Anna Mazzola
Anna Mazzola is represented by Juliet Mushens
Anna is the award-winning author of five historical crime or Gothic novels. Her debut novel, The Unseeing, won an Edgar Allan Poe award. Her fourth novel, The House of Whispers, won a Fingerprint Award for Best Historical Crime novel. Her bestselling third novel, The Clockwork Girl, was shortlisted for two CWA Dagger awards and a Fingerprint Award, and nominated for the Dublin Literary award.
Her fifth novel, The Book of Secrets, is based on a real case from 17th century Rome and was a Times Historical Novel of the Month for March 2024.
Her first legal thriller, Notes on a Drowning, will be published by Orion in January 2025 under the name Anna Sharpe.
When not writing, Anna works as a human rights and criminal justice solicitor helping survivors of crime.
You can learn more about Anna and her books by visiting her website (https://annamazzola.com) and by speaking to her on Twitter (@Anna_Mazz), Instagram (@annamazzolawriter), or Facebook.
Praise for The Unseeing:
‘A twisting tale of family secrets and unacknowledged desires. Intricately plotted and extremely convincing in its evocation of the everyday realities of 1830s London, this is a fine first novel’ — The Sunday Times
‘[A] sizzling first novel...the characters - cleverly and sympathetically imagined - are the engine of the story’ — The Times
‘Tragic, terrifying and authentic’ — Woman & Home
‘With this intricately woven tale of trust, self-trust and deceit, Anna Mazzola brings a gritty realism to Victorian London. Beautifully written and cleverly plotted, this is a stunning debut, ranked amongst the best’ — Manda Scott
‘I can't remember the last time a book gave me such pure, unalloyed pleasure... I can't imagine reading another new novel, and certainly not a debut, as thrilling and moving as this one for the rest of 2016’ — Irish Independent
‘Every now and then a debut novel comes along that stands out from the crowd... Mazzola's prose is wonderful and the characters are complex and convincing... If you like your historical crime beautifully written, intelligent and genuinely moving, this is one for you’ — Historia
‘The Unseeing engulfs you in a heady, addictive fog from the very start’ — Grazia
‘A compelling did she/didn't she that's full of the sights and sounds of Victorian England, this is a winner’ — Sun on Sunday, Fabulous Magazine
‘The Unseeing is deft, dark and delicious. Anna Mazzola writes brilliantly about Victorian London, a fascinating crime and an intriguing heroine’ — Janet Ellis, author of The Butcher’s Hook
‘[An] accomplished debut... Mazzola quickly draws the reader in to this intriguing mystery... Mazzola skilfully conjures up a bygone world... If you like historical fiction then you'll love this compelling murder mystery’ — Daily Express
Praise for The Story Keeper:
‘Bleary-eyed this morning as I stayed up late to finish Anna Mazzola's The Story Keeper. Was it worth it? Hell yes.’ — James Oswald
‘Rich in character and description, this is a riveting Gothic flavoured story that is shaped by local folklore, myths and legends’ — Woman & Home
‘A twisty, atmospheric crime story’ — Daily Mail
‘An atmospheric and eerie read’ — Prima
‘Gripping Gothic thriller’ — BBC History Magazine
‘Dripping in atmosphere, with powerful characters... this creepy tale of drowned maidens, shape-shifting spirits, changelings and bad fairies, casts its own powerful brand of dark magic’ — Sunday Mirror
‘Filled with narrative drive and energy’ — The Sunday Times
‘As eerie and atmospheric as it is enthralling and beautiful’ — Heat
‘Wonderfully eerie and atmospheric mystery that keeps the reader enthralled from the first page right to the very last...[Anna] weaves tales of suspense and intrigue that the story keepers in the title would be proud of.’ — Daily Express
Rights sold:
The Unseeing: Headline (UK), Sourcebooks (US), Fabula (Ukraine), and Studio Lambert (Film/TV option)
The Story Keeper: Tinder Press (UK)
The Clockwork Girl: Orion (UK), Sumo (Arabic), KRYG (Bulgaria), Bourdon (Czech), Nouvion (Hungary), Humanitas (Romania), and Atticus (Russia)
The House of Whispers: Orion (UK) and Humanitas (Romania).
The Book of Secrets: Orion (UK), Nouvion (Hungary), Giunti (Italy) and Ikar (Slovak).