Radio Times
type: channel
link: https://www.radiotimes.com
date: 2026-05-04T16:01:09.000Z
update period: hourly
update frequency: 1
update base: 2000-01-01T12:00+00:00
items: Former Death in Paradise lead recalls stint on beloved show: "I always knew whodunnit!"
items: Philippa Perry talks the "cosy crime" renaissance, neighbour Richard Coles and husband Grayson Perry
items: Jeremy Vine reveals why he wants Harry Potter legend to play his new murder mystery hero
items: Heated Rivalry author gives update on upcoming Ilya and Shane novel Unrivaled: "I rewrite a lot"
items: Divergent author announces two more books in series – but with a major twist for heroine Tris
items: 30 best romance books to make you believe in love again: From Emily Henry to Jilly Cooper
items: Mary Beard reveals what President Donald Trump and the emperors of Ancient Rome have in common
items: 25 best TV adaptations of books of all time
items: New James Bond novel announced from acclaimed spin-off author with "an extraordinarily timely story"
items: Jo Nesbø books in order: How to read all Detective Harry Hole stories
items: Richard Osman's We Chase Shadows release date: When is it published?
items: Emma Chapman: "If intelligent life has evolved and wants to send us a message, they'll develop a radio telescope to do that"
items: Will there be a The Thursday Murder Club book 6 from Richard Osman?
items: I thought I'd made a friend – then I found out she was a spy. Here's what I learned about real-world espionage
items: Remembering Len Deighton: The Ipcress File author reveals how he wrote a best-seller that imagines what would happen if Hitler won World War II
items: Viola Davis and bestselling author James Patterson reveal their inspiration for abortion courtroom drama "about America right now"
items: Nadiya Hussain reveals feelings on parting ways with the BBC: "I'd had really difficult conversations"
items: How to read Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander books in order
items: Nick Hornby crowns Nero Book Awards winner as he discusses his next novel
items: Rose Ayling-Ellis: "When you grow up not seeing yourself in stories, you don't stop imagining"
items: Author Sarah J Maas confirms next books in best-selling A Court of Thorns and Roses series
items: How to read the Young Sherlock books in order
items: Dept Q books in order: How to read Jussi Adler-Olsen stories
items: Richard Osman confirms brand new sequel novel with "lots of thrills" and when fans can expect it
items: Harriet Tyce: 'No jury in the land would be able to crack The Traitors'
items: Next Heated Rivalry book release date delayed as author Rachel Reid offers health update
items: Why Lord of the Flies author William Golding didn't put girls on his classic novel's island
items: I quit my job of 25 years to write a book – I felt frozen with fear
items: Beloved author Marian Keyes reveals why 'chick lit' exposes the "hollowness" of post-feminism
items: How to read James Patterson’s Alex Cross books in order

Former Death in Paradise lead recalls stint on beloved show: "I always knew whodunnit!"
type: item
date: 2026-05-04T16:00:36.000Z
creator: Ed Grenby
subject: Books
subject: Interview
subject: Magazine
description: Ardal O’Hanlon is a busy man. Not content with meeting the Pope and hearing people’s secret confessions, now he’s joining the band of cosy crime novelists.
encoded: This article first appeared in Radio Times magazine. So an Englishman, an Irishman and an American go off to meet the Pope. At first it sounds like a joke – especially since I’m being told the story by a comedian. Then it sounds more like a surreal dream – especially when the Englishman turns out to be Stephen Merchant, and the American Whoopi Goldberg. But no, it’s an honest-to-God account, from stand-up (and actor and writer) Ardal O’Hanlon, of the time he and a conclave of comics were invited to meet Pope Francis at the Vatican in 2024. “It was totally bizarre,” marvels O’Hanlon. “They invited all these major US comedians [including Goldberg]; a lot of Italian comics; Tommy Tiernan, Patrick Kielty and me from Ireland; then there was only one English guy, Stephen Merchant – I didn’t get to speak to him, but [as he’s 6ft 7in] I obviously did see him across the room. Then the Pope gives this lovely speech about the value of comedy – and he was kind of funny, he got some laughs, but it was in Italian, so I’m not sure what they were all laughing at. Then we got to shake his hand, and I gave him my parents’ rosary beads to bless, so I’m the golden boy at home.” But wasn’t he worried that His Holiness might have seen the show that made young O’Hanlon’s name? Because while Father Ted (and O’Hanlon’s sweetly fat-headed character, Father Dougal) was a largely affectionate portrait of Irish priesthood, it was fairly unflattering, too, no? “Well, somebody told me once that Cardinal Basil Hume [then Archbishop of Westminster] was a big fan of the show. So I like to think Pope Francis handpicked his favourite comedians to come to the Vatican, but I don’t know. I mean, you do wonder what goes on in the Vatican – is it bingo in the morning and then they watch boxsets in the afternoon?” The Pontiff might approve more of O’Hanlon’s latest venture, anyway. After two fairly dark previous novels, his new one, A Plot to Die For is a cosy-crime murder mystery with a distinctly warm hea…

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Philippa Perry talks the "cosy crime" renaissance, neighbour Richard Coles and husband Grayson Perry
type: item
date: 2026-04-27T16:00:21.000Z
creator: Ginny Dougary
subject: Books
subject: Interview
subject: Magazine
description: Philippa Perry’s first foray into fiction is about a psychotherapist who turns to solving crime. A case of art imitating life?
encoded: This article first appeared in Radio Times magazine. When psychotherapist and agony aunt Philippa Perry first became known as a public figure, with what was then her trademark silver and badger-black-striped bob (now caramel and strawberry blonde), it was as the wife of the Turner Prize-winning artist Sir Grayson Perry. Over the years, her own profile has changed as the books she has written – full of generous wisdom arising out of her practice – became global bestsellers, with 2019’s The Book You Wish Your Parents Had Read (and Your Children Will Be Glad That You Did) selling more than a million copies and being translated into over 40 languages. Now she has moved into fiction with a cosy crime novel, Shrink Solves Murder. And if the reader had any doubt that its heroine Patricia Phillips (yes, same initials and, yes, the echo of the surname) is at least partly based on its author, there is the familiar bob-and-bright-specs face in the O of the “Solves” on the book’s cover to give you a clue. It’s set in a village very similar to the one near Eastbourne where Philippa bought a cottage 28 years ago, so that she could swim in the sea all year round (like her heroine) and Grayson could go mountain-biking in the hills. It’s where she wrote most of the book and where they spend summers and go for weekends. She likes the genre herself: “I enjoy reading them and they are good for indulging my love of village gossip, and to invent a load of characters who we either want to spend time with because we like them or we enjoy despising them. “In real life we never really get endings because life moves on all the time. We all have terrible problems and we’re not quite sure how they’re going to end up. So it’s very comforting when there is an ENORMOUS problem [her voice becomes very loud for effect] of a MURDER – that gets solved.” Richard Coles is a friend and she likes his forays into soft murder; ditto Richard Osman, Janice Hallett and her favourite, Anthony Horowitz: “It’s a …

