A High-Stakes Withdrawal
The literary world is facing a new crisis of confidence after the $2 million publishing deal for Jerry Falade’s debut crime novel, Call Me, I’ll Hide the Body, collapsed on July 31, 2026. The manuscript, which had triggered a 14-way bidding war in the US and significant international interest, was withdrawn by its literary agents following mounting concerns regarding the potential role of artificial intelligence in its creation.
Sandy Hodgman of Hodgman Literary, the UK agent representing Falade, confirmed the decision to pull the book from circulation. “Jerry Falade produced an incredible manuscript that dazzled us and the top publishing professionals around the world. Unfortunately, we are no longer able to authenticate how the manuscript fully evolved from origin to completion,” Hodgman stated. The decision followed a vetting process where the agency had initially accepted Falade’s assurances that no generative AI software was utilized.
The Collision of Quality and Suspicion
The cancellation is particularly striking given the near-universal acclaim the manuscript received from industry professionals. Marc Gerald of Europa Content, who managed the US auction, described the work as “stunningly good” and noted that “everyone fell in love with it.” Despite the professional praise, an editor’s safety check and subsequent review on July 29 led the agency to cut ties, citing shifting narrative details that undermined their confidence in the manuscript’s origins.
Falade has vehemently denied the allegations, maintaining his innocence and criticizing the industry’s reliance on flawed detection tools. “The accusations are wrong, and I am completely innocent,” Falade stated. He pointed to the inherent unreliability of AI-detection software, which is widely recognized for producing false positives, and expressed frustration that his agents failed to support him against growing online rumors.
Broader Industry Tensions
This incident is the latest in a series of similar controversies involving Black authors, including Mia Ballard, whose novel Shy Girl was pulled by Hachette, and HM Wolfe. Falade suggested that these cases signal a troubling trend of bias within the publishing industry. “There seems to be a troubling assumption that when a Black writer produces work that attracts significant attention, the work could not possibly be their own,” Falade argued. He noted the disparity in how these allegations are handled, contrasting his situation with popular white authors who have openly acknowledged using AI without facing similar professional repercussions.
As publishers and agents scramble to define verification standards, the case of Call Me, I’ll Hide the Body underscores a growing vulnerability in the literary pipeline. With no industry-wide consensus on how to authenticate the human element in creative writing, the risk of reputational and financial damage remains high for both authors and their representatives.