In this episode of Quick Book Reviews, Philippa chats to bestselling thriller author Jack Jordan about his brand new novel, Deception — a tense, addictive thriller that asks one terrifying question:

How far would you go to save your child?

Jack discusses:

• the inspiration behind Deception
• writing high-stakes moral dilemmas
• balancing relentless tension with emotional depth
• why readers become emotionally involved in his books
• the pressure of deadlines and perfectionism
• TV adaptations of his novels
• working with Elisabeth Moss on the adaptation of Conviction
• how his books became known for their impossible ethical questions

Philippa and Jack also talk about:

• dream and nightmare writing locations
• writing while emotionally “living” the scenes
• airport chaos as the ultimate writing nightmare
• thriller pacing and giving readers room to breathe
• the importance of book cover design
• reader bookshelves and collectible editions
• why Jack rewrites drafts obsessively before anyone sees them

Emma and Miles are desperate to save their son, who urgently needs life-changing surgery they cannot afford.

Their last hope is a mysterious organisation called The Levels — a dangerous competition where contestants commit escalating crimes for escalating rewards.

But they are not the only players.

As the stakes rise, Deception forces both its characters — and its readers — to confront impossible moral questions:

What would you do to save the person you love most?

• Psychological thrillers
• Moral dilemma fiction
• Writing process and perfectionism
• TV and streaming adaptations
• Publishing deadlines
• Crime fiction
• Book cover branding
• Working-class journeys into publishing
• Reader communities
• Thriller pacing

• Jack describing writing deadlines as “life or death”
• The Italian lakeside villa dream writing retreat
• The airport nightmare writing scenario
• “A panic attack in two covers”
• Jack revealing nobody sees his real first drafts
• The emotional intensity of writing thriller scenes
• The revelation that Deception has been optioned for television

Official writing fuel:

• Bourbons
• Four-finger Kit Kats
• Bonus points for accidental all-chocolate Kit Kats
• Strong support for peanut butter Kit Kats

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In this episode of Quick Book Reviews, it is feedback week! Please send Philippa your thoughts on the podcast, you can email here: [email protected]. You can find her on instagram at this account: @quick_book_reviews

Philippa chats to bestselling author Rosie Walsh about her gripping new novel The One Day You Were My Husband.

Rosie discusses the inspiration behind the book, the challenges of writing after major success, researching the life of a surgeon, and why this was the book she came closest to abandoning.

Philippa also reviews three very different books:

• The Eye of the Bedlam Bride by Matt Dinniman
• A Deadly Episode by Anthony Horowitz
• Deception by Jack Jordan

• Rosie Walsh on The One Day You Were My Husband
• Writing emotional thrillers with huge twists
• The pressure of following bestselling novels
• Why this book was so difficult to write
• Balancing publicity, motherhood and creativity
• Writing under the name Lucy Robinson
• Researching medicine and surgery for fiction
• The importance of titles in publishing
• Philippa’s spoiler-free book reviews
• Feedback week for the podcast

Carrie and Johan are newly married on a beach in Thailand when armed men arrive and take Johan away.

Twelve years later, Carrie has rebuilt her life. She is remarried, has children, and is preparing to return to work as a surgeon. Then she sees a familiar face online — Johan, alive in Stockholm, with a new life of his own.

Why did he never contact her?

What really happened in Thailand?

And should Carrie risk everything to find out?

The Eye of the Bedlam Bride – Matt Dinniman

A wildly inventive, hilarious and action-packed instalment in the Dungeon Crawler Carl series.

A Deadly Episode – Anthony Horowitz

A clever, funny Hawthorne mystery set around the filming of The Word Is Murder.

Deception – Jack Jordan

A high-stakes thriller about desperate parents, impossible choices and a deadly game.

• The One Day You Were My Husband – Rosie Walsh
• The Love of My Life – Rosie Walsh
• Ghosted / The Man Who Didn’t Call – Rosie Walsh
• The Things You’ll Never Know – Ashley Audrain
• The Eye of the Bedlam Bride – Matt Dinniman
• A Deadly Episode – Anthony Horowitz
• Deception – Jack Jordan

No biscuits for Rosie Walsh — but there is a memorable discussion of cold sliced hard-boiled eggs, fruit, yogurt and a life without sugar.