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Jeremy Vine reveals why he wants Harry Potter legend to play his new murder mystery hero
type: item
date: 2026-04-20T16:00:49.000Z
creator: Bill Borrows
subject: Books
subject: Interview
subject: Magazine
description: Inspired by Agatha Christie, Jeremy Vine is reuniting readers with Sidmouth radio host/sleuth Edward Temmis.
encoded: This article first appeared in Radio Times magazine. “I remember exactly where I was,” says Jeremy Vine of his childhood introduction to the Queen of Crime. “I was having a Saturday morning lie-in and my mum came in. I was 11 years old. She said, ‘You might enjoy this,’ and handed me a copy of Hercule Poirot’s Christmas by Agatha Christie.” His mother’s educated guess would turn out to be an understatement on a grand scale. “[The book has a] brilliant set-up. Millionaire brings his family to celebrate Christmas, tells them he’s changing his will but, before he can do that, he’s killed in an otherwise empty room and the only clue is a small piece of rubber. And that’s it. I was hooked.” Vine spent his teenage years devouring all 66 Christie detective stories and thrillers and so it’s hardly surprising that, with books about his professional life and a novel, The Diver and the Lover, already behind him, he was tempted to gravitate towards the genre he knows best. His first detective novel, Murder on Line One, was published in 2022 and his second, Turn the Dial for Death, is released this month. The hero of both is Edward Temmis, a 43-year-old radio talkshow presenter. Sound familiar? “I met a publisher who works at HarperCollins and she said, ‘If you want to do crime, you want to set it somewhere where you really understand the mechanics,’” he says of the mise-en-scène for his series of books – he is now working on the third, part of a book deal that was struck after Murder on Line One became a Sunday Times bestseller. “My wife is from Devon and we used to go to Sidmouth every summer on holiday with our two girls – if it had a radio station it would be exactly like the one I describe. You’ve got this tussle between the old DJs and the young DJs, a constant battle to keep the audience, ward off the competition and deal with all the presenters’ insecurities.” What makes this particular occupation of the chief protagonist ideal for a whodunnit? “Edward has got quite a go…

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Heated Rivalry author gives update on upcoming Ilya and Shane novel Unrivaled: "I rewrite a lot"
type: item
date: 2026-04-20T15:23:24.000Z
creator: Keela Elliott
subject: Books
subject: News
description: Following the last novel, Shane and Ilya's relationship is public. Where will Rachel Reid take them now?
encoded: Following the majorly successful adaptation, author of the Game Changers series, Rachel Reid, has shared an update on the upcoming sequel to the Heated Rivalry novel titled Unrivalled. In a discussion with Entertainment Weekly, Reid stated that she "was working on it secretly right up until January, when it was announced," two days after the release of the hit TV series. As the title suggests, the story revolves around two rival hockey players, Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov, who are forced to hate each other due to playing for opposing teams. However, they fall in love and are forced to learn how to navigate their feeling with their jobs and other challenges they are faced with. As much speculation has been shared online regarding the next book instalment, Reid has shared how she feels about releasing another novel, saying: "I like it. I’m very happy with it. I’m giving myself some time in the next few months to just really focus on that and nothing else to make it as good as it can possibly be before it goes to my editor, because it’s really important.” The Game Changers collection is a seven book-long LGBTQ+ series, with each instalment focusing on a professional hockey player finding love and navigating their way through high-stakes situations and the often homophobic culture of the National Hockey League (NHL). Following the success of the books and the Heated Rivalry series, Reid shared the pressure she’s been feeling to satisfy readers with the sequel: “I feel like more than any other book I’ve written, this one needs to be really good. "I hope I’m giving people what they want out of this. I hope what I want is what other people want. I still am making decisions about the plot with some things. I rewrite a lot. There’s parts of the book I’ve rewritten and changed so many times. But hopefully I’ve made the right decisions and, generally, it’s going well.” Unrivalled will be a direct continuation of the latest Game Changers instalment, The Long Game, the sixt…

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Divergent author announces two more books in series – but with a major twist for heroine Tris
type: item
date: 2026-04-20T13:03:58.000Z
creator: Keela Elliott
subject: Books
subject: TV
subject: News
description: What if Tris didn’t choose Dauntless?
encoded: Veronica Roth, author of the Divergent book series, has confirmed two new novels in the series – 15 years after the originals were released. She announced at BookCon in New York City that she has written the novels and, when speaking to USA Today, explained that they are “not a prequel, not a sequel, not a spin-off, not a different POV, but an alternate universe of Divergent where Tris chooses a different faction”. In the original story, protagonist Tris, depicted in the film series by Shailene Woodley, decides to enter the Dauntless faction at her Choosing Ceremony after being a member of Abnegation all her life. The story revolves around her trying to fit into the faction, renowned for its brave but slightly barbaric nature. Roth shared: “I think the question of ‘who is Tris without Dauntless?’ is an interesting one.” This will certainly be a question amongst fans of the series, as being a member of Dauntless is a major part of Tris's self-discovery and how she meets her love interest, Four – also known as Tobias Eaton – portrayed in the films by Theo James. However, Roth teased that the same characters may still appear in the story: “You’d think that certain things wouldn’t happen because she makes a different faction choice, but she does find her way to the same people. Seeing how that happens is a really fun part of it.” The first of the two books to be released, named The Sixth Faction, will be available to readers from 6 October. With the title suggesting a whole new faction to the ones audiences will be familiar with, Roth has shared her excitement for franchise fans to share their opinions on the new angle to the story. The original novels, all released annually from 2011, starting with Divergent, then Insurgent and Allegiant, introduced audiences to Tris Prior as a teenage girl living in Chicago after an apocalypse that divides society into five factions. Tris later discovers that she does not fit into any one of the factions, making her Divergent, so she …

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30 best romance books to make you believe in love again: From Emily Henry to Jilly Cooper
type: item
date: 2026-04-16T06:00:08.000Z
creator: Fleurine Tideman
subject: Books
subject: RT Book Club
description: Will it be love at first page? Crack open one of these swoon-worthy romances and find out.
encoded: There’s a reason romance novels are one of the most popular genres out there; there’s something universally compelling about love, and the whirlwind experience of falling into it. While the genre is sometimes dismissed, the sales figures and massive social media followings tell a very different story. Simply put: we can’t resist a good love story. And sometimes, we need one. Whether it’s after being ghosted, attending yet another wedding solo, or discovering your partner has still left their socks on the floor, romance fiction offers the perfect escape. When dating apps feel exhausting or your other half is working late again, it’s time to turn to a novel that reminds you what falling in love can feel like. From Emily Henry’s sun-soaked tales of self-discovery to Jilly Cooper’s glamorous, high-stakes romantic sagas, these 30 books prove that romance at its best can make you fall in love with every page. Spanning first crushes, second chances, enemies-to-lovers tension and heart-racing chemistry, they capture love in all its messy, magical glory, and might just make you believe in it all over again. 30 best romance books Into the Blue by Emma Brodie You Again by Kate Goldbeck Every Summer After by Carley Fortune Happy Ending by Chloe Liese And Now, Back to You by BK Borison Can You Keep a Secret? by Sophie Kinsella Beach Read by Emily Henry As a Last Resort by Kristin Wollett Rivals by Jilly Cooper Left of Forever by Tarah DeWitt Funny Story by Emily Henry We Met Like This by Kasie West Done and Dusted by Lyla Sage Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston It Happened on a Sunday by Tracy Wolff First-Time Caller by BK Borison Well, Actually by Mazey Eddings Friends with Benefits by Marisa Kanter Dukes and Dekes by Torie Jean The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks The High Dive by Chelsea Fagan Problematic Summer Romance by Ali Hazelwood Part of Your World by Abby Jimenez The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren It Happened One Summer by Tessa Bailey The Hating Game by Sally …

