Quick Book Reviews with Philippa Hall

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  Sarah Pinborough on They Say a Girl Died Here, Horror, Secrets & Pick and Mix 14.09.2026 39dk

  Philippa is back with her first author interview in two months — and opens with a confession: she recorded the entire thing without plugging her microphone in. Apologies have been issued. The show goes on.The guest is the wonderful Sarah Pinborough — author of over 30 books including Behind Her Eyes — talking about her latest novel They Say a Girl Died Here. Plus three book reviews ranging from emotionally devastating to cosy Miss Marple, with a live retraction of a book review opinion somewhere in the middle.Three Book Reviews:Saving Noah – Lucinda BerryDiscovered via a Wild & Wordy subscription box swap. A top student, a champion swimmer, a hometown hero — and a confession that changes everything. Philippa was utterly consumed by this book, was stunned by the direction it took, and is now following Lucinda Berry's every move. Very emotional, not for everyone, but extraordinary writing.The Body in the Library – Agatha ChristieAfter Saving Noah, Philippa needed something cosy. Miss Marple delivered. A beautiful edition spotted in a bookshop, a body in the library, and the enduring joy of watching Miss Marple quietly observe everyone into a corner. Philippa always thinks she knows who did it. She never does.Cross My Heart I Hope You Die – Mallory ArnoldThree women discover they've all been dating the same man and hatch a revenge plan at a remote mountain cabin. Philippa wasn't sure how she felt about it while recording — and then issued a live retraction mid-review. On reflection: she liked it. Didn't love it. Would like you to read it and tell her what you think.Sarah Pinborough on They Say a Girl Died HereAnna Mayborn arrives in Harper's Creek — a drought-stricken Nebraska town — with her mum, her little sister, and her grandmother, who is in the early stages of Alzheimer's. Two girls have been murdered three years apart. The anniversary is approaching. Anna starts digging. Her grandmother starts having strange nightly episodes. And everyone in town seems to know more than they're saying.Sarah and Philippa discuss:How the book began as a horror novella ten years ago — different ending, younger Anna — and how it was transformed into a crime thriller by her UK editorWhy Anna is a different kind of unreliable narrator: not hiding something from the reader, but genuinely unable to trust her own judgment after traumaThe drought as a character in itself — the smell of the book would be dry summer with a slight rot, because nothing washes away when there's no waterHow small towns work: reputations linger, everyone knows everyone, and a town's willingness to look away is as interesting as the murders themselvesThe book is optioned for screen — Sarah is currently writing the first episodeWhy she'll never be a one-lane author and has made peace with thatHer preference for sofa over desk, dog over coffee machine, and staying home over book festivalsLiving in a small town herself and knowing exactly how reputations workHer next book: The Winter Bones, set in West Virginia — a whole town unravelling after a little boy dies. Secrets and snow this time, rather than secrets and sun.What she's reading: A biography of George Boleyn, and Fitcher's Bird by Angela Slatter — a dark modern fairy tale novella by an author she considers an auto-buy.Biscuit answer: Doesn't buy biscuits because she'd eat all of them. The book was probably powered by Itsu and Deliveroo. Her true love is pick and mix — particularly after a life-changing visit to a vast pick and mix shop in Boston where a stranger told her to just try one and covered her.Get in touchQuick Book Reviews Facebook Group | Instagram | [email protected] Book Reviews: author interviews and book reviews with no spoilers. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  Why Isn't Everybody Talking About This Crime Author? My Holiday Top 8 11.09.2026 25dk

  Philippa is back from holiday — and the books made it to Rhodes eventually, after a handwritten letter to Athens customs explaining why a normal person would post books to themselves. Today she's sharing her top eight reads from the trip, spanning crime, horror, graphic novels, historical fiction, and AI thrillers. All different. All five stars.The Top 8 Holiday Reads (in reverse order)8. Under the Hammer – Samantha Dooey MilesA woman whose landlord has a fatal accident discovers her life's mission: punishing as many landlords as possible, starting with the ones she's spotted on a home improvement TV show. Sharp, witty, and wickedly entertaining.7. Splasher – Billie HostBought at Imagine Things bookshop in Harrogate. A swim coach returns to Richardson University a decade after tragedy struck — and on the first day of training, two students are found dead in the pool. Funny horror, perfectly read beside a swimming pool.6. The Confessions – Paul Bradley CarrAI bot Liam powers society — until he goes offline. Then identical white envelopes start arriving at people's houses, confessing their darkest secrets. Dystopian, clever, and full of unexpected turns. Philippa was audibly groaning with delight.Joint 4th. The Scandalous Ladies Football Club – Frances QuinnLondon, 1897. A schoolteacher places a newspaper ad asking for volunteers for the first ever women's football team. Philippa was so engrossed she propped the book up at the edge of the private pool and swam on the spot while reading it. Auto-buy author. Frances Quinn joins the podcast soon.Joint 4th. Roman Mornings – Matson TaylorRome, 1952. A young English woman arrives full of idealism. By 1976, she's wilting — until a chance encounter with a young carpenter changes everything. A celebration of friendship, identity, and the eternal city. Mattson Taylor joins the podcast over Christmas.3rd. The Corfe Castle Murders – Rachel McLeanDCI Leslie Clark is transferred to rural Dorset after being injured in a bomb attack — and before she's even started, she's investigating a murder at Corfe Castle. Book one of a long series. Philippa loved it and wants the next one immediately.2nd. The Bad Doctor – Ian WilliamsA graphic novel following a rural GP whose patients cause equal measures of empathy and dismay. Funny, serious, and with mental health storylines that Philippa found astonishing. Highly recommended as a first graphic novel for anyone curious about the format. Found at Hay-on-Wye Comics.1st. Better Off Dead – Sean WatkinThe second DCI De Silva and DS Barkley novel — and Philippa's undisputed book of the holiday. She was so immersed she didn't realise she was mouthing the words as she read. A cold case, a dismembered body in the Formby woods, and a duo who can't trust anyone around them. The third book in the series is already pre-ordered. The first is Black Water Rising. Auto-buy author who Philippa insists needs to be on every crime reader's radar immediately.Get in touchQuick Book Reviews Facebook Group | Instagram | [email protected] Book Reviews: author interviews and book reviews with no spoilers. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  C.J. Tudor on Serenity Falls, Creepy Disney Towns & the Smell of Buttered Popcorn 07.09.2026 37dk

