Dutton Wins Hot Thriller Auction
by John F. Baker -- Publishers Weekly, 7/28/2003
Dutton publisher Carole Baron emerged the winner in a hotly contested auction for a new thriller called The Hundredth Man by Kentucky-based ad man Jack Kerley, beating out offers from S&S and FSG, among others. It was a North American rights deal signed with Aaron Priest at his own agency, who said it was his biggest first-novel submission since he launched David Baldacci. Kerley's book, set in Alabama, is about a serial killer who keeps his pursuers on edge by threatening their families. Editorial director Brian Tartt will edit, for publication next summer.