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Mary Beard reveals what President Donald Trump and the emperors of Ancient Rome have in common
type: item
date: 2026-04-13T16:00:18.000Z
creator: Bill Borrows
subject: Books
subject: Interview
subject: Magazine
description: Dame Mary Beard has spent her life at close quarters with the ancient world – but her new book proves she’s intent on proving its ties to the present.
encoded: This article first appeared in Radio Times magazine. The thing about Classics is that it’s very zingy at the moment,” says Dame Mary Beard, smiling benignly in her study below a fragmentary William De Morgan tile image of a scene in Italy. “Do you know what I mean?” Er… no. “Yes you do. ‘Zingy’, as in it’s doing well. There are lots of people out there taking Classics to schools. It’s ‘zingy’ as in full of life.” Sorry, yes, of course. And no, I had no idea. But, I explain, I had also been under the impression that she alone had been tasked with promoting the subject to the mainstream world. “I’m always very anxious to say that Classics is a really live subject,” she responds with a reproving flicker. “There are loads of people writing things just as interesting or more interesting than me.” But then they’re not known as “the world’s most famous classicist” or any of the other epithets that accompany Beard’s appearances in the media. “Embarrassingly so,” she sighs. “It does make it look as if I’m somehow the only one out there. But it’s only because I was on the BBC and it converted me a little into the public face of the subject.” She pauses and takes a sip of wine. “I would be very surprised if people didn’t think, ‘Oh God, it’s Mary Beard on the television again’, whenever I’m on. But my colleagues in Cambridge have been so supportive of what I do that I couldn’t possibly complain about whatever they say [about me] when I’m not listening.” Her latest book, Talking Classics: the Shock of the Old, is essentially a distillation of three lectures she gave at the University of Chicago in 2023 about, as she puts it in the introduction, “Why should we bother about what people did 2,000 years ago; what they made, wrote and thought?” It is a question you would expect her to answer with room to spare. And she does – but with a twist. “A lecture is different,” she says. “In print, you can’t bring people with you in real time so I decided not to say, ‘The point of Classics i…

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25 best TV adaptations of books of all time
type: item
date: 2026-04-09T06:00:19.000Z
creator: Helen Daly
subject: Books
subject: RT Book Club
description: From page to screen, these are the best book-to-TV adaptations ever.
encoded: More and more, TV producers are seeking inspiration for gripping stories to tell in a competitive world where they're vying for our attention across linear channels and streaming giants. Often, the best stories come from books, where authors have the time and space to flesh out a story and the necessary characters in order to build a believable world - one that those looking for something to bring to life can adapt easily. Over the years, some of our most beloved TV shows started life as a paperback, including the likes of Killing Eve, Game of Thrones and Bridgerton. Radio Times has compiled a list of the greatest ever adaptations to grace screens ever - did your favourite make the list? 25 best ever TV adaptations of books: Killing Eve Pride and Prejudice Lord of the Flies Game of Thrones His Dark Materials Normal People And Then There Were None Tales of the City I, Claudius Slow Horses Poldark Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy The Handmaid's Tale Big Little Lies The Night Manager Bridgerton IT One Day Sharp Objects Heated Rivalry Pachinko Wuthering Heights Brideshead Revisited Wolf Hall The Summer I Turned Pretty Killing Eve (2018) It's hard to imagine Killing Eve on the page after it was so expertly brought to life in season 1 by Fleabag's Phoebe Waller-Bridge with Jodie Comer taking the lead role of the complex Villanelle. Sandra Oh brought a grounding to Eve, making a perfect match against the playful villain. The second it hit the screens, fans were captivated especially by the visuals including *that* Molly Goddard pink dress, which simply couldn't be replicated on the page. Killing Eve became an expert lesson in taking excellent source material and improving it exponentially. Read the book: Codename Villanelle - Luke Jennings Pride and Prejudice (1995) You don't even have to have seen this version of Pride and Prejudice - you'll still be able to bring some key imagery from the series to mind (that lake scene). However, many people did watch it - in fact, the final e…

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New James Bond novel announced from acclaimed spin-off author with "an extraordinarily timely story"
type: item
date: 2026-04-01T08:00:05.000Z
creator: Molly Moss
subject: Books
subject: News
description: Young Bond author Charlie Higson is returning to the world of Ian Fleming’s spy in a new novel.
encoded: A new novel from Young Bond author Charlie Higson has been announced – and it will be his first full-length book tackling adult 007. The new novel, titled KING ZERO, will be published in the UK/Commonwealth by Penguin Michael Joseph and is scheduled for release on 24 September 2026. Higson – who wrote five books featuring a young Bond between 2005 and 2008 – made his first foray into the adventures of an adult 007 in 2023 novella On His Majesty's Secret Service, which was released to mark the coronation of King Charles III and saw Bond tasked with thwarting an attempt to disrupt proceedings. KING ZERO will continue those adventures. "Beginning with the murder of an agent in Saudi Arabia by a weapon never before seen by the Secret Service and spanning the globe in an epic race against time to avert global catastrophe, the novel brings the literary Bond squarely into the twenty-first century, where the old world that made him is crumbling and a terrifying new order emerges while a dangerous villain – the most distinctive since Goldfinger – moves in the shadows," the official synopsis teases. Higson said in a statement: “Having warmed up with my Young Bond series, and the short story, On His Majesty’s Secret Service, I’m beyond excited to be writing my first full blown adult Bond adventure. 20 years after first writing The name’s Bond, James Bond,' it still sends shivers down my spine every time I type it." He continued: "I'm having a blast with this new novel, which is absolutely set in the modern world, and I hope will sit comfortably on the airport bookshelves alongside other contemporary thrillers. It embraces the worlds of both the literary Bond and the cinematic Bond, and my bad guy has all the elements we expect from a classic Bond villain, with a twist that’s not been done before.” Publisher Joel Richardson acquired rights for the novel from Viola Hayden and Ciara Finan at Curtis Brown, on behalf of Ian Fleming Publications Ltd. Richardson said: “There’s no cha…

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Jo Nesbø books in order: How to read all Detective Harry Hole stories
type: item
date: 2026-03-26T07:00:08.000Z
creator: Helen Daly
subject: Books
subject: Contains Trailer
subject: RT Book Club
description: Get to know Jo Nesbø's iconic thrillers.
encoded: Jo Nesbø is the undisputed king of Nordic noir, and his Harry Hole novels are essential reading for anyone who loves a masterfully plotted crime thriller. With a career spanning decades and millions of books sold worldwide, Nesbø’s stories are as addictive as they are dark, and knowing where to start – and what to read next – makes all the difference. Read on for how to approach Nesbø’s books in order, whether you’re a newcomer or a seasoned fan looking to catch up before the next big release. Harry Hole books in order The Harry Hole series is the backbone of Nesbø’s bibliography, following the brilliant but troubled Oslo detective through a series of increasingly complex and dangerous cases. Reading these in order is the best way to experience Harry’s personal and professional journey, as character arcs and plot threads build from book to book. So here’s the definitive order: The Bat (1997) Cockroaches (1998) The Redbreast (2000) Nemesis (2002) The Devil’s Star (2003) The Redeemer (2005) The Snowman (2007) The Leopard (2009) Phantom (2011) Police (2013) The Thirst (2017) Knife (2019) Killing Moon (2023) Kill Shot (2026, upcoming) Each novel can be read as a standalone, but the full power of the series comes from following Harry’s evolution – and downfall – across the sequence. If you’re only picking one, The Snowman is the breakthrough title that propelled Nesbø to international fame, but starting at the beginning delivers the most satisfying journey. Nesbø’s other books While Harry Hole is his most famous creation, Nesbø’s talent stretches far wider. He’s written a number of standalone novels, each with his signature tension and sharp plotting. Blood on Snow in order: Blood on Snow (2014): Olav, a solitary contract killer, falls in love with his boss’s wife – only to be hired to murder her, trapping him in a dangerous dilemma. Midnight Sun (2015): Jon flees a crime boss and hides in a remote northern Norweigan town, helped by a grieving mother and her son. As the …

