Jonathan Trigell joins me for this episode of Reading Is Political to discuss the re-release of his award-winning novel, Boy A.

First published in 2004, Boy A became one of the defining British novels of its generation, winning both the John Llewellyn Rhys Prize and the Waverton Good Read Award before being adapted into the acclaimed BAFTA-winning film starring Andrew Garfield. More than twenty years later, the novel has been re-released for a new generation of readers and its themes feel just as relevant today. 

Our conversation explores why society continues to struggle with ideas of crime, punishment, rehabilitation and forgiveness. We discuss whether children who commit terrible crimes are judged differently from adults, the role of the media in shaping public opinion, and how social media would completely change Jack's story if Boy A were written today.

Jonathan's book recommendations:

• GB84 — David Peace

• If We Tolerate This: How the British Establishment Made the Far Right Respectable — Daniel Trilling

• Entitled: The Rise and Fall of the House of York — Andrew Lownie

• Lost Boys: Undercover in the Manosphere — James Bloodworth

• Fieldwork As A Sex Object — Meena Kandasamy 

• The Road — Cormac McCarthy

• The House at Pooh Corner — A. A. Milne

Linda Duncan McLaughlin joins me to discuss her debut crime novel, Original Sins, which has been shortlisted for the 2026 Bloody Scotland Debut Prize.

Linda shares the inspiration behind a story that explores identity, adoption and the age-old question of nature versus nurture. We discuss the challenge of writing a protagonist whose birth father is a serial killer, why the novel blends psychological suspense with family drama, and how a manuscript that sat unfinished for years eventually became her debut novel.

Linda also tells us about appearing on the Bloody Scotland Debut Prize Panel, taking place Friday 18 September at 3:00pm, and shares the festival events she's most looking forward to attending. Her recommendations include the Two Crime Walking Tour, From Screen to Page, You the Jury, Every Breath You Take, Glesga, Murder at the Edge of the World, and Pitch Perfect. 

This week on In My Good Books, I'm joined by debut author Katie Huttlestone to discuss her novel, A Healthy Appetite.

The novel follows Hannah, a woman with late-stage illness who volunteers for an experimental drug trial. As the treatment begins to work in unexpected ways, it also awakens an increasingly ravenous appetite, forcing Hannah to confront impossible questions about survival, identity and the moral compromises we might make to stay alive.

Katie shares the deeply personal inspiration behind the novel, drawing on her own experiences of living with chronic illness while creating a speculative story that asks fascinating "what if?" questions rather than telling a traditional cancer narrative. We talk about medical trials, the realities of living in the space between illness and wellness, and why she wanted to write a story that offered something different from the books she'd previously encountered.

As always, Katie shares two brilliant book recommendations to add to your reading list:

• Permanence by Sophie Mackintosh

• Wrecks by Matt Hill

If you enjoy conversations about books, writing and the stories behind the stories, don't forget to follow In My Good Books so you never miss an episode.

In this episode of Reading Is Political, I'm joined by debut novelist Fauzia Musa to discuss her extraordinary novel The Strangling Fig.

Spanning the Partition of India and Pakistan in 1947 through to the early 2000s, The Strangling Fig is a sweeping family saga that blends literary fiction, magical realism and historical memory. We explore how personal histories become family myths, the generational impact of political decisions, and why some stories remain untold for decades. 

Fauzia shares how the novel began as an attempt to write her own family's history before evolving into fiction, why she introduced a ghost into the narrative, and how multiple drafts transformed the book into the story readers see today. We also discuss researching Partition, writing ambitious dual timelines, and the challenge of creating authentic characters across generations. 

Fauzia also recommends four books that have shaped her thinking, before sharing two comfort reads she returns to again and again:

Melissa Febos – Body Work: The Radical Power of Personal Narrative

Shehan Karunatilaka – The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida

Shon Faye – Love in Exile

Ayn Rand – The Fountainhead

Lily King – Heart the Lover

John Fowles – The Magus

If you enjoy conversations about books, politics, identity and the stories that shape our world, don't forget to follow In My Good Books wherever you listen to podcasts.

Fauzia's Legit Substack

Kirsty Lockwood joins me to discuss her debut crime thriller, We Know What You Did, a novel that's already making waves after being shortlisted for the 2026 Bloody Scotland Debut Prize and longlisted for the McIlvanney Prize.

In this episode, Kirsty shares the whirlwind journey from publication day to becoming one of the most talked-about new voices in Scottish crime fiction. We chat about the inspiration behind Odette, one of this year's most compelling protagonists, the challenge of writing dual timelines, and why social media became such an important part of the novel's central mystery. 

As part of my Bloody Scotland 2026 series, Kirsty also tells us about appearing on the Bloody Scotland Debut Prize Panel, taking place Friday 18 September at 3:00pm, and shares the festival events she's most excited to attend.

Her recommendations include Femme Fatales (featuring Liz Nugent, Harriet Tyce and Andrea Mara) and Are They or Aren't They? featuring Leodora Darlington. 

