Tom Ryan YA Novel ‘We Had a Hunch’ Set For TV Series Adaptation From Peter Johnson & A+E Studios

EXCLUSIVE: A+E Studios has optioned We Had a Hunch, the latest novel from Edgar Award-nominated and USA Today bestselling author Tom Ryan, to develop as a TV series with industry veteran Peter Johnson (Supernatural, Nikita) producing.

The book, pitched as Nancy Drew meets Yellowjackets, was published by Grove Atlantic in the U.S. and by Simon & Schuster in Canada and hit the market today. Ryan will serve as an EP of the project.

Set in Edgar Mills, Massachusetts, the book and TV series follow a group of once-celebrated teen detectives whose fame turned tragic after a brutal case in 2000 left two dead and the so-called “Janitor Killer” behind bars. Twenty-five years later, the friends – now scattered, scarred, and estranged -are drawn back together when a new murder echoes their past, and their imprisoned nemesis offers to help with the case upon one chilling condition.

“Tom Ryan has crafted a deeply atmospheric and emotionally charged mystery that perfectly fits A+E Studios’ commitment to character-driven storytelling,” said Tana Jamieson, EVP of Creative Affairs and Co-Head, A+E Studios.

“’We Had a Hunch’ reimagines the classic teen sleuth genre with a modern, psychological twist, exploring how the past haunts and reshapes us. We’re thrilled to bring this compelling story to the screen alongside Tom and Peter.”

Ryan’s previous novel, “The Treasure Hunters Club,” was an USA Today and Globe & Mail bestseller and a 2025 Edgar Award nominee. He is also the author of “Keep This to Yourself” and “I Hope You’re Listening,” both multiple award-winners. He is repped by Echo Lake Entertainment, Transatlantic Literary Agency, and Nelson Davis LLP.

“I’ve always been fascinated by the idea of childhood sleuths growing up and facing adult realities,” said Ryan. “Partnering with Peter and A+E Studios to adapt We Had a Hunch is an incredible opportunity, and I can’t wait to see these characters brought to life for a new audience.” 

Johnson is an industry veteran who most recently served as EVP of Television at Skydance and, before that, President of Television Development at MRC. Across his career, he has overseen shows like Colony for USA, Love for Netflix, Lost in Space for Netflix, and Looming Tower for Hulu during his time at Legendary, and Supernatural, Nikita, Chuck, Human Target, and The OC while an executive at McG’s Wonderland Sound & Vision. He is currently a producer for Not This Crude Matter, his production banner.

“What I love about ‘We Had a Hunch’ is that it explores characters with the youthful optimism of having their whole lives in front of them and, 25 years later, the reality of who they’ve become through the lens of solving the crime that changed them all,” Johnson shared. “It’s about growing up, looking back, and confronting what we left behind — all wrapped in a gripping mystery that spans generations.”