Dana Murphy's official QueryManager form linked from Trellis. The form asks writers to review her wishlist and provide author bio, title, word count, genre, query letter, comparable books, AI-use disclosure, and the first 20 pages or a full nonfiction proposal. Trellis asks writers not to submit to multiple Trellis agents during the 8-12 week review window.

Speculative fiction, horror, thriller, science fiction, fantasy, romance, upmarket fiction, young adult

Wants: Query letter, synopsis, first five pages

Danai Christopoulou loves speculative fiction of all flavors, from horror and thriller to sci-fi, fantasy, and romance, especially from marginalized voices. They are mostly focused on adult fiction but are interested in YA with crossover appeal, and like upmarket fiction with nuanced plots from BIPOC, queer, neurodivergent, and other traditionally marginalized groups.

Submit through Danai Christopoulou's official QueryManager form. Tobias agents only accept submissions through QueryManager, do not query more than one Tobias agent at a time. Danai's form asks for author bio, pronouns, marginalized or BIPOC identification questions, title, word count, genre, query letter, synopsis, AI-use disclosure, publication history, and the first 5 pages or a full nonfiction proposal.

Commercial fiction, dark psychological fiction, romantic comedy, young adult, true crime, self-help, business, pop culture, lifestyle, reality television

Wants: Online submission form

Courtney Paganelli enjoys voice-driven commercial fiction, dark psychological fiction, heartwarming romantic comedies, relatable adult or YA novels with budding relationships, tough topics, complex family dynamics, paranormal activity or magical realism, atmospheric and creepy stories, whodunits, true crime, millennial-driven self-help, practical business, pop culture, lifestyle, and reality television.

Submit through Levine Greenberg Rostan's official online submission form. Courtney Paganelli's official profile lists her direct LGR email, and the official submissions page directs submissions through the agency form.

Literary fiction, science fiction, thriller, horror, true crime, romance, young adult, cookbooks, interior design, gardening, parenting, self-empowerment, memoir, biography

Wants: Query letter, proposal, sample pages

Christine J. Lee is an Associate Literary Agent with interest in full-length literary fiction, sci-fi, thrillers, horror, true crime, romance, YA, cookbooks, interior design and gardening, parenting, self-empowerment, and memoirs or biographies touching on race, sex, class, and identity.

Submit through The Leshne Agency's official QueryManager route or email a query letter to submissions@leshneagency.com, but do not do both. Email subject lines should begin with QUERY followed by the title. For fiction, include author information, title, genre, word count, hook or tagline, brief synopsis, comp titles, and 10-20 sample pages. For nonfiction, include a complete proposal with overview, table of contents, chapter outline, target audience, marketing or promotion plans, comps, bio, and at least two fully written sample chapters.

Commercial fiction, science fiction, fantasy, historical fiction, mystery, thriller, women's fiction, middle grade, young adult, romance, action adventure

Wants: Query letter

Caitlin Blasdell specializes in quality commercial fiction including science fiction and fantasy, historical fiction, mysteries, thrillers, and women's fiction. Liza Dawson's submissions page also lists commercial adult fiction, science fiction/fantasy, romance, mystery, and action/adventure for Caitlin, and her profile says she handles a few select middle grade and YA authors.

Send only a query letter in the body of the email to querycaitlin@lizadawson.com. Liza Dawson Associates asks writers to check each agent profile, use the agent's query email and guidelines, and query only one agent at a time, the agency does not represent screenplays.

Fiction and non-fiction

Original fiction and non-fiction with international appeal. Non-fiction: stimulating/voice-led, humour, travel, sport, finance/worlds you can enter. Fiction: predominantly crime and thrillers, also rare comic novels

Email charlie@greyhoundliterary.co.uk with a cover letter and pitch in the body of the email. For fiction, attach the first three chapters and a synopsis. For non-fiction, attach a proposal and sample writing. Submit to one agent only, do not send by post.

Fiction, non-fiction

Fiction: crime/thrillers across commercial-literary, atmospheric/setting-as-character, accessible speculative, ghost stories, folk horror, originality and distinctive voice, humour threaded. Non-fiction: narrative history/prehistory, memoir, nature/landscape, folklore

Email submissions@hardmanswainson.com. For fiction, attach a one-page synopsis and the full manuscript. For non-fiction, attach a proposal and a sample chapter (or the full work if completed). Name your chosen agent in the cover email. Submit to one agent only, do not email individual agent addresses.

Fiction and non-fiction (also scripts)

Action thrillers, crime, espionage, political thrillers, eclectic but list described as pretty full, not children's/YA/poetry, not fantasy/SF/dystopian, prefers UK-based writers/stories

Email julian@blakefriedmann.co.uk with an introductory cover letter in the body of the email, and attach a synopsis (250-300 words, including the ending) and the first three chapters or first 10,000 words as Word documents (.doc or .docx). Include the book title and your name in the subject line. Name each attachment with the book title, your name, and either SYNOPSIS or CHAPTERS.

