Meet Mulholland Books, the New Crime Fiction Imprint from Little, Brown

So the crime fiction imprint that Little, Brown publisher Michael Pietsch first talked about at Bouchercon last fall, and for which he hired John Schoenfelder from Thomas Dunne/SMP to oversee, finally has a name: Mulholland Books. Here’s the bulk of the press release that just went out:

The name is taken from Mulholland Drive, a winding stretch of road in the Hollywood Hills. Its hairpin turns, sharp cliff faces, and breathtaking views of Los Angeles have long made it synonymous with drama and suspense. The mysteries of Mulholland have inspired countless novels and films, from the classic mysteries of Raymond Chandler and James M. Cain to the voices of James Ellroy, Michael Connelly, Michael Mann, and David Lynch.

Little, Brown Publisher Michael Pietsch said, “There is an extraordinary body of suspense fiction being written today— novels and stories whose goal is to entertain and surprise at all costs, from the first sentence. Everyone at Little, Brown is excited to be taking part in the launch of Mulholland Books, an imprint whose goal is to single out these writers and publish them with an eye to community building and fresh marketing that has only become possible today.”

Mulholland Books launches in Spring 2011 with novels by the famed L.A. prosecutor Marcia Clark and mystery grandmaster Lawrence Block, new novels by UK prizewinners Mark Billingham and Michael Robotham, a trilogy of novels by Marvel Comics writer Duane Swierczynski to be published over five months, a border thriller by L.A. Times veteran Sebastian Rotella, and a trade paperback gathering of Daniel Woodrell’s legendary Bayou Trilogy of novels set in St. Bruno Parish, Louisiana. Future lists will include novels by rising stars Charlie Huston and others. The plan is for Mulholland to grow to 24 books a year, one hardcover and one paperback a month, by 2012.

Mulholland Books is helmed by Editor John Schoenfelder, who joined Little, Brown in January, and Marketing Director Miriam Parker. Other Little, Brown editors also acquire for the imprint. Learn more at www.mulhollandbooks.com.

The goal of Mulholland Books is simple: to publish books you can’t stop reading. The promise of a Mulholland Book— whether a crime novel, thriller, police procedural, spy story, or even supernatural suspense—is that you’ll read it leaning forward, hungry for the next word. With a focus on online community building, internet marketing, and authentic connections among authors, readers, and publisher, Mulholland Books will be at the center of a web of suspense— unexpected, fresh, and with a 21st-century approach to publishing. Meet Mulholland: You never know what’s coming around the curve.

Marcia Clark’s novel GUILT BY ASSOCIATION will be published in April 2011, while Lawrence Block’s A DROP OF THE HARD STUFF will be out the following month.