  Philippa reviews four books — including two she couldn't wait to tell you about — before a wonderful, wide-ranging conversation with C.J. Tudor about her latest novel Serenity Falls, out 10th September, the book she needed to write after the hardest year of her life.📚 Four Book ReviewsOne of Us is Guilty – Steve CavanaghThe 10th Eddie Flynn case finds con-man-turned-lawyer Eddie investigating a brutal murder with only two suspects — and one of them is guilty. Philippa loves everything Steve Cavanagh writes, and this is no exception.The Silent Appeal – Janice HallettThe Fairway Players are back, rehearsing Agatha Christie's The Hollow, and someone isn't going to make it to opening night. Lawyers Charlotte and Femi must sift through the evidence once again in what Philippa considers one of her favourite Hallett books yet.A Stranger in Corfu – Alex PrestonFormer MI6 operatives, exiled to a Greek island to be forgotten, find their uneasy peace shattered when one of their own washes up dead. Beautifully written, thoughtful, and atmospheric — blurbed as "Le Carré meets the Durrells," which Philippa thinks is entirely fair.Signals: The Inside Story of Our Hormones – Dr. Saira HameedA fascinating nonfiction exploration of how hormones shape everything from our health to our eating habits — told through real patient cases. Philippa went to hear the author speak, bought the book immediately, got it signed, and then went straight out for a double chocolate cookie. Blame the ancestors.C.J. Tudor on Serenity FallsDan and his teenage daughter Sadie arrive at their mysterious inheritance in Serenity Falls — a picture-perfect Disney-style town in Florida — only to find a body in the swimming pool, dressed as a cartoon character, on day one. Things don't get more normal from there.Inspired by Celebration, the real Disney-built town near Orlando, Caz and Philippa discuss:Why the idea of a perfect, theme-park-adjacent town is inherently sinister — and what happens when you actually go and visit oneHow the creepy ice cream van started as a small detail and grew into a major character and the cover imageWriting Serenity Falls — and why she needed a new idea to fall in love with before she could write againWhy this is perhaps her least horror-y book, but also her most uncanny — and what the word "uncanny" really means in a C.J. Tudor contextThe dark humor running through the book, and why Sadie is one of her favourite characters she's ever writtenTV developments, the patience required to wait for news, and why she's learned not to get too excited too earlyHer next book The Last Caretaker — currently being written, out autumn 2027What she's looking forward to reading: The Caretaker by Marcus Kliewer, which arrived as a lovely exchange for a quote on Serenity FallsTen years since her publishing deal — and why it's worth stopping to appreciate how far you've comeIf Serenity Falls had a smell: Buttered popcorn. Lovely at first. Overwhelming very quickly. Which is, she immediately agreed, the whole vibe.Biscuit answer: Pick and mix for writing fuel, but biscuit-wise: plain rich tea or digestive for daytime dunking (no timing, pure instinct), and Border biscuits for evenings — too posh to dunk, chocolate gets melty.💬 Get in touchQuick Book Reviews Facebook Group | Instagram | [email protected] Book Reviews: author interviews and book reviews with no spoilers. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  Philippa's Best Books of 2026 So Far — 12 Picks & an Honourable Mention 04.09.2026 14dk

  No author interview, no book reviews — just Philippa's most personal episode of the year: her best reads of the first six months of 2026. Twelve books, one honourable mention, and the admission that it was genuinely hard to narrow it down.These are books Philippa read between January and June — not necessarily published this year — in alphabetical order by author surname, because she doesn't want to rank them.🎖️ Honourable MentionThe Wedding Suit – Rachel Joyce (BBC Radio Drama)A five-part radio serial about an eccentric elderly couple whose isolated lives are transformed by the unexpected arrival of a child. Written by Rachel Joyce, narrated by her husband Paul Venables (Yakob in The Archers). Still available on BBC Sounds — Philippa considers it essential listening.📚 The Top 12YesterYear – Caro Claire BurkeThe trad wife book everyone's been talking about — and rightly so. A brilliant concept, word-of-mouth sensation, and genuinely hard to put down.Body of Lies – Jo CallaghanThe fourth and final Kat and Lock book. An AI detective, a murdered MP, a cyberattack, and a taunting binary code message. Plus: Philippa gets a mention in the acknowledgements. Chef's kiss.Solitary Agents – David GoodmanThe second Jamie Tulloch spy novel. Clever concept, brilliant writing, and completely readable without the first book.Broken Country – Claire Leslie HallA quiet sucker punch of a book — part courtroom, part countryside, all heart. Beautifully written and emotionally devastating.The Drowning Place – Sarah HilaryA Peak District crime series debut unlike anything else in the genre right now. Joseph's story is different in a way Philippa isn't willing to spoil — but can't stop recommending.A Family Matter – Claire LynchShort, devastating, and extraordinary. A letter arrives. Two timeframes — 1982 and 2022. About love, acceptance, and everything in between.Slings and Arrows – Nick McLachlanA book about darts in the 1980s that turns out to be about friendship, marriage, health, and everything men don't say to each other. Published 2024. Beautiful.Night Swimmers – Roisin McGuireA coastal Northern Ireland village, a quirky swimmer called Grace, a visitor with a complicated story, and a cast of locals who made Philippa laugh out loud. The audiobook is gorgeous.Land – Maggie O'FarrellStarting in 1865 Ireland, this is Philippa's favourite Maggie O'Farrell yet. Exquisite writing, emotional gut-punches from nowhere, and a book that feels like the land itself is reading alongside you.Mars One – Charlotte RobinsonA sci-fi thriller that works even if you don't read sci-fi. A one-way mission to Mars, a conspiracy, a vanished coder in Hong Kong, and his cat. Needs to be a film immediately.The Things We Never Say – Elizabeth StroutPhilippa's first Strout & now she wants them all. A teacher named Arty handles life with quiet grace & devastating tenderness. Already pressed into multiple people's hands.The Ballad of Smallhope and Pennyroyal – Jodi TaylorTime travel, hijinks, chaos, and joy. A brilliant entry point into Jodi Taylor's world, and the audiobook is perfection.💬 What were your best reads of the first half of 2026?Quick Book Reviews Facebook Group | Instagram | [email protected] Book Reviews: author interviews and book reviews with no spoilers. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  We're Starting a Book Club — Here's the Twist 02.09.2026 4dk