Fiction and non-fiction

Crime fiction, unputdownable literary and commercial fiction, non-fiction that makes you think/question the world

Email submissions@lutyensrubinstein.co.uk with a covering letter, a short synopsis, and the first three chapters or up to 5,000 words. If you have a particular agent in mind, note this for Susannah Godman. No scripts, no postal submissions.

Fiction and non-fiction

Sexual politics, relationships, lifestyle how-tos, erotica, thrillers, whodunit, historical crime

Email submissions@cmm.agency with: a one-paragraph author biography, a one-paragraph blurb or hook including genre and intended audience, a short synopsis covering plot, setting, theme and characters, and the first three chapters as an attachment. Manuscript must be double or 1.5 line-spaced, in 12-point font (preferably Times New Roman), with wide margins and full page numbering. Include your name, address, contact number and email on the first page.

Crime, commercial fiction, non-fiction

Horror fiction, non-fiction relating to education, politics, and feminism

Email submissions@cmm.agency

Fiction and non-fiction

Book club/crossover fiction, crime and thrillers (incl unusual hooks), historical fiction (incl historical crime). Non-fiction: memoir, narrative-led books from experts (history/science/tech/politics/nature)

Submit via the agency online form at https://amheath.com or submissions

Drama, comedy-drama, thriller, science fiction, horror, genre mashups

Drama and comedy-drama with elevated storytelling, including thrillers, grounded science fiction, horror, and genre mashups. Series that explore social politics and human psychology while remaining highly entertaining with complex, well-rounded characters. A unique perspective and original voice are particularly valued.

Read the submissions guidelines first. Send your submission to cisubmissions@davidhigham.co.uk if you believe you are a good match. Allow up to six weeks for a response, if you do not hear back within that timeframe, assume your submission has been unsuccessful.

Debut fiction, horror, mystery, new adult, paranormal fiction, science fiction, fantasy, thriller, romance, general fiction, literary fiction, memoir, narrative nonfiction, graphic novels, middle grade, young adult

Wants: Query letter

Helen represents a broad list spanning fiction, nonfiction, and children's categories. AALA lists interests in debut fiction, horror, mystery, new adult, paranormal, science fiction/fantasy, thriller, romance, general and literary fiction, memoir, narrative nonfiction, graphic novels, middle grade, and young adult.

AALA lists submissions as open, but no specific query route was available on the profile during this pass.

Mystery, thriller, speculative fiction, fantasy, horror, paranormal fiction, romance, literary fiction, humor, spirituality, science, sports, middle grade, young adult, book-to-film

Wants: Query letter, author bio, first 5-10 pages

Jackson champions bold, voice-driven fiction, especially mystery, thriller, speculative, and fantasy, with interest in genre-bending and socially conscious stories that explore power, question systems, and illuminate the human condition.

Email a query to jtkeeler1106@gmail.com with a brief pitch or query letter, short author bio, and first 5-10 pages pasted in the email body. No attachments.

Historical fiction, upmarket fiction, mystery, thriller, narrative nonfiction, science, creative nonfiction, psychological suspense

Wants: Query letter, book proposal

Gisa is open to historical fiction, upmarket fiction, and narrative nonfiction. Inspired Ink is especially drawn to compelling voices, emotionally resonant storytelling, immersive settings, psychological suspense, creative nonfiction, science-related nonfiction, and work that lingers beyond the final page.

Submit through Gisa Seeholzer's Inspired Ink Literary QueryTracker form.

Commercial fiction, upmarket fiction, romance, romantasy, thriller, book club fiction, retellings, memoirs, narrative non-fiction, essay collections

Wants: Query letter

Aurora seeks commercial and upmarket fiction, particularly narratives with romantic or fantastical threads. She loves romance from smart romcoms to romantasy, with favorite tropes including forced proximity and rivals-to-lovers. She's drawn to thrillers like Megan Miranda's work and upmarket fiction with interesting female dynamics and moral dilemmas. For nonfiction, she wants select memoirs, narrative nonfictions, and essay collections on pop culture, modern dating, women's issues, and respectful true crime.

Send a query letter using the online form to one literary agent only. Query should include only a paragraph about yourself, a brief plot synopsis, and contact information. Do not include manuscript, proposal, or writing samples unless requested.

Debut fiction, horror, new adult, paranormal fiction, science fiction, fantasy, thriller, romance, mystery, suspense, contemporary romance, sapphic romance, upmarket fiction, dark romance, dystopian, speculative fiction

Wants: Query letter

Sade and Beck Literary are seeking romance, character-driven stories, unique trope mash-ups, books by BIPOC authors, mystery, suspense, thriller, contemporary romance, sapphic romance, upmarket fiction, dark romance, horror, dystopian, paranormal romance, fantasy, m/m romance, and speculative fiction.

