Adria Goetz
@adriamgoetz
Literary Agent
A bit of a bookworm. Literary Agent + Fairy Godmother at @PSLiterary . ✨ MSWL: adriagoetz.com.
160 MSWL
20 Queries
12 Tips

THRILLERS—gosh I love thrillers. Give me all the twists and turns! I’m looking for something that really grips the reader. Some favorites: LUCKIEST GIRL ALIVE, THEN SHE WAS GONE, THE WOMAN IN CABIN 10, VERITY, and FINAL GIRLS. I’d also love a cheeky mystery like THE MAID. #MSWL

MJ Johnston
@FictionalMJ
Editor
Editor at Sourcebooks. Adult Fiction. Can be frequently heard saying "yes, I read books for a living" and "yes, I know guac is extra.” (she/her) 📚🎨
25 MSWL

Quirky That 70s Show but the kids are brought together as adults to solve a mystery from their past #MSWL

Paige Terlip
@PTerlip
Literary Agent
Dog lover. Book hoarder. Outdoor enthusiast | Agent @AndreaBrownLit | Children's Lit. MA & MFA from Simmons | she/her
29 MSWL
1 Tips

Romance & cozy mysteries centering BIPOC &/or queer casts,
embracing queer identity late in life,
action-adventures that comp to The Lost City,
sunshine-grumpy trope (or grumpy-grumpy, anything w/ a snarky, lovably cranky protag who might be a cinnamon roll underneath it all)

5/

Paige Terlip
@PTerlip
Literary Agent
Dog lover. Book hoarder. Outdoor enthusiast | Agent @AndreaBrownLit | Children's Lit. MA & MFA from Simmons | she/her
29 MSWL
1 Tips

Thrillers with martial arts (esp women in martial arts),
forensics,
Gothic atmosphere (a la Laura Purcell),
protagonists solving mysteries in careers other than law enforcement,
narratives that explore the dark corners of the human psyche without stereotyping mental illness

3/

Lynnette Novak
@Lynnette_Novak
Literary Agent
Literary agent at The Seymour Agency. See my pinned tweet for deets. (she/her)
195 MSWL
68 Tips

I'm still dying for projects by Indigenous authors in PB, MG, YA, or adult: contemporary romance, romcom, thriller, mystery, or suspense. #MSWL #WritingCommunity

Bethany Ferguson
@BethFerguson__
Literary Assistant
Agency Assistant at @KNLitAgency 📚 Lover of stories in all their forms (books, musicals, films, tabletop RPGs, you name it!) 🖊 she/her
1 MSWL

#amquerying writers, I'd love to see:

✨️A cosy fantasy like Legends and Lattes - magic meets the mundane in mythical wedding planners or dragons at drama school

💖A dreamy fairy-tale inspired romantasy (soulmates are a plus)

🔎A twisty Knives Out-esque murder mystery

#MSWL

Ash Stann
@ashtynwrites
Editor
Freelance Editor for @fluxbooks and @jollyfishpress | Writer | Retired Book Blogger and bookseller | Lover of Happily Ever Afters 💗 Tweets are my own. she/her
6 MSWL

-YA historical that features underrepresented experiences/time periods
-Unsettling YA horror/thrillers, especially with unreliable narrators
-YA high fantasy with innovative or unusual magic systems
-YA sci-fi, especially if it crosses genres (sci-fi horror/thriller/mystery)

Marietta B Zacker
@AgentZacker
Literary Agent
obsessions: 📚🍦💃🏽, representation in books & in all of life matters to this unabashed Latinx; co-owner & literary agent at @galltzackerlit ; author (she/her)
17 MSWL
44 AskAgent

In MG & YA (incl GNs by Author-Illustrators):
•Diverse contemporary stories and romcoms
•Grounded sub-genres like horror or mysteries
•Novels by marginalized writers w/ stories yet told
•Stories that take you on an adventure and an emotional roller coaster all at once
5/7

Amanda Rutter
@ALRutter
Editor
Commissioning Editor at Solaris Books. Owned by three hellhounds. Talks a lot about politics, sports, books and dogs. Knitter, crocheter and lover of loud music
37 MSWL

Try me on unusual genre mash-ups - think mysteries in space or epic fantasies in frontier settings. I've been enjoying the Solaris novels by Alice James, which are pitched as Sookie Stackhouse meets Bridget Jones!

Daniele Hunter
@DanieleDHunter
Literary Agent
Junior Agent, @mcintoshandotis , KidLit!! Queer, disabled. Wife/cat lady; she/her. Ambidextrous optimist. #WeNeedDiverseBooks #BrainTumorSurvivor #Endometriosis
57 MSWL

Thriller/mystery/suspense: Murder mysteries, especially with dual timelines (WHERE SECRETS LIE by Eva V. Gibson). I like more focus on character than is typical for these areas (Maureen Johnson’s TRULY DEVIOUS series) and very literary writing (I WILL NEVER LEAVE YOU again).