  A short but exciting episode! Philippa announces a brand new format for the podcast: a Quick Book Reviews Book Club, running throughout October.The chosen book is The One You Least Suspect by Brian McGilloway — already out in paperback, 384 pages, and available from libraries. Each week in October, listeners will read roughly 96 pages, with Philippa sharing her thoughts at the end of each episode so no one has to miss the main content if they're behind on reading.About the book:Katie is a barmaid in a quiet Derry neighbourhood, happy with her small life and her daughter, Hope. Everything changes when two detectives approach her, wanting her to become their informant. Caught between the police and the dangerous brothers she works for, Katie must survive by staying the one person nobody suspects.Philippa also shares a quick update on changes to the podcast schedule:Mondays — author interviewsFridays — Philippa's own takes on the book world, publishing chat, and things on her mindThis is a one-off trial for now — no pressure to join, and listeners can catch up in their own time. Updates and discussion will also be shared on the Quick Book Reviews Facebook group throughout October.The Book Club Pick: The One You Least Suspect by Brian McGilloway (out now in paperback)Join the discussionQuick Book Reviews Facebook Group | Instagram | Email: [email protected] Book Reviews: author interviews and book reviews with no spoilers. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  SUMMER SPECIAL — Fern Britton on A Cornish Legacy, Florence & Finding Home 31.08.2026 27dk

  Bestselling author and broadcaster Fern Britton joins Philippa for a very special summer edition of Quick Book Reviews to talk about her wonderful new novel, A Cornish Legacy.Fern shares stories of solo travelling in Florence, cycling adventures across India, Madagascar, Cuba and Egypt, dream holidays to Penang, mosquito nightmares, Cornwall, family history, and the joy of finding a place to truly belong.They also discuss the emotional inspiration behind A Cornish Legacy, the real Cornish house that inspired the story, food in fiction, family secrets, wartime history, reviews, writing challenges, and why Fern thought this might be “the worst book” she’d ever written — before readers fell completely in love with it.A Cornish Legacy is a warm, emotional and uplifting novel set around a beautiful old Cornish house called Wildahoo. After heartbreak and loss, Cordelia unexpectedly inherits the crumbling house and must decide whether to destroy it or rebuild both the property and her own life. Rich with friendship, family, belonging, love and second chances, it’s perfect for readers who adore atmospheric Cornish fiction. (penguin.co.uk)Perfect for fans of Fern Britton, Cornish fiction, women’s fiction, uplifting novels, family stories, summer reading, author interviews, and feel-good books with heart.Books and authors mentioned:A Cornish Legacy by Fern BrittonDaughters of Cornwall by Fern BrittonStill Life by Sarah WinmanGone with the Wind by Gone with the WindDorothy L. SayersAgatha ChristieThis episode is full of travel stories, writing wisdom, Cornwall, family memories, laughter, emotion, and excellent advice about protecting your ice cream from seagulls. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  3 Weirdly Perfect Books to Read Now + Gavin Bell on 138 Main Street - Summer Special 28.08.2026 23dk

  Recorded live at Capital Crime Book Festival, Philippa talks to Gavin Bell — also known as Mason Cross, also known as Alex Knight — about his gripping new thriller 138 Main Street. But first, three festive reads for anyone who, like Philippa, enjoys a Christmas book in the height of summer.3 Christmas Books for SummerThe Winter Guest – Sarah MossTwo strangers share Christmas Eve dinner in a remote Irish hotel as a snowstorm gathers outside — and each has a confession to make. Atmospheric and unexpected.A Carol and a Killing – Reverend Richard ColesA festive cathedral choir concert ends in tragedy when a soloist falls — or was he pushed? A cosy, witty Christmas murder mystery.The Case of the Christmas Card – Elly GriffithsCharles Dickens turns up on time-travelling detective Allie Dawson's doorstep just before Christmas, and the two team up to solve two cases at once — all while Dickens tries to find his way home.Gavin Bell on 138 Main StreetA killer is targeting victims who all live at the same address — 138 Main Street — but there are 7,664 Main Streets in America. How do you predict where they'll strike next?Gavin and Philippa discuss:Writing under three different names, and the moment he had to invent a Gavin Bell signature on the spot at his book launchHis dream holiday on the Orient Express, with separate compartments for family, friends, and quiet decompression timeReading The Godfather for the first time and why watching the film first makes you appreciate the book moreHis nightmare holiday: Benidorm 1996, hangovers in the heat, and reading the backs of cereal boxes for entertainmentWhere the idea came from — an offhand line in another book, plus a real-life unlocked-doors estate that spooked him into writing itWhy short, sting-in-the-tail chapters are deliberate, and why "I read it in three hours" is the highest compliment a thriller writer can getWhy he keeps his day job, and the colleagues (and CD collection) who keep accidentally ending up as character namesIce cream order: "Marathon Man" Snickers ice cream in a waffle cone — no sauce, no flake, just pure peanut-chocolate perfection.Get in touchQuick Book Reviews Facebook Group | Instagram | Email: [email protected] Book Reviews: author interviews and book reviews with no spoilers. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  SUMMER SPECIAL: Elly Griffiths on The Killing Time, Time Travel & Las Vegas Hell 24.08.2026 34dk