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This week on Quick Book Reviews, Philippa is joined by publishing powerhouse Alison Barrow for a fascinating behind-the-scenes conversation about the world of books, publishing, publicity, BookTok, book reviewing, and what really happens inside a major publishing house.

Alison shares the emotional impact of the recent Bookseller Awards, including the extraordinary success of Nobody’s Girl and the moving tributes to legendary romantic fiction authors including Jilly Cooper, Sophie Kinsella and Joanna Trollope.

They also discuss:

• the launch of Transworld’s new horror imprint 3AM
• the rise of horror and romantasy publishing trends
• Alison’s own experience writing and editing her debut novel
• how exhausting structural edits really are
• the realities of social media for book reviewers
• whether TikTok or Instagram matters more for publishing
• why authenticity matters more than follower counts

Plus Alison recommends some brilliant reads, including:

• London Falling
• Fame Sick
• The Agatha Cure

If you’ve ever wondered how publishing really works, how books become bestsellers, or how to start reviewing books online, this episode is packed with insight, warmth and honesty.

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In this episode of Quick Book Reviews, Philippa chats to Ardal O’Hanlon about his new novel A Plot to Die For, the first book in his Blooming Murder Mystery series.

Best known for Father Ted and Death in Paradise, Ardal brings comedy, warmth and murder mystery together in this funny, charming and sharply observed cosy crime novel set in a small Irish town.

Philippa also reviews three books exploring the current tradwife trend in very different ways:

• Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke
• Tradwife by Sarah Langan
• The Tradwife’s Secret by Leanne Child

• Ardal O’Hanlon on A Plot to Die For
• Writing cosy crime with genuine comedy
• Why funny writing still takes serious craft
• The influence of Death in Paradise and murder mystery structure
• Creating Finn O’Leary, celebrity gardener turned amateur detective
• Small-town Ireland, community secrets and Tidy Towns
• Writing a series and what might come next
• Audiobook narration and why Ardal reads his own book
• Philippa’s tradwife fiction recommendations

A Plot to Die For introduces Finn O’Leary, a TV celebrity gardener who returns home to Ireland to care for his mother — only to find himself caught up in murder, secrets and local rivalries.

Expect:

• cosy crime
• Irish humour
• amateur sleuthing
• gardening
• community drama
• a brilliant cast of characters
• and a murder during choir practice

Yesteryear – Caro Claire Burke

A twisty, genre-bending tradwife novel perfect for book clubs and holiday reading.

Tradwife – Sarah Langan

A horror take on the tradwife trend, with farmhouse perfection hiding something deeply unsettling.

The Tradwife’s Secret – Leanne Child

A psychological thriller full of secrets, lies and domestic tension.

• A Plot to Die For – Ardal O’Hanlon
• The Truth About Ruby Cooper – Liz Nugent
• The God of the Woods – Liz Moore
• White City – Dominic Nolan
• Yesteryear – Caro Claire Burke
• Tradwife – Sarah Langan
• The Tradwife’s Secret – Leanne Child

Ardal chooses the Wagon Wheel — original preferred, jammy accepted in emergencies.

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Bestselling author Veronica Roth joins Philippa to talk about her gripping new novel Seek the Traitor’s Son — a romantic dystopian fantasy packed with prophecy, danger and high-stakes love.

We cover:

• Life after the global phenomenon Divergent
• Writing pressure, creativity & finding joy again
• Playlists, world-building & surprising story twists
• Why this is just the start of a new series

Perfect for fans of The Hunger Games and epic sci-fi fantasy.

Love books? Follow Quick Book Reviews and never miss an episode!

Email Philippa at [email protected]

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In this episode of Quick Book Reviews, Philippa talks to Tariq Ashkanani about his latest novel The Hollow Boys, a dark, atmospheric blend of crime, horror and small-town mystery.

Set in the fictional Appalachian town of Aurora, The Hollow Boys begins after two boys go missing. Ten months later, one boy returns — but claims he is the other boy. What follows is a chilling investigation into identity, memory, fear and the secrets buried beneath a dying town.