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Richard Osman's We Chase Shadows release date: When is it published?
type: item
date: 2026-03-23T17:15:07.000Z
creator: Helen Daly
subject: Books
description: Everything you need to know about We Chase Shadows.
encoded: Book release date: September 2026 Publisher: Viking (Penguin Random House) Author: Richard Osman Last updated: Friday 13th March 2026 Upcoming book We Chase Shadows, by Richard Osman, is set to be released in September 2026. The new novel continues Osman's run of best-selling mysteries and is eagerly awaited by fans of his previous work. It will be available in hardback via Viking (Penguin Random House). The book will follow the mis-matched detective trio of Amy, Rose and Steve as they pursue a ruthless killer across Italy, Palm Springs, Barcelona and Steve's local village pub, uncovering an impossible case where everyone seems to be hiding something. Read on for all we know so far about We Chase Shadows, including its release date. We Chase Shadows release date: When is it published? We Chase Shadows by Richard Osman is scheduled for release on 10 September 2026. The novel is the second instalment in Osman's We Solve Murders series, following the adventures of private security officer Amy Wheeler, her father-in-law Steve Wheeler and Rosie D'Antonio. The official synopsis teases a body discovered on the steps of a private villa in the Italian hills, setting the trio on a globe-trotting investigation filled with the usual intrigue. What is We Chase Shadows about? We Chase Shadows sees Amy, Rose and Steve return for another high-stakes case. This time, the team is drawn into a mystery that stretches from the Italian countryside to Palm Springs, via Barcelona and Steve's sleepy village pub. As they chase an elusive and ruthless killer, the detectives find themselves navigating a world where everyone has secrets and nothing is quite as it seems. According to Osman, the book promises "lots of thrills, lots of laughs, and lots of murders". Where can I buy We Chase Shadows? We Chase Shadows is available for pre-order now. For all the latest RT Book Club news, interviews, Q&As with the authors, reviews of previous books and more, visit The Radio Times Book Club.

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Emma Chapman: "If intelligent life has evolved and wants to send us a message, they'll develop a radio telescope to do that"
type: item
date: 2026-03-23T17:00:49.000Z
creator: Ed Grenby
subject: Books
subject: Interview
subject: Magazine
description: The signals that bring us radio and TV could also let us talk to extraterrestrial life, says Emma Chapman.
encoded: This article first appeared in Radio Times magazine. When humans eventually make contact with aliens, we’ll be able talk to them about sitcoms. “There’s something called the I Love Lucy Radius,” explains author and astrophysicist Emma Chapman, referencing the long-running US comedy series of the 1950s. Thanks to its massive popularity, “its broadcast caused significant emissions of radio waves [used in early TVs as well as radios] into space. We were very loud to the universe at that point. And the I Love Lucy Radius is how far those radio waves have travelled in the 75 years since they were broadcast – which now encapsulates a few planets beyond our solar system. If there is life on those worlds, they’ll have seen I Love Lucy.” Chapman’s new book, Radio Universe, is full of fantastic little fact-blasts like that, but there’s something especially delicious about listening to them on Radio 4, where the work is this week’s Book of the Week, because the technology you’re utilising is the very same as that Chapman uses to listen in to the echoes of the Big Bang in her day job as a Royal Society research fellow at Nottingham University. “When you extend the antenna on your radio – or switch on your mobile phone, which also has miniaturised antennas in it – you’ll be receiving radio waves from big stations like London’s BT Tower,” she explains, “and that’s how The Archers arrives safely to you. Radio astronomy is just using a different size or shape of antenna, and pointing them upwards to receive waves from solar flares or space weather or pulses from a spinning pulsar star or matter actually swirling and falling into a black hole.” She’s not wrong about using a different size of antenna: if you’ve seen GoldenEye or Contact, you’ve seen Puerto Rico’s 1,000-foot Arecibo radio telescope. But just as impressive, apparently – and Chapman has worked at both – is the Square Kilometre Array Telescope currently being built in the Western Australian desert, which will consist of …

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Will there be a The Thursday Murder Club book 6 from Richard Osman?
type: item
date: 2026-03-23T14:25:17.000Z
creator: Helen Daly
subject: Books
subject: Contains Trailer
subject: RT Book Club
description: Everything we know so far about the next instalment in Richard Osman's beloved crime series.
encoded: Book release date: Not yet confirmed Publisher: Not yet confirmed Author: Richard Osman Last updated: 23 March 2026 The Thursday Murder Club series, penned by Richard Osman, has become a staple for crime fiction fans. After the release of The Impossible Fortune in September 2025, readers are already eager for news of a sixth book. While there has been no official announcement regarding the next title or its release date, the anticipation is palpable. Osman’s books have consistently delivered both compelling mysteries and memorable character development. Each release has been met with enthusiasm, and the series now enjoys global popularity, bolstered further by a star-studded Netflix adaptation. As of now, speculation about the sixth book is rife, but concrete details remain under wraps. For those hoping to mark their calendars, there is unfortunately no confirmed date for the next Thursday Murder Club novel. However, Osman’s track record and recent updates suggest the story is far from over. Will there be a The Thursday Murder Club book 6? At present, there is no confirmed release date for the sixth book in The Thursday Murder Club series. The most recent entry, The Impossible Fortune, was published on 25 September 2025. Previous books in the series have typically followed an annual release pattern, though there is no official word that this will continue. Richard Osman has hinted at his ongoing commitment to the series. It has been confirmed that a sixth book is planned, with publication in the United States expected in either 2026 or 2027. However, there is no concrete news regarding a UK publication date or further specifics. What could The Thursday Murder Club Book 6 be about? There has been no synopsis or official word about the plot or focus of the sixth book at time of writing. With The Impossible Fortune having shifted the group’s dynamic and allowed other characters to step into the spotlight, readers can likely expect further development of the core cast. …