  It's the Quick Book Reviews summer special, and Philippa is joined by the wonderful Elly Griffiths — bestselling author of the Ruth Galloway series — to talk holidays, her latest novel The Killing Time, and what's coming next in the world of time-travelling detective Ali Dawson.☀️ Holiday ChatElly is a self-confessed good traveller — half Italian, born in August, and happiest in the heat. She and Philippa cover:Dream holiday: a pale pink villa on the Amalfi Coast, a little boat, one evening a week with a local chef, and a carefully curated stack of booksNightmare holiday: Las Vegas — fake light, fake skies, rows of slot machines, and a pool you're not actually allowed to swim inThe art of the airport — checkers vs loungers, and why Elly is slowly becoming her husbandBuying your own book in an airport duty-free shop and having to pretend you didn't know it was thereThe Jodi Picoult book she left behind in a holiday rental with one chapter to go (it still haunts her)The worst possible holiday book: saccharine sweet, no darkness underneath, and the last chapter ripped out🎙️ The Killing Time — Elly GriffithsThe second book in the Ali Dawson series finds time travel strictly forbidden — until Ali's cat goes missing and she decides the rules don't quite apply to that. What follows takes her to 1851, the Great Exhibition, a sinister mesmerist called Barry Power, and a chance encounter with Italian physicist Serafina Pellegrini — all with her cat Terry somehow along for the ride.Elly and Philippa discuss:Why time travel in these books is really just "where Allie goes" — no sci-fi knowledge requiredHow Ali arrived fully-formed, red-haired and nose-ringed, walking down an East End streetHer nod to Chaucer's Wife of Bath in Allie's characterThe Ruth Galloway update — a short story set on a Nile cruise, and a tantalising hint about Ruth's daughter Kate turning 18 this November...The Case of the Christmas Card (out October): a novella in which Charles Dickens travels to 2024, falls in love with M&S sandwiches, and helps Ali solve a caseThe Night Watchman (out February): Ali goes back to the London Blitz — and Elly goes deep on 1940s rabbit keepingWhat expression she hopes readers will have at the end: satisfaction, with a little curl of curiosityIce cream order: Coffee, classic, in a little cup — the odd coffee bean acceptable, squirty cream absolutely not.The Killing Time is out now in hardback. Paperback out 10th September.💬 Get in touchQuick Book Reviews Facebook Group | Instagram | [email protected] Book Reviews: author interviews and book reviews with no spoilers. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  3 Books You Should Never Take on a Plane + C.J. Merritt on Octagon (SUMMER SPECIAL) 21.08.2026 23dk

  Recorded live at Capital Crime Book Festival, Philippa talks to C.J. Merritt about his whiplash international spy thriller Octagon — but first, a public service announcement: three brilliant books you should absolutely not read on an actual flight.3 Books You Should NOT Take on Holiday (If You're Flying)Hostage – Clare MackintoshA flight attendant receives a note threatening her daughter's life mid-flight from London to Sydney. Gripping, claustrophobic, and definitely not in-flight reading.Drowning – T.J. NewmanA plane crashes into the Pacific, trapping passengers underwater on a sinking fuselage. Written by a former flight attendant who knows exactly how to make this terrifyingly real.Airframe – Michael CrichtonA catastrophic mid-air disaster sparks a tense investigation into what really went wrong. Brilliant, realistic, and best read firmly on the ground.Philippa talks to C.J. Merritt about OctagonA former MI6 officer and an ex-SAS soldier, both out in the cold, are pulled back in when a coded warning leads to a trail of danger across Europe. Described as a page-turning action thriller in the vein of I Am Pilgrim.Chris and Philippa discuss:His dream holiday: New Zealand, or a few days alone on a writing retreat (a luxury when you have a small child)Travelling solo through Central Asia, Africa, and the Middle East in his twenties — and the cardigan with zip pockets built for smuggling books through customsHis nightmare holiday: a 25-mile jungle trek through 35°C heat in Central Africa, hired porters who got drunk on the money he paid them, and arriving to find the gorillas they'd come to see had all died of Ebola a year earlierWhy he wanted to write a spy thriller with a huge geographic canvas after several more localised booksWriting 500–1,000 words a day in a café, fuelled by multiple coffees, and losing track of time during action sequencesThe two-book deal already underway, plus a slower, more psychological spy thriller drawing on his past life as a psychologistWhy the title Octagon came early and never changedIce cream order: Salted caramel, pistachio, and chocolate cookie dough — in a dish, with a cone on the side just in case.Get in touchQuick Book Reviews Facebook Group | Instagram | Email: [email protected] Book Reviews: author interviews and book reviews with no spoilers. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  SUMMER SPECIAL: Lee Child on Jack Reacher, AI & Reading in Prisons 17.08.2026 39dk