Submit through the Beck Literary Airtable form. The agency does not represent short stories, poems, plays, or scripts. No response after eight weeks means pass.

Horror, mystery, thriller, romance, cultural criticism, true crime, pop culture, lifestyle, illustrated books, general nonfiction

Wants: Query letter

Claire represents a wide range of adult fiction and nonfiction, especially horror, standalone psychological thrillers, mysteries, romcoms, diverse characters and authors, friendship stories, revenge stories, sharp voices, cultural criticism, true crime, pop culture, lifestyle guides, and illustrated gift books for adults.

Follow the instructions on Helm Literary's submissions page.

Debut fiction, horror, new adult, paranormal fiction, science fiction, fantasy, thriller, romance, general fiction

Wants: Query letter, synopsis

Liz focuses on dark fiction at the intersection of fantasy, romance, thriller, and horror. AALA lists interests in debut fiction, horror, new adult, paranormal, science fiction/fantasy, thriller, romance, and general fiction.

Use the current Myth Literary submission route. AALA notes that nonfiction is closed, and asks for a complete query letter and full synopsis including spoilers.

General fiction, literary fiction, anthology, biography, business, cooking, health, history, politics, current affairs, humor, lifestyle, memoir, narrative nonfiction, parenting, pop culture, reference, sports, true crime, general nonfiction

Wants: Query letter

Bill focuses heavily on sports and nonfiction, with AALA-listed interests including biography, business, cooking, health, history/politics/current affairs, humor, lifestyle, memoir, narrative nonfiction, parenting, pop culture, reference, sports, true crime, general nonfiction, general fiction, and literary fiction.

Contact Bill Ames at bill@amesliterary.com for submission instructions, which vary based on genre, length, and topic.

Horror, mystery, thriller, business, finance, narrative nonfiction, true crime

Wants: Query letter, author qualifications

Dominick handles mostly fiction, with a specialty in mystery and suspense, plus horror, thrillers, business/investing/finance nonfiction, narrative nonfiction, and true crime.

Email a brief query describing the work and, if relevant, the author's qualifications. The agency is open for submissions but takes on new clients only rarely.

Debut fiction, horror, mystery, new adult, paranormal fiction, science fiction, fantasy, thriller, romance, general fiction, literary fiction, middle grade, young adult, children's fantasy

Wants: Query letter

Kesia represents debut fiction, horror, mystery, new adult, paranormal, science fiction/fantasy, thriller, romance, general and literary fiction, middle grade, young adult, and children's fantasy.

Queries are considered only via QueryTracker.

Commercial fiction, horror, thriller, suspense, romance, mystery, young adult, non-fiction, true crime, essays

Wants: Query letter

Kristen seeks commercial fiction including horror, thriller/suspense, and romance. She wants horror novels with dark twists, ghosts, and romance, plus young adult slashers. For mysteries/thrillers, she prefers ambiguous endings, contained whodunits, and surprising twists. In romance, she loves second chances, beach settings, and coming-of-age stories, plus crossover romance with fantastical elements. She also accepts respectful true crime and personal essay collections.

Send a query letter using the online form to one literary agent only. The query should include only a paragraph about yourself, a brief plot synopsis and your contact information. Do not include a manuscript, proposal, or writing samples. Do not send a manuscript or proposal until requested.

Literary fiction, thriller, young adult, memoir

Wants: Query letter

Great storytelling that gets into your head and heart, anything you can't stop thinking about. Books and stories that touch the soul, make you laugh or cry or both. Stories that haven't been told before or are told in a different way.

Send a query letter using the online form to one literary agent only. Query should include only a paragraph about yourself, a brief plot synopsis and your contact information. Do not include manuscript, proposal, or writing samples.

General fiction, thrillers, crime, historical fiction, suspense, mystery, women's commercial fiction, non-fiction, arts and crafts, cookery, biography and autobiography, popular science, business, natural history, sport, travel, health

Wants: See submissions page; requires synopsis and first 3 chapters.

General fiction including thrillers, crime, historical fiction, suspense, mystery, and women's commercial fiction. On the nonfiction side, illustrated books covering arts and crafts, cookery, biography and autobiography, popular science, business, natural history, sport, travel, and health. Open to submissions from new authors.

Email a brief synopsis and the first three chapters as Word or Open Document attachments to mail@limelightmanagement.com. Include 'Submission' in the subject line and the title of your work in the attachment filename. Also include a note about your professional life and writing ambitions.