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I thought I'd made a friend – then I found out she was a spy. Here's what I learned about real-world espionage
type: item
date: 2026-03-20T07:00:31.000Z
creator: Tim Hardy
subject: Books
subject: TV
subject: Interview
description: "For two or three weeks, she was my office friend, and we chatted. She asked a lot of questions about my past, my background, how I ended up in England, just the kind of questions that people ask all the time, but lots of them. And I didn't really notice – until she completely disappeared."
encoded: It was not Ava Glass's job to count the dead children. Her job was to hold ministers and intelligence services to account for the toxic cloud drifting from the burning factory towards the village, and the armed terrorists on the run. Happily, the children - the spies and soldiers now drinking tea in red tabards - were roles in a counterterrorism exercise. Earlier, their tabards had been yellow, labelled "Child"; now "Dead", they waited. Cameras captured everything. The chiefs sat in the control room, observing the feeds. When there was no progress, the press warned of mounting panic. When civilians died, they lingered on the horror. "Somebody would call me occasionally and say, 'This is'" – the placeholder brackets are audible – "'[Insert name of famous cabinet minister]', and sometimes they were, and sometimes they weren't," says Glass, who was working in counterterrorism communications at the time. "Sometimes they were MI6 and pretending to be the cabinet minister. And they would say, 'We need you to write an article that says this and be as harsh as you like – we're trying to upset them. You're not being fierce enough in your coverage.' So then I would write something – often about my own boss – that was horrifically harsh. Because the whole idea was to put pressure on them. They had to be under pressure because in real life, the pressure would be unbearable." Glass has many aliases. She wrote the young adult Night School series as CJ Daugherty, the Harper McClain crime thriller series as Christi Daugherty, and the Alias Emma spy series as Ava Glass. And now, she has written the thriller The Hiding Season as AC Glass. The last at her publisher's insistence: men, they claim, won't read a thriller by a woman. She's not convinced. She's done well since leaving her role in counterterrorism communications. Her sales of spy fiction – "the most male genre I think I've ever encountered" – are strong, and the Alias Emma series has also been optioned for television. Produc…

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Remembering Len Deighton: The Ipcress File author reveals how he wrote a best-seller that imagines what would happen if Hitler won World War II
type: item
date: 2026-03-17T17:13:26.000Z
creator: Len Deighton
subject: Books
subject: Comment
description: In this piece from the RT Archives, novelist Len Deighton opens up about writing SS-GB.
encoded: Today, it was announced that British author Len Deighton has sadly passed away at the age of 97. Deighton was best known for his spy novels including The Ipcress File (1962), which was turned into a Bafta-winning film starring Michael Caine, before being remade as an ITV series in 2022 in which Peaky Blinders’ Joe Cole played the leading role. In this piece from the Radio Times archive, Deighton explains the writing process behind his 1987 novel SS-GB, which imagines a Nazi-occupied Britain. The novel was given the TV treatment by the BBC in 2017 in an adaptation starring Sam Riley and Kate Bosworth. Sometimes the trigger for a book comes all at once. That’s how it was for SS-GB. “No one knows what would have happened after 1940 if we had lost the war,” said my editor. It was about ten o’clock at night and we were sitting drinking (nothing stronger than coffee), talking about the research I’d carried out for my history books Fighter and Blitzkrieg. “To some extent, we do know,” I said. “The German archives reveal the plans for the occupation and the personnel that would have made up the German occupying force. It makes fascinating reading.” “Would it make a book?” asked the other man at our table, my close friend Ray Hawkey. “Perhaps. But what kind of book?” “An ‘alternative world’ story,” said Ray. Ray had been a classmate at the Royal College of Art and had contributed a great deal to the success of my books. Not only did he design the dust jackets (his Ipcress File cover was a game-changer) but all manner of other sensational promotional accessories. For SS-GB he would produce booklets of British Hitler-head postage stamps that have become much sought-after. But I was not immediately attracted to the idea of an “alternative world” story. I had avoided anything in the nature of science fiction or fantasy and, as always, my next three years of writing were already roughly planned. It was the mid 1970s and I’d become a writer almost by accident. For much of my worki…

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Viola Davis and bestselling author James Patterson reveal their inspiration for abortion courtroom drama "about America right now"
type: item
date: 2026-03-16T17:00:34.000Z
creator: Bill Borrows
subject: Books
subject: Interview
subject: Magazine
description: The actor is James Patterson’s latest collaborator for a powerful new novel about abortion rights in Trump’s America.
encoded: This article first appeared in Radio Times magazine. Collaborations don’t get much more intriguing than this: Oscar-winning actor Viola Davis (who also has Emmy, Grammy and Tony awards crowding her mantelpiece) and bestselling crime writer James Patterson have teamed up to produce Judge Stone, a topical, button-pushing page-turner. As fans of Patterson’s thrillers might expect, the drama hits hard and fast. A 13-year-old girl in a conservative small town in the Deep South of MAGA America is pregnant and a respected local doctor is about to commit a Class A felony under the Alabama Human Life Protection Act – in other words, he’s about to perform an abortion. The novel is set after the 2022 decision of the US Supreme Court to overturn Roe vs Wade, and “trigger laws” designed to restrict women’s access to abortion have reached the statute book. Even rape and incest are no longer grounds for a termination in Alabama and several other States. Given the title of the novel, it’s no spoiler to reveal that this is essentially a courtroom drama but, of course, it’s also much more than that. Judge Mary Stone will hear the case against Dr Bria Gaines, but the reality of their lives beyond the legal proceedings brings further considerations to bear. Both for the characters and the reader. “Yes, I want to say everything we can about America right now,” says Patterson, when asked if the book amounts to a state-of-the-nation address. “Many years ago I went to Vanderbilt [University] in Tennessee… I loved To Kill a Mockingbird and I’ve always wanted to do something in terms of a big courtroom case in the South and try to make it as controversial as that.” Harper Lee’s 1960 Pulitzer-winning novel took on racial injustice, questioned uncomfortable truths and spoke to personal morality. Judge Stone follows in the same footsteps but is not subject to the accusation that the narrative comes from a solely white perspective. My agent called and said, ‘Would you like to collaborate on a bo…

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Nadiya Hussain reveals feelings on parting ways with the BBC: "I'd had really difficult conversations"
type: item
date: 2026-03-09T17:00:34.000Z
creator: Gemma Calvert
subject: Books
subject: Interview
subject: Magazine
description: Nadiya Hussain on the end of her relationship with the BBC – and why she’d like to be more like Prue Leith.
encoded: This article first appeared in Radio Times magazine. After winning The Great British Bake Off in 2015, Nadiya Hussain became one of television’s biggest breakout stars – a stay-at-home mum turned global cooking personality with a string of TV programmes, books and endorsements to her name. Then, last year, the BBC cancelled her shows and Hussain, 41, retreated from public view, only recently stepping forward again to promote her latest book Nadiya’s Quick Comforts – this time without a supporting TV series. “It’s sad because I love showing people how to make recipes and how excited I am about them,” says Hussain, before admitting that “near the end” of her relationship with the Beeb, she had voiced concerns about how her programmes were being made. “I’d had really difficult conversations,” she says. “I was like, ‘These are the people I don’t want to work with any more. This doesn’t align with me any more. I need the recipes to be the focus. I need it to be less about what I’m wearing, the props and the colour of my lipstick. It needs to be about the food.’ Not long after, my show was cancelled.” A recent news story suggested one reason the BBC pulled the plug was because Hussain had become “increasingly difficult to work with”. What’s her take? “If I was less vocal and I’d shut my mouth and did as I was told all the time, there’s a likelihood that I would have jobs that I don’t have now,” she replies. “Unfortunately, as a woman – and a woman of colour – if you speak up, often it’s considered ‘being difficult’ or ‘being a nuisance’, whereas I know, from experience, that if I was a man, they’d be like, ‘Oh, you know what he’s like.’ ” To date, “other offers” from broadcasters have “for now” been declined, but if Hussain’s next chapter is in television, she insists the terms will change: “Unless it’s with purpose, I’m not doing it. I’ve been doing this for 11 years and I very rarely see a diverse set or meeting. Often, people of colour and from ethnic minority backgrou…