  Philippa is joined by the legendary Lee Child — creator of Jack Reacher, published in over 120 countries with more than 40 million books sold — for this summer special. They cover holidays, the Reacher handover to brother Andrew Child, artificial intelligence, and why literacy in prisons matters more than you might think.☀️ Holiday ChatLee hasn't had a proper holiday in 10 years — when you've been on 70 planes in a single year, home starts to look like a very good option. He and Philippa discuss:Why 40% writing and 60% promotion means travel has lost its appealDream holiday: two weeks in Antigua with a book a day plus a 25% margin for ones he doesn't get on withThe accidental best holiday of his life — a British Airways voucher, a paper ticket, a pilot who said "you're here, let's go," and a tiny Cessna to an almost uninhabited Bahamian islandThe villa in Tobago that promised a cook and delivered disappointmentThe Soviet Union trip he always wanted but never took — and why a Russian jail would be his true holiday nightmareReading on the beach with the "commentary track" switched on — and the moment in Seven that made him think "they wouldn't dare" and then they did🎙️ Jack Reacher: Exit Strategy & Chain ReactionLee explains the creative handover to his brother Andrew Child, why it was never really a handover at all, and how the two of them have always been on the same wavelength — sometimes literally finishing each other's sentences about Russian oligarchs falling from windows.They discuss:How Andrew is now doing "all the hard work" while Lee does "the fun work" — which is just talkingWhy Lee stopped writing when he felt he was running out of gas, and why he'd rather stop than phone it inThe brilliant passive opening of Exit Strategy — a note slipped into Reacher's pocket in a coffee shopWhy Reacher works as a proxy for every reader who's ever wanted to help but couldn'tChain Reaction (out 20th October): a tech town, solar farms, data centres, and Reacher's feelings about the world's first trillionairesAndrew's two contributions to the reset: more Reacher dialogue, and dragging him slightly further into the modern world📚 Literacy, Prisons & Why Reading Saves LivesLee talks about his prison literacy work and his involvement with The Queen's Reading Room — and the research showing that just five minutes of reading reduces stress hormones by 20%. Plus why Quick Reads matter, why TV adaptations are a brilliant way in for reluctant readers, and why some women end up in prison simply because they couldn't read an official letter.🍦 Ice Cream OrderVanilla, in a bowl, with hot fudge sauce — slightly melty — and yes, a 99 Flake if one's going.💬 Get in touchQuick Book Reviews Facebook Group | Instagram | [email protected] Book Reviews: author interviews and book reviews with no spoilers. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  Your Top 3 Holiday Reads + Ellie Levenson on Room 706 - Summer Special 14.08.2026 22dk

  Recorded live at Capital Crime Book Festival, Philippa talks to Ellie Levenson about her brilliantly genre-defying novel Room 706 — described by her own agent as "thrilling but not a thriller."But first, the results are in! After asking listeners for their top three holiday book recommendations, here are the three that came out on top:Your Top 3 Holiday ReadsThe End of Summer – Charlotte PhilbyA woman's carefully constructed past unravels when journalists turn up on her daughter's doorstep. A story of reinvention, secrets, and a mother who might never have been who she claimed.Dead Heat – Sabine DurrantA struggling journalist joins old friends at their house in Greece for the summer — until a wealthy newcomer's lavish parties stir up envy, resentment, and an accident that may not have been an accident at all.Still Life – Sarah WinmanA wartime encounter in a ruined Tuscan wine cellar changes the course of two strangers' lives forever. (Philippa admits this is the one book club pick almost everyone loves except her — and she suspects a reread is overdue.)Ellie Levenson on Room 706Inspired by a very relatable fantasy — booking a hotel room alone, with no one needing anything from her — Ellie's novel asks: what if a tired mother checked into a hotel just to be alone, and then couldn't leave?Ellie and Philippa discuss:The "women who are clever but tired" genre Ellie has unofficially inventedWhy her agent suggested splitting the book into three timelines — Kate meeting her husband, meeting her lover, and the real-time hotel room scenesWhy complicated, morally grey characters make for the best book club argumentsThe brilliant audiobook adaptation that surprised even Ellie with how "acted" it feltThe original title, Hotel Sonder, and why it had to change after she kept seeing the word everywhereHer next book — another "middle-aged woman stepping outside her lane," and her fascination with hotels, parks, and other places where strangers' lives briefly intersectIce cream order: Chocolate, coffee, and nut — multiples of three, naturally, with a cone for garnish.Get in touchQuick Book Reviews Facebook Group | Instagram | [email protected] Book Reviews: author interviews and book reviews with no spoilers. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  SUMMER SPECIAL — Karin Slaughter on The Secrets We Hide, Will Trent & Holiday Nightmares 10.08.2026 29dk

  Bestselling crime writer Karin Slaughter joins Philippa for a very special summer edition of Quick Book Reviews to talk about her new thriller, The Secrets We Hide.Karin talks about why she is not a natural holiday person, her dream trip to New Zealand, long-haul flights, travel delays, e-books, audiobooks, fish allergies, sorbet, swimming with sharks, climbing Sydney Harbour Bridge, and why she prefers working to sitting on a beach.Philippa and Karin also discuss The Secrets We Hide, the North Falls series, We Are All Guilty Here, Emmy Clifton, Jude Archer, writing violence against women, libraries, book bans, women’s voices, writing for different kinds of readers, and the huge success of the Will Trent TV series.The Secrets We Hide is the second book in Karin Slaughter’s North Falls series. Set in a small Georgia town full of secrets, it follows Sheriff Emmy Clifton and her sister, ex-federal agent Jude Archer, as they investigate the murder of Allison Vickery and the brutal attack on her teenage daughter. Everyone thinks they know what happened — but the truth is far more shocking. Perfect for fans of Karin Slaughter, crime fiction, psychological thrillers, murder mysteries, small-town crime, Will Trent, North Falls, summer reading, author interviews, and gripping thrillers with big twists.Books and authors mentioned:The Secrets We Hide by Karin SlaughterWe Are All Guilty Here by Karin SlaughterThe Will Trent series by Karin SlaughterPieces of Her by Karin SlaughterThe Good Daughter by Karin SlaughterMary Higgins ClarkMo HayderJames PattersonBernard CornwellJane AustenThis episode is packed with sharp insight, dark humour, book chat, travel disasters, thriller-writing secrets, and the very important question of whether cherry sorbet counts as healthy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  3 Books to Get People Reading Again & Brian McGilloway - Summer Special 07.08.2026 23dk

