SAM LLOYD chats to PAUL BURKE about his new thriller THE PEOPLE WATCHER, hinterlands, The Hobbit, surviving rejection, fulfilling a dream, character and boiling a frog.

THE PEOPLE WATCHER: Meet Mercy Lake. She likes to fix things: broken toys, old appliances. People.
She watches them in the dead of night, identifies what their lives are lacking and gives it to them . . . quietly. So quietly, they don't even know she exists.
Then Mercy meets Louis. He believes that some of those she watches deserve punishment, not help. But when people start getting hurt, Mercy must decide if the ends can ever justify their increasingly violent means.
And soon, their activities draw the attention of the very person Mercy is desperate to avoid. Someone who will go to extreme lengths to make her pay for knowing their secret . . .

The People Watcher is a shiver-inducing, heart-pounding suspense thriller that will keep you up into the early hours - perfect for fans of Stephen King, Alex Michaelides and Catherine Ryan Howard.

Sam Lloyd grew up in Hampshire, where he learned his love of storytelling. These days he lives in Surrey with his wife, three young sons and a dog that likes to howl. His first thrillers, The Memory Wood and The Rising Tide, were published to huge critical acclaim in 2020 and 2021

Recommendations
Katherine Ryan Howard The Trap

Paul Burke writes for Crime Time, Crime Fiction Lover and the European Literature Network. He is also a CWA Historical Dagger Judge 2023.

This episode is sponsored by Bantam, Transworld, Penguin - thank you for your support.

Produced by Junkyard Dog

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