Fiction, non-fiction, crime, historical fiction, thriller

A good story, whether fiction or non-fiction, peopled by credible characters and told in a distinctive voice. Represents crime writers, historical novelists, thriller writers and non-fiction. Also looks after several major literary estates including Georgette Heyer.

Email - peter@theampersandagency.co.uk

Science fiction, fantasy, horror, crime, thriller, sport non-fiction

Commercial fiction, especially science fiction, fantasy, horror, crime and thrillers. Also looking for sport-related non-fiction and keen to see submissions from under-represented voices and LGBTQ writers.

Email jamie@theampersandagency.co.uk

Adult fiction, thriller, psychological thriller, historical fiction, literary fiction, upmarket fiction, book club fiction, young adult romance

Wants: Query form, first five pages unless form specifies otherwise

Jillian Schelzi is a junior agent at HG Literary. She is primarily looking for adult fiction, especially psychological thrillers, shocking twists, page-turning suspense, and rich historical fiction set against war. She also likes mental-health representation, darker and challenging themes, literary and upmarket fiction, book club fiction, and YA romance. She is not looking for middle grade, picture books, religious books, fantasy, romantasy, or horror.

Submit through Jillian Schelzi's official QueryTracker form. HG Literary accepts electronic submissions only and asks writers to query one agent at a time. Unless the agent-specific form says otherwise, HG requests a query letter and the first five pages. HG does not represent screenplays or religious fiction.

Fiction, middle grade, young adult, science fiction, fantasy, african-american fiction, literary fiction, mystery, thriller

Wants: Query form, first five pages unless form specifies otherwise

Jon Cobb is a literary agent at HG Literary. He reads all genres of fiction and has particular interest in contemporary middle grade and YA, science fiction and fantasy, African-American fiction, literary fiction, mysteries, and thrillers. He also has a soft spot for track and field, geek culture, weird science, and cutting-edge technology.

Submit through Jon Cobb's official QueryMe.Online form. HG Literary accepts electronic submissions only and asks writers to query one agent at a time. Unless the agent-specific form says otherwise, HG requests a query letter and the first five pages. HG does not represent screenplays or religious fiction.

Commercial, contemporary, family saga, genre-bending, horror, lgbtq and, literary, multicultural, mystery, offbeat, quirky, short stories, suspense, thriller, upmarket, women's fiction, cultural, social issues, current affairs, history, journalism, lifestyle, narrative, nature and ecology, politics, pop culture, psychology, relationship and dating, science and technology, women's issues

Wants: Query letter, sample pages

She seeks writers driven by curiosity and discovery, whether through formal inventiveness in fiction or rigorous investigative journalism. She is drawn to poets who have turned to prose and writers whose dexterity with language allows them to articulate emotions or sensibilities. She loves moody atmosphere, setting-as-character, and fantastical elements in literary and upmarket fiction, particularly when genre elements explore where language fails us.

Send query letter and 5 sample pages to only one agent with the word QUERY and the title of your project in the subject line, or submit through Query Manager. Do not send attachments, include all materials in the body of the email.

Crime fiction, thriller fiction, contemporary fiction, historical fiction, women's fiction

Kate Burke seeks dark thrillers with surprising plot twists and interesting narrative structures, crime series featuring fresh lead investigators, and high-concept thrillers with 'what if?' premises that comment on society. She represents historical fiction combining strong sense of place and time with mystery elements, particularly post-1800 settings, and has special interest in Gothic, atmospheric historical thrillers set in spooky old houses. Burke also looks for contemporary novels with discussable issues suitable for book club debates and sweeping family stories about mothers, sisters and daughters set anywhere in the world.

Email kate@blakefriedmann.co.uk with your cover letter as the body of the email and the book title and your name in the subject line. Attach a synopsis (250–300 words for fiction, up to 500 words for non-fiction) and the first three chapters or first 10,000 words as Word documents (.doc or .docx) with 1.5 line spacing and numbered pages. Name each attachment with the book title and your name. Do not send PDFs, Pages files, or external links such as Google Docs. Submit to one agent only.

Fiction, non-fiction, literary fiction, commercial fiction

Wants: Strong commercial genre fiction (noir-ish thrillers/spy/gritty crime; also saga/romance/romcom) and surprising reading-group fiction; non-fiction with strong narrative voice in memoir/history and big ideas/smart thinking

Wide range of fiction and non-fiction, literary and commercial. Has a taste for the unlikely, likes to be surprised and transported. In fiction, loves stories that take him somewhere strange and wonderful. For non-fiction, loves books that reveal something new or inspire readers to imagine the world differently.

Email - submissions@sheilland.co.uk

Fiction, non-fiction, memoir, popular science, historical fiction, crime, thrillers

See source page for more info

Send a submission package to london@susannalea.com. See the submissions page for more details on how to submit to the London office.