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How to read Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander books in order
type: item
date: 2026-03-09T11:13:10.000Z
creator: Fleurine Tideman
subject: Books
subject: RT Book Club
description: We've put together the ultimate guide to the beloved time-travel series.
encoded: Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander series has become an absolute phenomenon, celebrated for its epic blend of romance, historical adventure and time-travel twists. Its devoted fan base is made up of readers of all ages, inspired not only by the main novels but also by the hit Outlander TV adaptation and spin-offs such as Blood of My Blood. Whether you’re a longtime enthusiast of Jamie and Claire or just discovering the allure of the Scottish Highlands, here’s a complete guide to reading the Outlander books in order. How to read the Outlander books and spin-offs in order Virgins (a novella found in Seven Stones to Stand or Fall) Outlander Dragonfly in Amber A Fugitive Green (a novella found in Seven Stones to Stand or Fall) Voyager Lord John and the Hellfire Club (a short story featured in Lord John and the Hand of Devils) Lord John and the Private Matter (a standalone novel) Lord John and the Succubus (a short story found in Lord John and the Hand of Devils) Lord John and the Brotherhood of the Blade (a standalone novel) Lord John and the Haunted Soldier (a short story found in Lord John and the Hand of Devils) The Custom of the Army (a short story found in Seven Stones to Stand or Fall) The Scottish Prisoner (a standalone novel) A Plague of Zombies (a short story found in Seven Stones to Stand or Fall) Besieged (a short story found in Seven Stones to Stand or Fall) Drums of Autumn The Fiery Cross A Breath of Snow and Ashes An Echo in the Bone Written in My Own Heart's Blood A Leaf on the Wind of All Hallows (a short story found in Seven Stones to Stand or Fall) The Space Between (a short story found in Seven Stones to Stand or Fall) Go Tell the Bees That I Am Gone What happens in Outlander by Diana Gabaldon? In Outlander, Claire Randall, a World War II-era combat nurse, is mysteriously transported back in time to 1743 Scotland while on a second honeymoon with her husband. She becomes entangled in the Jacobite uprising and must navigate a dangerous and unfamiliar world, whe…

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Nick Hornby crowns Nero Book Awards winner as he discusses his next novel
type: item
date: 2026-03-05T17:32:33.000Z
creator: Rob Leane
subject: Books
subject: Exclusive
subject: Interview
subject: RT Book Club
description: What is Hornby working on?
encoded: “ It's incredibly helpful to win a prize like this with your first book,” Nick Hornby told us backstage at the Nero Book Awards last night (Wednesday 4 March 2026). Hornby — the acclaimed author behind such beloved books as High Fidelity, Fever Pitch and About a Boy — served as the Head Judge at this year’s Nero Book Awards, which ultimately gave its top prize to debut author Claire Lynch for her book A Family Matter. “I won a prize for my first book,” Hornby recalled, “and I know the difference that it made for me at the time. And it's not just this one. It’s Claire's second book, as well, which will have more attention as a result of the first book doing perhaps better than she might have anticipated because of the spotlight that will be on it after today.” So, what made Lynch’s novel — which tells the story of a family torn apart by secrets across two generations — deserving of the prestigious Nero Gold Prize? “We were all impressed with how confident a debut it was,” Hornby explained. “I mean, it's not the sort of book where you think, ‘Oh, when she's written three or four, she'll be up and running’. It really feels like she knows what she's doing straight away. “I think, tonally, it was pitched perfectly. It's moving, but it starts off with a sad and funny comic set piece. That, I think, immediately got us all on side. It's got this dual time narrative, and the section of the book set in the past, set in the 1980s, was actually quite shocking, in terms of what it indicates about social morals in the eighties, which… the eighties feels quite close to me, and reading this book made it seem a lot further away.” Fans of Hornby’s own work will be wondering, of course, what is the man himself writing at the moment? We couldn’t help but ask. Hornby revealed, “ Well, I've got a novel that I'm halfway through, which will be out next year. “And I have three or four screenplays or TV series, all completely marooned at various points in the process. Waiting for money, wait…

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Rose Ayling-Ellis: "When you grow up not seeing yourself in stories, you don't stop imagining"
type: item
date: 2026-03-05T12:42:20.000Z
creator: Rose Ayling-Ellis
subject: Books
subject: Comment
subject: RT Book Club
description: Rose Ayling-Ellis wrote The Big Bang! to celebrate World Book Day – here, she tells Radio Times why books teach us much more than just how to read.
encoded: I loved Sleepovers, like I did all of Jacqueline Wilson’s books. Usually late at night, hiding under my duvet with a torch, trying to not get caught on a school night. I loved the emotional depth, the messiness, the tragedy, the way her stories never pretended that everything is perfect. What stayed with me, however, was something that felt small at the time but was actually huge. There was a disabled character in that book. Not as a lesson, not as a historical figure. Not a ‘problem to fix’. Just a character. A person. Existing. That representation mattered, but the sadness came with it too, because even as a child, I noticed how rare it was; what I never saw were deaf characters. So I did what children do. I imagined them. I pretended characters were like me. I drew hearing aids on my Barbie. I made space for myself where none existed. When you grow up not seeing yourself in stories, you don’t stop imagining. You imagine more, but imagination shouldn’t have to replace representation. So, I didn’t wait for change – I created the children’s book I wished I had growing up. The Big Bang! is a story about three cats learning how to communicate with each other. I didn’t want the story about “overcoming”, I didn’t want an “inspiration” narrative. I wanted this story to be about trying and trying again. About making mistakes, learning, adapting and meeting each other halfway. Halo and Rocky don’t just expect Casper to change, they learn that they have to do the work too. No one is left behind, no one is made to prove themselves. That is what real inclusion looks like. Not spotlighting difference, but normalising it. Some people may ask, “Surely no child is thinking in that much depth?” Or, “Why is everything so ‘woke’ these days?” But if you’re only noticing representation now, then you’re one of the lucky few who didn’t need it. For some of us, not seeing ourselves was impossible to ignore. And the truth is, I don’t want children to think about representation at all, in …

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Author Sarah J Maas confirms next books in best-selling A Court of Thorns and Roses series
type: item
date: 2026-03-05T12:31:22.000Z
creator: Molly Moss
subject: Books
subject: News
description: The book series has become a global phenomenon.
encoded: Best-selling “romantasy” author Sarah J Maas has announced the release dates for the next two new novels in her A Court of Thorns and Roses series. Maas’ series, which was first published in 2015 and consists of five books, follows 19-year-old huntress Feyre Archeron, who is taken prisoner into the mystical faerie lands of Prythian. During an appearance on the Call Her Daddy podcast on Wednesday evening (4th March), Maas revealed that the sixth and seventh novels in the series are set to hit shelves on 27 October 2026 and 12 January 2027, while also revealing that a third is in the pipeline. She clarified that this will be one story split into four parts across the three books. “The story that was finally ready to come out of me was big — really, really, really big,” she explained. “By the time I got to the end of part one, it was like 400 pages long.” She went on to explain that book six will be part one, book seven part two and three, while book eight will make up part four. “Part one was this huge, huge thing and then I realised it was going to be a book told in four parts. Then I wrote part two and part three and those were really f***ing long," she said. She continued: “Part four has yet to be written because right now I’m trying to just get part one [out]… It’s basically going to be three physical volumes, but it’s one thing all together. It’s meant to be read in one long story, but it’s not a trilogy.” Writing on Instagram after appearing on the Podcast, Maas said: "I wish I had the words to express how grateful I am - truly, deeply, overwhelmingly grateful - to be able to share this news with you. In just a few short months, ACOTAR 6 & 7 will be yours!!! "I know how long you've waited. I know how much these characters mean to you. And I also know these stories deserve more than speed and deadlines. They deserve my best self. They deserve the right moment." She continued: "When the moment came, what I thought would be one book... very quickly became something…

