After a very short stint with Touchstone/Fireside – where he acquired undercover FBI agent “Jack Falcone‘s” INSIDE MAN earlier this month – former St. Martin’s editor Ben Sevier is moving to Dutton as a Senior Editor effective January 30. “Ben is generally regarded as one of the best crime fiction and thriller editors in our business,” said Dutton editor-in-chief Trena Keating in an announcement sent out this morning. “I am very pleased to welcome him to Dutton and introduce him to our bestselling thriller writers, including Harlan Coben and Raymond Khoury, who are among the finest thriller writers anywhere.” Sevier added that “quite simply this is my dream job–I am thrilled with the opportunity to work with their elite list of talented thriller writers.”

UPDATE: I asked Sevier this afternoon about the circumstances of his move to Dutton. “I loved my time at Touchstone working with the terrific team here, and leaving is not something I could have imagined even a couple of weeks ago,” he said by email. “But when Dutton called it was with an offer and an opportunity I just couldn’t pass up, and I couldn’t be more excited to start over there next week.”