Philippa also reviews three very different books:

• Dissection of a Murder by Jo Murray
• Bloom by Delilah S. Dawson
• The Magic Faraway Tree by Enid Blyton

• Tariq Ashkanani on The Hollow Boys
• How crime and horror overlap
• Writing dark, atmospheric fiction
• Why setting can become a character
• Small towns, secrets and creeping dread
• The influence of books such as Red Dragon
• Writing while balancing another career
• Why publishing can move so slowly
• Podcasting, author interviews and literary festivals
• Philippa’s spoiler-free reviews

The Hollow Boys is a tense, unsettling mystery about two missing boys, one impossible return, and a town haunted by what lies beneath it.

Perfect for readers who enjoy:

• crime fiction
• horror-tinged thrillers
• dark small-town mysteries
• eerie atmosphere
• missing person stories
• morally complex characters

Dissection of a Murder – Jo Murray

A gripping legal thriller with courtroom tension, secrets and a compelling murder case.

Bloom – Delilah S. Dawson

A book that begins with cosy romance energy before taking a shocking turn into full horror.

The Magic Faraway Tree – Enid Blyton

A nostalgic return to Moon-Face, adventure, peril and childhood reading magic.

• The Hollow Boys – Tariq Ashkanani
• The Midnight King – Tariq Ashkanani
• Red Dragon – Thomas Harris
• The Death of Us – Abigail Dean
• Night Film – Marisha Pessl

Tariq goes rogue with drumstick sweets rather than biscuits — sticky, chewy, nostalgic, and officially allowed.

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In this episode of Quick Book Reviews, Philippa is joined by the powerhouse writing duo Ellis Hunter — Kate Ellis Brown and Becky Hunter — to talk about their hugely anticipated debut Bloodbound.

Already generating major buzz across the book world, Bloodbound is a standout novel blending witches, dragon riders, high-stakes magic, and powerful female friendships.

• What Blood Bound is about — and why readers are obsessed
• Why this book works for both fantasy fans and fantasy beginners
• The rise of romantasy and why it’s dominating the book world
• How two authors successfully co-write a novel together
• The realities of going from publishing professionals to debut authors
• Behind-the-scenes insight into book deals, rights, and global publishing
• The pressure (and excitement) of writing Book 2
• Why female friendship is at the heart of this story

A gripping fantasy set between a Queendom of Witches and a Kingdom of Dragon Riders, where two women on opposite sides of a deadly conflict must face fate, power, and impossible choices.

With:

• enemies-to-lovers tension
• epic world-building
• magic, dragons, and deadly trials
• and unforgettable twists

…it’s no surprise this is the book everyone is talking about.

Ellis Hunter is the writing duo of:

• Kate Ellis Brown – editor and publishing professional
• Becky Hunter – author and former publicist

Together, they bring insider knowledge of the publishing world and a shared love of fantasy to create something fresh, addictive, and emotionally powerful.

• How they split POV characters (Astrid & Skylar)
• Why planning together was key
• The challenges of writing collaboratively
• How deadlines and real life (including motherhood!) shaped the process

If you love:

• fantasy / romantasy
• dragons, magic, and epic worlds
• behind-the-scenes publishing insight
• author journeys and writing craft

Follow, rate and review Quick Book Reviews and share with a fellow reader

Blood Bound is available now — perfect timing to dive into the book everyone is buzzing about.

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In this special Wednesday episode of Quick Book Reviews, Philippa chats to bestselling author Laurie Gilmore, creator of the hugely popular Dream Harbor series, which has sold over 4 million copies.

Laurie joins the podcast to discuss her latest book, The Daisy Chain Flower Shop, as well as the magic of cosy small-town romance, why readers have fallen so hard for Dream Harbor, and how comfort reads can help us through difficult times.

• Laurie Gilmore on The Daisy Chain Flower Shop
• The story behind the Dream Harbor series
• Why cosy small-town romance is having such a huge moment
• Writing books that feel like a hug
• Why each Dream Harbor book can be read as a standalone
• Christmas romance, seasonal settings and reader comfort
• Sprayed edges, special editions and bookish merch
• The pressure of following a much-loved bestselling series
• What’s coming next with Big Bad Wolf
• Laurie’s dream and nightmare writing locations

The Daisy Chain Flower Shop follows Daisy, who runs the flower shop, and Elliot, a shy architect who has somehow stayed under Dream Harbor’s radar.

Both are nursing heartbreak and neither is looking for love — until a fake dating arrangement begins and, naturally, chaos, chemistry and cosy romance follow.