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How to read the Young Sherlock books in order
type: item
date: 2026-03-04T08:00:33.000Z
creator: James Hibbs
subject: Books
subject: Amazon Prime Video
subject: On demand
description: The new Prime Video series focuses on Sherlock's investigations at age 19.
encoded: Following on from his Sherlock Holmes films released in 2009 and 2011, director Guy Ritchie has returned to Arthur Conan Doyle's iconic character with Young Sherlock, a new Prime Video series starring Hero Fiennes Tiffin as the title character. The series sees a 19-year-old Sherlock team up with a new friend, one who will go on to be his arch-nemesis - James Moriarty. At this point, they are detectives together, looking into a case which unravels a globe-trotting conspiracy and leads to an explosive showdown that alters the course of Sherlock's life forever. All eight episodes of the series are available to stream now, but is the show based on a book or series of books? Read on for everything you need to know about the Young Sherlock book series. Is Young Sherlock based on a book? Yes and no. Young Sherlock is loosely based on the spin-off books by Andrew Lane, the Young Sherlock Holmes series, but the use of the word 'loosely' is key. Predominantly, the series tells a brand-new story, and focuses on Sherlock's investigations at a later age than the books. While the books start with Sherlock being aged 14, in the series he is 19 at the start of the run. The novels are all written by Andrew Lane, who has also written a number of books and audio dramas related to Doctor Who and Torchwood. There have been a number of links between Doctor Who and Sherlock Holmes over the years, most prominently the fact that Sherlock, the BBC series which transposed Holmes's adventures to the modern day, was created by two Who writers, Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss. Episodes of that series were also written by Steve Thompson, another screenwriter who has worked on Doctor Who and who has also returned to writing for Holmes in the new series. Thompson is not only a writer on Young Sherlock, but also an executive producer. How many books are there in the Young Sherlock Holmes series? There are eight novels in the Young Sherlock Holmes series in total. They were released between 2010 and 20…

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Dept Q books in order: How to read Jussi Adler-Olsen stories
type: item
date: 2026-03-03T12:00:31.000Z
creator: Helen Daly
subject: Books
subject: RT Book Club
description: Get to know the Dept Q team.
encoded: Jussi Adler-Olsen’s Dept Q series is a cornerstone of modern Scandinavian crime fiction, blending dark, intricate mysteries with sardonic humour and a cast of unforgettable characters. The novels follow Detective Carl Mørck as he heads Copenhagen’s cold case division, unearthing secrets that others would rather stay buried. With the arrival of the Netflix adaptation – relocating the action to Edinburgh and bringing the stories to a new audience – there’s never been a better time to explore the original books in the order they were published. Bear in mind, the books have different titles in the UK compared to the US, so we've stuck with the UK translations here. So here’s your definitive guide to reading the Dept Q series from start to finish. Dept Q books in order: Mercy (2011) - also known as The Keeper of Lost Causes in the US Disgrace (2012) - also known as The Absent One in the US Redemption (2013) - also known as A Conspiracy of Faith in the US Guilt (2013) - also known as The Purity of Vengeance in the US Buried (2014) - also known as The Marco Effect in the US The Hanging Girl (2015) The Scarred Woman (2017) Victim 2117 (2020) The Shadow Murders (2022) Locked In (2024) Mercy (2011) The series opens with Mercy, introducing Detective Carl Mørck, who is sidelined to the newly-created Department Q after a traumatic shooting incident. Tasked with investigating cold cases, Mørck begins with the disappearance of politician Merete Lynggaard, a mystery everyone else has written off as unsolvable. This first novel establishes the series’ signature blend of psychological depth, grim humour and the complex moral landscape of Danish policing, while setting up the dynamic between Mørck and his soon-to-be indispensable assistant, Assad. Disgrace (2012) Disgrace sees Department Q handed a closed case – the brutal murder of a brother and sister two decades earlier. Although someone has confessed, Mørck is unconvinced by the official version and is drawn into a world of privil…

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Richard Osman confirms brand new sequel novel with "lots of thrills" and when fans can expect it
type: item
date: 2026-02-27T13:16:29.000Z
creator: Molly Moss
subject: Books
subject: News
description: Steve, Amy and Rosie D'Antonio will be back...
encoded: Richard Osman has announced a second book in his We Solve Murders series and confirmed when fans can expect it. We Chase Shadows, which Osman has teased will be filled with “lots of thrills, lots of laughs, and lots of murders", is set to be released in September 2026. The author of the best-selling Thursday Murder Club mystery novels – the first of which was recently given the big-screen treatment – said in a video posted on his social media: "I have great news for fans of We Solve Murders: We Solve Murders 2 is on its way. "To celebrate I have got a perfect facsimile of Trouble the Cat on my lap. Steve, Amy and Rosie D'Antonio are back." We Chase Shadows is available for pre-order now. We Solve Murders hit shelves in September 2024. It follows private security officer Amy Wheeler and her father-in-law Steve Wheeler, an ex-policeman turned reluctant private investigator, as the pair solve murders while dodging death at every turn. View oEmbed on the source website “It’s a bit more airport thriller-y than The Thursday Murder Club," Osman told Radio Times of the novel at the time of its release. "I knew I wanted to set myself a new challenge, but this book absolutely has the same sensibility, the same warmth and humour based in characters. I get to go around the world with it, which is nice, but Steve has no interest in that. "I thought a fun character to send on a cat-and-mouse chase around the world would be somebody who’s thinking, 'I hope we get this done by Tuesday because I want to get back for the pub quiz.'" In another interview, Osman also told Radio Times that there will be a television series adaptation of the novel, though he didn’t provide any further details. Add Radio Times as a Preferred Source on Google Keep up to date on what’s worth watching with your favourite entertainment news from Radio Times – see more of our exclusive news and interviews featured prominently in Top Stories when using Google. The official synopsis for We Chase Shadows teases: …

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Harriet Tyce: 'No jury in the land would be able to crack The Traitors'
type: item
date: 2026-02-26T09:00:50.000Z
creator: Helen Daly
subject: Books
subject: Exclusive
subject: Interview
subject: RT Book Club
description: Tyce talks Witch Trial, her latest book out now – and it's unintentional link to The Traitors.
encoded: It's been quite the year already for Harriet Tyce. Fresh off an iconic stint on The Traitors where she put the cat among the pigeons in an explosive episode, Tyce has now returned to the day job – writing crime novels. Her first, Blood Orange, was published in 2019 and immediately climbed charts and placed her firmly in the batch of exciting crime writers to watch out for. But it's her latest novel Witch Trial, which is out today (Thursday 26 February), that's got the most attention. "It's always an exciting time [around publication]. I have to say this time it's like it's on steroids. It's been amplified so much," Tyce tells Radio Times a couple of days before her novel is published. Witch Trial tells the story of two girls who are on trial for the murder of their best friend, Christian. As the trial begins, the story is uncovered through the eyes of the jury who can barely comprehend the story they're being told – and when it takes a supernatural turn, it makes us question everything. "My editor at the time suggested I write a book about teenage serial killers. I wasn't so much interested in a serial killer, but a teenage defendant stuck in my head," Tyce explains about the origins of the novel. "I had become very interested in the idea of jurors, in what each individual person brings to the jury room. And the third bit of the puzzle that was missing was the supernatural element, which came from going to see a production of The Crucible. "I've never done anything with a supernatural element before and I've always been terrified of that kind of thing. It was frightening but it was an interesting frightening because I was looking at subject matters I knew nothing about – and that always brings a level of excitement as well, to embark on a completely new topic." A dark puzzle set in Scotland, supernatural presence and an unlikely bunch of people coming together to determine if someone is guilty or not? Sounds an awful lot like Tyce's recent turn on The Traitors. She …

