In this episode, David Headley sits down with bestselling thriller writer, former British diplomat and clinical psychologist Chris Merritt to explore the remarkable experiences behind his new spy thriller, Octagon.

From living through rocket attacks in Iraq and navigating the tensions of Jerusalem, to treating trauma and PTSD in the NHS, Chris reveals how real-world conflict, psychology and intelligence work have influenced his writing.

They discuss nuclear terrorism, the secrets of crafting believable spies, why trauma is fundamentally about storytelling, and how Chris transformed a career spanning diplomacy and psychology into one of the year's most ambitious thriller series.

Plus, Chris shares the books that inspired him, the thriller he considers close to perfect, and why readers can't seem to stop turning the pages of Octagon.

Secure signed copies of Octagon from when Chris visited the bookshop to record this episode.

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Lucy Vine has spent years making readers laugh with bestselling rom-coms. But under the pen name Elly Vine, she's now embracing murder and a very different kind of female rage.

In this episode of Confessions of a Book Collector, Lucy talks about why so many women are drawn to crime fiction, the surprising link between humour and suspense, and how The Lottery Winners Club was inspired by the idea that women aren't always allowed to express anger openly.

We also explore the challenge of writing under two names at once, her obsession with twists and red herrings, the books that terrified her as a child, and the strange reality of being nine books into a writing career while still feeling convinced you'll never finish the next one.

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Crime writer Chris McDonald joins Confessions of a Book Collector to discuss his new private investigator novel, The Wrong Man, and why readers remember how a book made them feel long after they've forgotten the plot.

Chris shares how a chance conversation on a Manchester football pitch convinced him that ordinary people could become authors, why he secretly wrote his first novel without telling anyone, and how an image of a body on an ice rink stayed in his head for a decade before becoming a book.

The conversation explores the enduring appeal of fictional detectives, the influence of American noir, building a crime festival from scratch with Stockport Noir, and how music shaped both his writing and his reading life.

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Bestselling author Sarah Vaughan joins David Headley on Confessions of a Book Collector to discuss power, privilege, politics, morally difficult characters and the emotional truths hidden beneath public lives.

From her years as a political journalist during the Blair era to the explosive success of Anatomy of a Scandal and its Netflix adaptation, Sarah reflects on the strange timing that turned the novel into a cultural phenomenon.

David and Sarah also explore why “nice” characters rarely make compelling fiction, the books that shaped her as a reader and writer and why she’s fascinated by characters under pressure.

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In this episode, David reflects on one of the greatest pleasures of reading: discovering a remarkable book before the rest of the world catches up.

David also shares some of the upcoming and recently published novels he’s most excited about, including literary fiction, crime, fantasy and speculative fiction that readers will soon be pressing into each other’s hands with the words: “You have to read this.”

Listen now.

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Go behind the scenes of this year’s Capital Crime Festival as David sits down with Festival Director Lizzie Curle to uncover what it really takes to create London’s biggest celebration of crime and thriller fiction.

From programming standout events and welcoming bestselling authors to building the unique atmosphere readers return for year after year, Lizzie shares an insider’s look at the festival, a few exclusives, and the events she’s most excited for this June. Plus, why the crime and thriller community continues to be one of the most passionate and welcoming worlds in books.

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We’re joined by Hallie Rubenhold, bestselling author behind The Five and Story of a Murder, and a writer who has reshaped how we think about some of history’s most infamous crimes. Known for shifting the focus away from sensationalised killers and back onto the lives of overlooked victims, Hallie explores what happens when we start questioning the stories we’ve always accepted as truth.

We talk about the danger of “campfire retellings” in true crime, why history is often built on incomplete or biased perspectives, and how context can completely transform a narrative. Hallie shares what drove her to reclaim the stories of the women linked to Jack the Ripper, why she avoids focusing on the killer entirely, and how her latest work continues to challenge the way crime — and truth — are constructed.

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Tom Rob Smith joins Confessions of a Book Collector to talk about writing a love story that doesn’t start at the beginning.

Best known for Child 44, Tom has spent much of his career writing high-stakes, high-tension stories. But with his new novel, Twenty Years Together, he turns to something different: what happens when a relationship has already been built. This conversation centres on a question that sits at the heart of the book: do we actually want the future to look like the past?

We also get into the reality of success after Child 44, why it doesn’t quite land the way you expect, and the difference between writing something “well” and writing something that actually means something to you.

Secure a signed copy of Twenty Years Together at Goldsboro Books whilst stocks last.

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David Headley sits down with multi-award-winning crime author David Goodman to talk about A Reluctant Spy, the breakout thriller that launched the Goldsboro Crime Collective, and the years of writing that came before it.

From Edinburgh to espionage, David shares how a lifelong love of sci-fi and spy fiction collided to create Jamie Tulloch and the brilliantly inventive “Legends Program.” They dive into writing under pressure (or avoiding it entirely), the reality of sudden success, and what happens when book two (and three!) are already in motion.

Plus: the realities of publishing, blurbs, and why great stories aren’t bound by genre.

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Jennie Godfrey returns as a champion of new voices, discussing Goldsboro’s Fresh Ink subscription and this month’s standout pick Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke, a novel she knew would be “huge” from the very first pages, 

Following the remarkable success of The List of Suspicious Things, Jennie reflects on the reality of becoming a Sunday Times bestseller, the pressure of writing a second novel, and why success doesn’t always feel the way you expect it to.

David and Jennie explore second book syndrome, learning to celebrate the moment, and the lasting impact readers can have on a writer’s journey.

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