Erin Casey Westin
@erincaseywestin
Literary Agent
Associate Agent at Gallt & Zacker Literary Agency. Closed to queries. She/her. Profile photo by DMOimages.
35 MSWL
27 AskAgent

#MSWL In general I’m gravitating toward stories with mysteries. Whether it’s a literal mystery investigation or a thriller or a fantasy with a big secret – give me that overarching thing tugging me through the pages. BUT make sure there isn’t just one big reveal at the end!

Erin Casey Westin
@erincaseywestin
Literary Agent
Associate Agent at Gallt & Zacker Literary Agency. Closed to queries. She/her. Profile photo by DMOimages.
35 MSWL
27 AskAgent

#MSWL While I’ll rep any genre, I am particularly drawn to fantasy, speculative, magical realism, and fabulism. I love stories that marry a fast paced plot with literary writing and strong emotions (who doesn’t, I know, sorry). A great mystery also always gets my attention.

Christa Heschke
@ChristaHeschke
Literary Agent
Children's Literary Agent, @McIntoshandOtis , movie-fanatic, dreamer, kid-at-heart, #GoPackGo , Western NY born and bred.
79 MSWL
13 Tips

More specifics:

-Witches!

-Magical libraries

-Secrets and lies—and the aftermath when the truth comes out!

-Ensemble cast comedies like OUR FLAG MEANS DEATH (but not pirates)

-Stories that mix magic & mystery (HOTEL MAGNIFIQUE)

-Family bonds, especially sisters

Christa Heschke
@ChristaHeschke
Literary Agent
Children's Literary Agent, @McIntoshandOtis , movie-fanatic, dreamer, kid-at-heart, #GoPackGo , Western NY born and bred.
79 MSWL
13 Tips

Mystery/suspense – I really like creepy, gothic suspense like A FORGERY OF ROSES. And GALLANT—it feels like gothic, fantasy, & horror all in one! Anything that comps to CRIMSON PEAK is always on my list—creepy manor, period piece, lots of secrets, ghosts, some romance!

Christa Heschke
@ChristaHeschke
Literary Agent
Children's Literary Agent, @McIntoshandOtis , movie-fanatic, dreamer, kid-at-heart, #GoPackGo , Western NY born and bred.
79 MSWL
13 Tips

Middle grade – In addition to my constant favorites, fantasy & horror, I definitely have a soft spot for all things creepy & mystery! I'm a constant fan of THE GREENGLASS HOUSE, THE CLACKITY, NIGHTBOOKS, & I was a huge SCARY STORIES TO TELL IN THE DARK fan as a kid.

Lindsay Flanagan
@LindsFlanagan
Literary Agent
ANNAGREY & THE CONSTELLATION: 8/2023 @ydpress . Rep: @jnrlitauthor Editor, photographer, literary agent-in-training w/ @jacqui_lipton @TheTobiasAgency
5 MSWL
Lindsay Flanagan
@LindsFlanagan
Literary Agent
ANNAGREY & THE CONSTELLATION: 8/2023 @ydpress . Rep: @jnrlitauthor Editor, photographer, literary agent-in-training w/ @jacqui_lipton @TheTobiasAgency
5 MSWL

2/3 My #MSWL for pitches is: adult work only in fantasy (all categories), mystery, thriller, romance, women’s fiction, upmarket, and maybe even a thriller. My dream acquisition would have been The Night Circus. I like work that has hints of magic and a bit of darkness.

Bibi Lewis
@Bibi_Lewis
Literary Agent
Agent at the Ethan Ellenberg Literary Agency. Lifelong New Yorker and forever bookworm. she/her
82 MSWL
10 Tips

Mysteries and thrillers are a category I want to move into (particularly in YA) but I am more drawn to character driven stories than one that focus on a huge plot twist. This will likely be more commercial or upmarket fiction than strict genre mysteries. #MSWL

Bibi Lewis
@Bibi_Lewis
Literary Agent
Agent at the Ethan Ellenberg Literary Agency. Lifelong New Yorker and forever bookworm. she/her
82 MSWL
10 Tips

Romance—way more of it! Rom-Coms so funny that make me snort out my coffee, historicals with so much tension I want to pull my hair out, adventure/caper romance that takes me on a nailbiting ride or presents me with a mystery to solve. #MSWL

Elisa Houot
@ElisaHouot
Literary Agent
Literary agent at @seymouragency Agent littéraire
19 MSWL
1 AskAgent

I am opening to Adult Fiction ✨ In Adult, please send me your Cozy Mysteries, Thrillers and Mysteries!
I am also looking for contemporary romance novels!