  Recorded live at Capital Crime Book Festival, this episode kicks off Philippa's August Friday series — shorter interviews with brilliant authors you should know more about. First up: Brian McGilloway, talking holidays, control, and his standalone thriller The One You Least Suspect.But first, three books perfect for anyone who hasn't read in years and wants to fall back in love with reading on holiday:Three Books for the Reluctant ReaderLove, Mom – Iliana XanderA bestselling thriller author dies in a so-called accident — and the letters that follow reveal a family secret worth killing for. Gripping from the first page.Deception – Jack JordanA couple desperate to fund their son's life-saving surgery accepts an offer from a mysterious syndicate — but every task is a crime, and the stakes only rise. Widely considered Jack Jordan's best yet.Strange Houses – Uketsu, translated by Jim RionA creepy, atmospheric Japanese horror told partly through unsettling floor plans. Short, immersive, and impossible to put down — Philippa's favourite holiday read of last year.Brian McGilloway on The One You Least SuspectA barmaid in Derry wakes up after an ill-advised one-night stand to find herself pressured into becoming a police informant by two detectives who've been watching her for months. Caught between the law and the men she works for, Katie has to find her own way through — and her own voice.Brian and Philippa discuss:Why he avoids flying wherever possible — buses, trains, and ferries are all preferableHis dream holiday: a cruise that wakes you up somewhere new every morning, or family time at Lake GardaWhy he still prefers physical books to e-readers (the percentage counter just doesn't cut it)The real story behind Northern Ireland's history of police informants, and why he wanted an "unlikely" central character everyone underestimatesThe original, much darker title that didn't survive — and why The Informant almost stuckWhich of his 13 books he'd recommend to a first-time readerHis celiac-friendly answer to the usual biscuit question: ice cream, raspberry sauce, and a sprinkle of chocolateGet in touchQuick Book Reviews Facebook Group | Instagram | [email protected] Book Reviews: author interviews and book reviews with no spoilers. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  SUMMER SPECIAL — John Marrs on Dead in the Water, Holidays & Twisty Thrillers 03.08.2026 33dk

  Bestselling psychological thriller author John Marrs joins Philippa for a Quick Book Reviews Summer Special to talk about his latest thriller, Dead in the Water.John and Philippa chat about holiday reading, Kindle versus physical books, family trips, travel sickness, nightmare cruises, dream road trips across Canada or New Zealand, ice cream memories, and why raspberry ripple may require mint Tic Tacs.They also discuss the writing of Dead in the Water, John’s plotting process, red herrings, psychological thrillers, speculative fiction, social media, TikTok, author promotion, publishing transparency, and why he wants readers to close his books feeling entertained.Dead in the Water follows Damon after a near-drowning, when his life flashes before his eyes and reveals one disturbing memory he cannot place: a dead boy, a face he does not know, and a moment he cannot remember living. The official synopsis describes it as a chilling thriller about buried memories and obsession. Perfect for fans of John Marrs, psychological thrillers, crime fiction, twisty thrillers, summer reads, author interviews, and no-spoiler book podcasts.Books and authors mentioned:Dead in the Water by John MarrsThe One by John MarrsThe Good Samaritan by John MarrsThe Passengers by John MarrsThe Marriage Act by John MarrsThe Family Experiment by John Marrs Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  Ellery Lloyd on Time to Burn, Time Travel & Writing as Husband and Wife 31.07.2026 31dk

  Philippa sits down with Ellery Lloyd — the husband and wife writing duo of Colette and Paul — to talk about their brilliant new novel Time to Burn, their Radio 2 Book Club selection, and what it's really like to write a book with the person you live with. Plus listener questions from the Quick Book Reviews Facebook group, and a biscuit answer that connects beautifully with a very recent episode.🎙️ Ellery Lloyd on Time to BurnIn the very near future, time travel is possible — but only for the obscenely wealthy. Tech entrepreneur Inigo Frank has built Tempus Tours, and documentary maker Phoebe Hunt is there to film his story. Until the first day of filming, when a returning group of time travellers come back bloodied and dazed — and one of them is missing. Someone Phoebe knows.Colette, Paul, and Philippa discuss:The real-world inspiration: billionaire obsessions with space travel, and what happens when technology outpaces consequenceWhy the book is driven by character and mystery rather than quantum physics — it's a thriller that happens to involve time travel, not the other way aroundTheir dream writing locations: a railing-free balcony on Dartmoor (Colette) and a house with extraordinary sea views in Devon (Paul) — neither of which involves being in the same roomThe nightmare writing location: sitting next to Paul, who types loudly, laughs at his own sentences, and performs the act of writing like a 1930s movie reporterThe Radio 2 Book Club announcement — recorded with Sara Cox the morning of this episodeReader questions from the Facebook group: cover design, who first suggested writing together, how they develop ideas (WhatsApps, balconies, and a legendary late-night text from China), whether they argue about plot points (they don't — but one of them keeps a backup Word document, just in case)The Ellery Lloyd formula: a world you haven't been inside before, characters with real motivations, and everything tied up satisfyingly at the endWhere they'd travel if they could: Paul chooses dinosaurs and Romans; Colette wants a dress she saw when she was 18 and has never stopped thinking aboutWhat they're reading: London Falling by Patrick Radden Keefe (Colette) and The Death of Us by Abigail Dean (Paul)Biscuit answer: Colette powers her writing with Tim Tams — bite off both ends, suck tea through the middle, eat immediately before it collapses. Paul eats his daughter's digestives resentfully and wishes he'd bought Hobnobs.💬 Get in touchQuick Book Reviews Facebook Group | Instagram | [email protected] Book Reviews: author interviews and book reviews with no spoilers. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  David Baldacci on Hope Rises, AI, Books as Body Armour & the 9-Hour Court Deposition 27.07.2026 35dk

