Kate Parkin has acquired world rights, excluding Australia and New Zealand, for five novels in the John Bailey series by Tim Ayliffe. Firefinch will publish The Greater Good, the first in the series, in May 2027. The deal was struck with Dan Pilkington of The Pilkington Literary Agency.

Ayliffe’s thrillers follow maverick investigative journalist, John Bailey, as he risks his life to break news stories, uncovering corruption, terrorism and political extremism. The stakes are high, the personal cost even higher – but time after time, Bailey stops at nothing to get to the truth.

The John Bailey series has seen huge success in the Australian market: both The Enemy Within and Killer Traitor Spy were shortlisted for the Danger Prize and the Ned Kelly Award, the latter also winning the People’s Choice Award at the 2024 BAD Sydney Crime Writers Festival. The series is being adapted for television by leading Australian production company, CJZ Productions, with Ayliffe closely involved as a story consultant. Filming is due to begin in late 2026 with a high-profile international cast to be announced shortly.

Tim Ayliffe’s pulse-pounding thriller novels are informed by his 25-year career as a journalist in Australia and around the globe. His books touch on espionage, extremism and the global power games at play in the twenty-first century. He was previously the Managing Editor of Television and Video for ABC News Australia and has been the executive producer of many news programmes. He lives in Sydney with his family.

Kate Parkin, MD of Firefinch, said: ‘We are hugely excited to be publishing Tim Ayliffe and to introduce him to the international audience he richly deserves. Action-packed and tense, the John Bailey spy novels are ripped from the headlines, yet ring with an authenticity rare in modern thrillers. Readers of David McCloskey and Michael Connelly will lap these up.’

Tim Ayliffe said: ‘We are living in an age of extremes. I’ve always said that everything in my books either has happened, will happen or could happen. I love exploring these troubled times in my thriller novels and can’t wait to introduce international readers to John Bailey.’

Matt Campbell, CEO of CJZ productions commented: ‘Ayliffe is a thriller-writing powerhouse. His novels – littered with flawed, complex characters, and real-world intrigue – were made for the screen. It’s exciting to see Ayliffe’s books reaching a bigger, global audience. My only question is: why did it take so long?’

Praise for Tim Ayliffe’s John Bailey series:

‘Grabs you from the first sentence and doesn’t let go’ Patricia Wolf

‘An absolute cracker.’ Chris Hammer

‘A writer at the height of his powers – moving, insightful, unforgettable’ Sulari Gentill

The Greater Good by Tim Ayliffe will be published by Firefinch Publishing in May 2027