Expect:

• fake dating
• small-town charm
• emotional warmth
• seasonal Dream Harbor vibes
• familiar faces from previous books

• The Daisy Chain Flower Shop – Laurie Gilmore
• The Pumpkin Spice Café – Laurie Gilmore
• The Gingerbread Bakery – Laurie Gilmore
• Big Bad Wolf – Laurie Gilmore
• For the Wolf – Hannah Whitten
• For the Throne – Hannah Whitten

• cosy romance
• small-town settings
• fake dating
• seasonal reads
• comfort books
• Christmas romance
• book series you can dip into at any point

Laurie chooses a soft, chewy chocolate chip cookie — with sensible dunking rules. Soft cookies should not be dunked. Harder biscuits may proceed with caution.

Philippa will be back on Friday with more bookish chat, author interviews and spoiler-free reviews.

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In this episode of Quick Book Reviews, Philippa is joined by Ilona Bannister to talk about her striking new novel Five — a tense, original and deeply thought-provoking thriller set over just a few minutes on a train platform.

What would you do if you had only five minutes left and didn’t know it?

That chilling question sits at the heart of Five, a novel about five strangers, interconnected lives, hidden stories, and the ripple effects of tragedy. Ilona talks about the real-life inspiration behind the book, the creation of its unforgettable narrative voice, and why this story led her naturally into the thriller space.

Philippa also reviews:

• The Heir Apparent by Rebecca Armitage
• Automatic Noodle by Annalee Newitz
• Dissection of a Murder by Jo Murray

• Ilona Bannister on the inspiration behind Five
• Why the novel begins on a train platform
• How the book explores fate, connection, mortality and missed moments
• The challenge of writing a fast-paced novel set across such a short time frame
• The creation of the book’s sharp, unusual narrative voice
• Why one character had to be cut and another took her place
• Writing through lockdown, parenting, and difficult life circumstances
• Why thrillers can be powerful spaces for emotional and literary storytelling
• Philippa’s latest reading updates and reviews

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In this episode of Quick Book Reviews, Philippa is joined by bestselling author Tom Rob Smith to talk about his moving and deeply personal new novel, 20 Years Together.

Known for acclaimed books including Child 44, and for screen work such as London Spy and The Assassination of Gianni Versace, Tom discusses why 20 Years Together is such a different book from his previous work, why he chose to write it now, and how it grew out of real emotional and philosophical questions around love, commitment, and marriage.

This is a conversation about writing, relationships, storytelling, hope, and the challenge of creating an ending that truly lands.

• Why Tom Rob Smith wrote 20 Years Together
• How the novel was inspired by real questions about marriage and long-term relationships
• Why this book is so different from his crime and thriller fiction
• The overlap between love stories and thrillers
• The challenge of writing emotionally honest fiction
• Why endings matter so much
• How a book can leave readers in tears
• Tom’s thoughts on adapting stories for television, film, or fiction
• How place, views, and writing environments shape the creative process
• What Tom is reading right now

• 20 Years Together – Tom Rob Smith
• Child 44 – Tom Rob Smith
• London Spy – Tom Rob Smith
• The Assassination of Gianni Versace – based on the book by Maureen Orth
• Aftermath – Rachel Cusk
• The Swimming-Pool Library – Alan Hollinghurst
• The Line of Beauty – Alan Hollinghurst
• Our Evenings – Alan Hollinghurst
• The Diving Bell and the Butterfly – Jean-Dominique Bauby

This episode is perfect for listeners who love:

• thoughtful author interviews
• behind-the-scenes writing conversations
• literary fiction
• emotionally powerful novels
• discussions about relationships, marriage and identity
• Tom Rob Smith’s books, television work, and creative process

Philippa and Tom also talk about dream and nightmare writing locations, how different stories reveal themselves as books or screen projects, and the emotional complexity of writing a novel that draws more closely on personal experience.

One of the most striking themes in this interview is hope — in fiction, in relationships, and in the stories we tell ourselves about the future. Tom reflects on setting 20 Years Together against the backdrop of 2012 London, and why he wanted to capture a sense of optimism and possibility.

A controversial moment for the podcast: Tom Rob Smith is not much of a biscuit eater. However, there is a nostalgic nod to the chocolate digestive, plus a writing fuel combination of dates and dark chocolate.

Please follow, rate and review Quick Book Reviews, and share this episode with a fellow reader.

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