  Philippa opens with a brief history lesson — the word "blurb" was invented in 1907 by a writer mocking self-congratulatory publishers, and his fictional creation Miss Belinda Blurb gave us the word we still use today. Then it's three book reviews and a wide-ranging, genuinely fascinating conversation with David Baldacci — over 200 million books sold — about his latest novel Hope Rises.📚 Three Book ReviewsThe Compound – Aisling RuhlTen women wake up in a desert compound, cameras rolling, waiting for men to arrive. A dark, thought-provoking take on reality TV culture — more layered than it first appears.They Called Us the Enemy – George TakeiA graphic novel memoir by the Star Trek actor recounting his family's imprisonment in Japanese American internment camps during World War II. Essential, heartbreaking, and — given it has now been banned in some US libraries — more important than ever.Mad Mabel – Sally Hepworth81-year-old Elsie Fitzpatrick has a curious history of people around her coming to a foul end. A beautifully narrated audiobook that defies easy genre labels — somewhere between a slow-burn thriller and the Thursday Murder Club, but entirely its own thing.🎙️ David Baldacci on Hope RisesWalter Nash did everything right — worked hard, earned well, built the American dream. Then an FBI agent turned up the night of his father's funeral and told him he had a choice: help bring down the criminal organisation he'd unknowingly worked for, or lose everything anyway.David and Philippa discuss:Why Walter Nash is a metaphor for everyone wondering where they fit in a world being reshaped by AIThe three-year class action lawsuit David and other authors brought against major AI companies — and the nine-hour deposition in which he was asked whether he'd copied Charles DickensWhy he writes in a Greek deli near his Virginia office, where he has an unofficial plaque above his usual tableBeing both an introvert and an extrovert — and why total isolation is actually his nightmare writing locationThe reading crisis: why he stopped letting "I just don't have time to read" go unchallenged at book signingsThe Wish You Well Foundation and why forcing children to read specific books is the fastest way to kill a love of readingGrowing up in segregated Richmond, Virginia, and why books were his "body armour against bigotry"What he's reading: essays by Jesmyn Ward, a Toni Morrison biography, James by Percival Everett, Kurt Vonnegut's Jailbird, and ARCs from Ann Cleeves and Michael KorytaThe expression he hopes to see on readers' faces at the end of Hope Rises: a contented sigh, and a little more empathyBiscuit answer: Cheez-Its — reduced fat, but consumed in quantities that would alarm a nutritionist. His son ate two boxes and then went out to buy a replacement, then ate that one too.💬 Get in touchQuick Book Reviews Facebook Group | Instagram | [email protected] Book Reviews: author interviews and book reviews with no spoilers. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  Robert Peston on The Kill Switch, AI, Democracy & the Biscuit He Discovered Too Late 24.07.2026 28dk

  Philippa sits down with Robert Peston — ITV political editor, bestselling author, and reluctant biscuit convert — to talk about The Kill Switch, the third and final book in his Gil Peck thriller trilogy, and why he felt compelled to put artificial intelligence and the fragility of democracy at its heart.🎙️ Robert Peston on The Kill SwitchWhen the prime minister dies in mysterious circumstances, journalist Gil Peck finds himself at the centre of a conspiracy that may or may not involve artificial intelligence. In a world of misinformation, fractured democracy, and technology that is rewriting the rules of everything, who — or what — is really pulling the strings?Robert and Philippa discuss:Why AI had to be at the heart of this book — and why he believes we are living through the most dangerous moment for democracy since the 1930sThe acknowledgment that stopped Philippa in her tracks: "Don't take democracy for granted. Our way of life is more at risk than at any time since the 1930s. This is the fight of our lives."How the trilogy was always planned as three eras: New Labour 1997, the financial crisis of 2007-08, and the AI revolution nowWhy writing fiction is joyful and writing nonfiction feels like work — and why he may never go backHow COVID gave him the time and space to finally finish a novel he'd been putting off for decadesThe nightmare writing scenario: not a place but a moment — Trump inaugurations, government collapses, and the relentless news cycle taking over every inch of available brain spaceHis dream writing location: a central Lisbon Airbnb over Christmas and New Year — sunny, beautiful food, friendly strangers, and a scene in the novel as a thank-you to the cityWhy he doesn't have a current auto-buy author but is devoted to Dorothy L. Sayers, John Buchan, and Isaac Bashevis SingerThe endless agony of book titles — including the battle to keep WTF on the cover of a Waterstones-stocked bookWhat he hopes readers feel at the end: hope, and curiosity about what comes nextWhat he's reading: London Falling by Patrick Radden Keefe and Mariana Mazzucato's The Common Good EconomyBiscuit answer: A chocolate man first and foremost — his go-to is the Choco Leibniz. Introduced mid-conversation to the M&S chocolate-drenched custard cream, which he had already discovered and confirms is "totally addictive." Castle Chocolates in Carlisle and their chocolate-covered lemon sponge are now firmly on his radar for the next book.💬 Get in touchQuick Book Reviews Facebook Group | Instagram | [email protected] Book Reviews: author interviews and book reviews with no spoilers. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  Warning: This Episode with T.M. Payne Contains Tongs, Ducks & Biscuit Demonstrations 20.07.2026 44dk

  Philippa is joined by T.M. Payne — and her co-conspirator Susie — for what may be the most gloriously chaotic episode in Quick Book Reviews history. There are kitchen implement debates, merch updates, a real duck called Crispy, and a live Penguin biscuit demonstration that will genuinely change how you eat biscuits forever. Oh, and there's a brilliant book to talk about too.But first, three book reviews.📚 Three Book ReviewsThe Reader on the 6.27 – Jean-Paul DidierlaurentPlease don't read the blurb — just pick this up. Under 200 pages, beautiful and surprising. All Philippa will say is: what Gillian does for a living will floor you.Queenie is Working on It – Candice Carty-WilliamsQueenie is back — still fallible, still gorgeous, still making questionable decisions — and that's exactly why she's so loveable. If you loved book one, you'll love this.Heartstopper Volume Six – Alice OsemanThe final chapter of Nick and Charlie's story. Not what Philippa was expecting — but on reflection, exactly right. She needs to talk to someone about it. Get in touch when you've read it.🎙️ T.M. Payne on One Bad DeedDI Sheridan Holler is back — and this time she does something she never thought she'd have to do. That's all Tina will say.Tina, Susie, and Philippa discuss:The tongs vs spatula debate — and the merch empire that has got completely out of handWhy Sheridan Holler is deliberately not a flawed, angst-ridden detective, and why her warmth comes from Tina's real 14 years as a police case investigatorWhether you need to start at book one (Tina says ideally yes, Susie and Philippa respectfully disagree)The extraordinary true story behind the book's deaf character: a chance encounter with a hotel receptionist in Portsmouth who had been deaf since birth, who lip-read Tina from 12 feet away, and whose voice was then perfectly captured by audiobook narrator Heather Bleasdale — who will never be able to hear itThe dream book festival: a pop-up travelling event on a Routemaster bus, driven by Tina in a cap, pulling up outside people's houses when they can't get to a festivalThe nightmare book festival: anywhere near a beetroot factoryCrispy the Duck — real, found on the Norfolk Broads, returned to the following yearThe smell of One Bad Deed: duck poo and waterPhilippa gets a mention in the acknowledgements of book six — alongside broccoliBiscuit answer: Penguins — but not eaten normally. Bite off both ends, submerge in warm tea, suck the tea through the biscuit, shove it in your mouth at once. Three have been posted to Philippa. Videos are expected.💬 Get in touchQuick Book Reviews Facebook Group | Instagram | [email protected] Book Reviews: author interviews and book reviews with no spoilers. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  Jo Spain on Never to Be Found, Jōhatsu & the Japanese Art of Vanishing 17.07.2026 30dk

