Park Seolmi's "Minor Lies" Released in the US... Praised for Nuanced Understanding of Human Psychology

Following Releases in the UK, Italy, and France, Now Published in the US
A Quest for Revenge Against a Psychopathic High School Student Who Murdered Family
Unique Epistolary Narrative Delivers a Distinctive Reading Experience

Novelist Park Seolmi's full-length novel "Minor Lies" (English title "PETTY LIES") will be released in the United States on November 11 by Mulholland Books, a major fiction imprint of Hachette Book Group, one of the five largest publishing groups in the country. Following its UK release last month on the 25th through Bloomsbury Publishing, renowned for the "Harry Potter" series, where it was selected as the "UK Independent Book of the Month," the novel is now making its debut in the American market.

'Minor Lies' North American Edition Cover.

Since its first unveiling at the Frankfurt International Book Fair's rights market in October last year, "Minor Lies" has been sold with multi-million won advances in North America, the Commonwealth countries, France, and Italy. According to Imprima Korea Agency, which represents Park Seolmi's publishing and adaptation rights, the novel received a high preemptive advance offer from Mulholland Books just one day after its introduction to the US and North American market last fall.

In Italy, the book was published this September through a pre-advance contract with Longanesi, the authentic thriller imprint of the country's largest publishing group, Mauri Spagnol. In the UK, after competition among three major publishers, Bloomsbury Publishing secured the rights. In France, a contract was signed with HarperCollins France.

"Minor Lies" is a psychological mystery novel that follows the protagonist’s quest for revenge against a psychopathic high school student who murdered their family, along with the intense mind games and hidden stories involving those around them, leading to twist after twist. The novel is structured in the form of epistolary chapters, with each chapter mainly composed of letters. Rather than direct dialogue, the story unfolds through the one-sided narration of the letter writers, allowing readers to unravel the lines between truth and lies, twists and concealed realities.

Praised for its nuanced understanding of human psychology, highly polished storytelling, and imaginative style and structure, the novel has won the 6th Korea Digital Writer Award and the Grand Prize at the 1st Korea E-Publishing Awards, and was also a finalist for the 8th Honbul Literary Award.