If you enjoy psychological suspense, character-driven crime fiction and behind-the-scenes publishing conversations, this is an episode you won't want to miss.

When Zoe Rankin first joined the podcast, The Vanishing Place hadn't even been published. Fast forward a year and her haunting New Zealand thriller has been shortlisted for the Bloody Scotland Debut Prize and longlisted for the McIlvanney Prize, an incredible achievement for a first novel. 

In this special Bloody Scotland 2026 episode, we chat about everything that's happened since publication, from seeing her novel on bookshop shelves to meeting readers, navigating imposter syndrome, and why receiving congratulations from Ian Rankin felt completely surreal.

We also dive back into The Vanishing Place, discussing its unforgettable setting in the remote New Zealand bush, why Zoe describes her books as "nature-centric thrillers", and how the landscape became as important as any of the characters. She shares the inspiration behind the novel, the challenges of writing it, and why Jane Harper's The Dry changed her life forever. 

There's plenty of Bloody Scotland chat too, including Zoe's excitement about making the journey from New Zealand, the panels she's appearing on, and the events she's most looking forward to attending.

Debut Prize Panel
Friday 18 September • 3:00pm

Murder at the End of the World
Saturday 19 September • 9:45pm

• Femmes Fatales featuring Liz Nugent, Harriet Tyce and Andrea Mara
• Jane Harper & Jane Casey
• Denise Mina in conversation with Lucy Foley

If you're heading to Bloody Scotland, don't miss the chance to hear Zoe speak!

In this episode, I'm joined by Dr Eleanor Drage, Senior Research Fellow at the University of Cambridge, AI ethicist, broadcaster and co-host of The Good Robot podcast, to discuss her new book What If We Got AI Right?

We explore why conversations about AI need to move beyond hype and fear, how power, politics and inequality are embedded in technology, and why regulation, education and public participation will all be essential in shaping the future of AI.

Eleanor also recommends a brilliant selection of books that explore technology, disability, labour, philosophy and the future of society.

Joshua Schuster & Derek Woods – Calamity Theory

Tim Ingold – Lines

Karen Levy – Data Driven

Jane Bennett – Vibrant Matter

Cassandra Hartblay – Access Vernaculars

Ned Beauman – Venomous Lumpsucker

If you enjoyed this episode, please follow the podcast, leave a rating or review, and share it with anyone interested in AI, politics, technology or the future of society.

Join me behind the Scenes at the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival 2026!

This week's episode is something a little different as I take you behind the scenes at the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival in Harrogate, Europe's largest celebration of crime fiction.

Over one packed weekend I caught up with eight fantastic authors to chat about their latest books, writing life, festival highlights and what readers can expect next. From bestselling thriller writers to exciting debut novelists, this episode gives you a flavour of one of the friendliest and most exciting weekends in the publishing calendar.

📚 John Marrs – Dead In The Water

📚 Gillian McAllister – Caller Unknown

📚 Dorothy Koomson – The Quiet Girls

📚 Holly Stars – Murder in the Dressing Room

📚 Arvind Ethan David – The Great Game

📚 Adele Parks – Eyes on You

📚 Mark Edwards – One of the Family

📚 Anna Mazzola – Anna Sharpe: Lie for Your Life (coming January 2027)

📝 Enter the Sarita Domingo Prize

📬 Arvind Ethan David's Substack: The Dread and the Envy 

🎙️ Dorothy Koomson's podcast: The Dorothy Edit 

If you enjoy In My Good Books, I'd really appreciate it if you could follow the podcast, leave a rating or review, and share the episode with a fellow book lover.

You can also find me on Instagram:
@inmygoodbookspod

Steve Cavanagh joins me to discuss his latest legal thriller, One of Us is Guilty, the tenth novel in his bestselling Eddie Flynn series.

In this episode, Steve introduces Eddie Flynn for anyone who is new to the series and explains why every book is written to work equally well for first-time readers and long-standing fans.

We talk about why the tenth Eddie Flynn novel felt significant, the characters Steve wanted to revisit, and his decision to spend more time in Eddie’s head. Steve also discusses the structure of One of Us is Guilty, including the challenge of showing the same scene from two different perspectives and allowing the reader to see what each character is thinking and hiding.

Buy One Of Us Is Guilty

Find Steve on Instagram

The Steve Cavanagh Readers Club

Books recommended:

The Devils by Joe Abercrombie

The Firm by John Grisham

In this episode I'm joined by award-winning Scottish author Sara Sheridan to discuss her captivating new historical novel, The Jewel Keepers.

Known for bringing overlooked stories from Scotland's past to life, Sara takes readers on a thrilling treasure hunt through 1837 Edinburgh, following Araminta Mackenzie Moore as she uncovers family secrets, hidden histories and a mysterious lost Scottish crown.

Sara's website

Buy The Jewel Keepers

Sara also shares three brilliant book recommendations:

• Water Music by T. C. Boyle
• Doorways in Drumorty by Lorna Moon
• The Pretender by Jo Harkin