  Philippa sits down with the brilliant Jo Spain — 13 bestselling thrillers already published, translated into 17 languages, TV writer and producer — to talk about her extraordinary new novel Never to Be Found, which sparked a bidding war from some of the biggest names in television before it was even published.🎙️ Jo Spain on Never to Be FoundIn Japan, up to 100,000 people every year voluntarily evaporate from their lives — a phenomenon known as jōhatsu. Entire industries exist to help them do it, providing new identities, documents, and a clean start. Veronica Paige has brought this concept to Britain, running a business disappearing people — until she discovers she's helped a murderer vanish.Jo and Philippa discuss:How a lunchtime article led to the entire concept of the book — and why Jo raced to write it before anyone else couldThe once-in-a-career bidding war: Sam Mendes' production company, Amazon MGM, and The Walking Deadshowrunner Angela Kang all in pursuit of the same bookWhy Jo always writes books for the love of them and scripts for the money — and why those two things are entirely separateThe three categories people fall into when they hear about jōhatsu: those who want to vanish, those horrified by abandonment, and those who think they'd be brilliant at making people disappearHow Veronica justifies what she does — and the moral question at the heart of the bookWhy layers matter more than first drafts, and what it looks like from the outside when Jo is deep in the editing stageHer dream writing location: the coast path between Moville and Greencastle in Donegal — where the Wi-Fi barely works and the day takes its timeHer nightmare: a writer's room, surrounded by other writers, expected to create on demandThe pressure of reader expectations for twists — and why she's made peace with the fact that she can't please everyoneBookTok: how she joined to keep an eye on her children and ended up addicted, embarrassing them daily, and discovering her last three books thereWhat she's reading: The Calamity Club by Kathryn Stockett, the latest Jane Harper, and London Falling by Patrick Radden KeefeBiscuit answer: A committed biscuit addict who has written an entire novel powered by ginger nuts. Current favourite: shortcake with sultanas, dunked, and firmly classified as healthy eating.💬 Get in touchQuick Book Reviews Facebook Group | Instagram | [email protected] Book Reviews: author interviews and book reviews with no spoilers. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  Tim Sullivan on The Tailor, George Cross & the Books That Went to Greece Without Me 13.07.2026 43dk

  Philippa opens with an update on the Great Book Parcel Saga — a box of holiday reading, a Greek customs office, a handwritten letter explaining why a normal person would post books to themselves, and the very real possibility of being detained at passport control. Then it's three book reviews and a long-overdue conversation with Tim Sullivan, creator of the beloved DS George Cross series, about his eighth book The Tailor.📚 Three Book ReviewsThe Pinnacle – Abir Mukherjee ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐A washed-up Hollywood actor wakes from a drunken stupor to find his Bollywood superstar wife murdered in their Mumbai penthouse. Told from multiple perspectives across one luxury skyscraper — brilliantly written and Philippa's favourite Mukherjee yet.Table for One – Emma GannonA woman's carefully constructed life falls apart, and she has to rediscover herself from scratch. Philippa read this on a train surrounded by serious businessmen while experiencing silent heaving sobs. Deeply moving and not what you might expect.The Divorce – Freida McFaddenA woman whose husband has left her for a younger woman refuses to accept defeat and spirals into dangerous obsession. Gripping, compulsive, and — toward the end — absolutely unhinged in ways Philippa did not see coming.🎙️ Tim Sullivan on The TailorA bespoke tailor is found murdered in the lavatory of the Bristol to London train. George Cross can tell immediately it wasn't opportunistic — and follows the evidence wherever it leads, even into territory that makes him deeply uncomfortable.Tim and Philippa discuss:Why George Cross belongs in the tradition of Dupin, Holmes, and Poirot — and why his autism is his gift, not an accessoryThe rule Tim never breaks: we never laugh at George, only with him or at others' reactions to himWhy this is absolutely not cosy crime — and why the original covers did the books a disserviceWriting longhand with fountain pens (a collection of Pelikans, Montblancs, and Lamys), and why the family complain less if there's no laptop openWriting book nine without knowing who the second killer is — and why not plotting keeps the writing organicBeing turned down by agents for neurodivergent appropriation, self-publishing the first two books, and being embraced by the autistic community insteadWhy he's reluctant to sell TV rights — and why protecting George's authenticity matters more than a screen dealThe exclusive interview with George Cross hidden inside the hardback first edition (George found the whole thing fairly pointless)What he's reading: Northanger Abbey, Bleak House, and an advance copy of Ian Rankin's new bookHis one remaining ambition: to look up on the Tube and see a stranger reading one of his booksBiscuit answer: Flapjacks or white chocolate cookies — and absolutely no dunking. George would never allow it.💬 Get in touchQuick Book Reviews Facebook Group | Instagram | [email protected] Book Reviews: author interviews and book reviews with no spoilers. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.