FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE  
October 10, 2024  

**Debut Novel 'Shadows of the Forgotten' Lands Major Publishing Deal**  

*Publisher acquires thriller from first-time author Elena Vasquez for spring 2025 release.*  

NEW YORK -- Elena Vasquez, a former journalist, has signed a two-book deal with HarperCollins for her debut thriller "Shadows of the Forgotten," the publisher announced Thursday. The novel, set in a crumbling Midwest town haunted by unsolved murders, will hit shelves in April 2025. Vasquez's agent secured the deal after a bidding war sparked by submissions to a handful of editors.  

The book draws from Vasquez's reporting on cold cases during her decade at a Chicago daily newspaper. It follows a detective unraveling a conspiracy tied to a 1990s factory collapse that killed 17 workers. HarperCollins cited the manuscript's tight plotting and regional authenticity as key draws in a competitive acquisition process.  

"This story started as a file I couldn't let go of -- real people, real pain, buried under decades of silence," Vasquez said. "I'm thrilled HarperCollins saw the same urgency in it that I did."  

Preempted submissions generated early buzz among scouts, with rights sold to audio and translation markets ahead of publication. Vasquez, 38, lives in Chicago.  

The hardcover will retail for $28 and be available via major retailers including Amazon, Barnes & Noble and independent bookstores. Vasquez will appear at the 2025 ThrillerFest convention in New York.  

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ABOUT ELENA VASQUEZ: Elena Vasquez is a Chicago-based author and former investigative reporter. "Shadows of the Forgotten" is her debut novel. She holds a master's degree in journalism from Northwestern University.  

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