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Next Heated Rivalry book release date delayed as author Rachel Reid offers health update
type: item
date: 2026-02-25T13:48:31.000Z
creator: Molly Moss
subject: Books
subject: Contains Trailer
subject: News
description: The novel has been delayed by almost a year.
encoded: Rachel Reid, the author of the Game Changers series upon which hit HBO hockey drama Heated Rivalry is based, has delayed the release of her next novel due to health reasons. Unrivaled, which was due to be released in September 2026, will now be published on 1 June 2027. Taking to Instagram on Tuesday, Reid, who was diagnosed with Parkinson's in 2023, explained that her symptoms have “gotten a bit worse”, which has made “it difficult physically to write”. She added: “Ultimately it’s going to be a much better book and that’s the most important thing to me, and I think it’s going to be better for the readers and better for the characters." Rachel Reid's Game Changers book series is available now Reid published her first novel in the Game Changers series in 2018, before following it up with five further books. Unrivaled is the seventh book in Reid’s novel series, and will continue Ilya and Shane’s story. Following its release on Crave in Canada and HBO Max in the US last November – and on Sky and NOW in January in the UK – Heated Rivalry quickly became a significant hit. The show, which is adapted and directed by Jacob Tierney, follows two rival and closeted NHL superstars – Canadian Shane Hollander (Hudson Williams) and Russian Ilya Rozanov (Connor Storrie) – as they navigate a years-long love story and an environment in which coming out could damage their careers. The series has been praised by fans and critics alike for its sex positivity and its groundbreaking representation of LGBTQ+ athletes. In December, Reid shared that the success of the TV adaptation had helped her access better care for her Parkinson’s disease. In an interview with Variety, the author revealed that a Parkinson’s expert had contacted her after hearing about her diagnosis in a publicity interview for the show. She added: "I've never gotten to talk to a Parkinson's expert. I've been on a five-year waiting list here because I live in a very small place. Now he's found me a Parkinson's expert, a n…

Why Lord of the Flies author William Golding didn't put girls on his classic novel's island
type: item
date: 2026-02-23T17:00:20.000Z
creator: Mark Lawson
subject: Books
subject: Interview
subject: Magazine
subject: RT Book Club
description: William Golding’s daughter Judy Carver recalls the seismic effect Lord of the Flies had on her father’s life and work.
encoded: This article first appeared in Radio Times magazine. When Judy Carver was a child, her schoolmaster father regularly sent off a parcel to London that always, to his dejection, came back. She eventually understood that it was a story called Strangers from Within. One day, there was elation in the house. The story was going to become a book. Judy heard the words “Faber and Faber” so often she thought that was now the book’s title rather than the name of the publisher, but Lord of the Flies, written by her father William Golding, was published in September 1954, when Judy was nine. The book is now 72 years old and flourishing again as a four-part BBC One drama that concludes this week. Judy – Carver is her married name – remembers that much-travelled and long-unwanted manuscript: “It was dog-eared. That was one of the things that [editor] Charles Monteith at Faber spotted: other publishers had been reading it, but it was well read only up to a certain point, when people gave up. So he pushed on further, and transformed my father’s life.” Judy agrees that Faber’s choice to call the book Lord of the Flies – a traditional name for the Devil, that also alludes to a buzzily scary scene in the novel – was an improvement on her father’s original. It reflects ominous, mystical qualities in the story of a group of schoolboys stranded on a tropical island following the crash of a government plane evacuating them during a nuclear crisis, who descend into violently competing cliques. Does Strangers from Within, though, address more directly the book’s theme of how people can transform when in extremis? “Well, indeed,” says Judy. “That word ‘strangers’. Another phrase, in an essay my father wrote, is that we are suffering from ‘the terrible disease of being human’. And you could say what he is talking about is an internal intrusion or a malignant growth or something like that.” In one way, the famous title became an irritation to Golding. His daughter’s 2012 memoir, The Children of…

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I quit my job of 25 years to write a book – I felt frozen with fear
type: item
date: 2026-02-23T17:00:04.000Z
creator: Ed Grenby
subject: Books
subject: Interview
subject: Magazine
subject: RT Book Club
description: Jennie Godfrey's new novel is out now.
encoded: This article first appeared in Radio Times magazine. Jennie Godfrey is the author other authors hate. “I think, being really honest, that some of them absolutely do,” she confirms. It’s not that she’s unpleasant or a bad writer (she’s very much neither); what’s put literary backs up is her success, and the apparent ease by which she came by it. Her first novel, 2024’s The List of Suspicious Things topped The Sunday Times charts, was one of the UK’s all-time bestselling debuts, sold 10,000 copies in its first week – and (can you hear those teeth grinding?) was the first thing she’d ever written. “I’ve had lots of people cast aspersions on my route to the bestsellers charts,” she sighs. “I wrote a SubStack post [about it], and I got accused of lying, of having connections in publishing, of secretly working for publishers, of being rich, of having a rich family…” It would all be quite depressing if it weren’t for the fact that, on the other hand, “there are a lot of people who’ve taken great hope from my story. Because when you do start writing, all you hear is how difficult it is, how you’ll never get an agent, you’ll never get a book deal… And particularly women of a certain age [Godfrey is 55], you’re told you’ve missed your chance. And I’m the opposite of all that.” Hers is certainly an inspiring backstory: after a 25-year career in corporate HR, she chucked in the job to pen a book – “before I’d started writing it or even had the idea for it. Which was like jumping off a cliff without a parachute.” The day job that Godfrey says she was “insane” to quit was a good grounding, though, it seems: “As an HR person, people tell you stuff. You get to know their secrets and what lies behind everyone’s façades.” Handy, because that’s very much the subject of her new novel, published earlier this month: “The Barbecue at No 9 is set in July 1985, and takes place over the 12 hours of the Live Aid concert. It’s the story of the residents of a new-build cul-de-sac, and how they …

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Beloved author Marian Keyes reveals why 'chick lit' exposes the "hollowness" of post-feminism
type: item
date: 2026-02-16T17:00:38.000Z
creator: Rosie Millard
subject: Books
subject: BBC
subject: Interview
subject: Magazine
description: Marian Keyes’s novels were seen as fluffy fiction, but a new drama about her Walsh sisters is fun and fearless.
encoded: This article first appeared in Radio Times magazine. The award-winning Irish author Marian Keyes has sold millions of books in an internationally acclaimed career, but still behaves as if she has everything to prove. A few years back she was invited to be on the BBC arts programme Imagine. Her reaction? “You’ve rung me by mistake, it’s Roddy Doyle you want.” And despite the fact that two of her novels have now been adapted into a six-part series, The Walsh Sisters – a cracking, tragicomic saga of five sisters living it large in Dublin – she still doesn’t think she deserves it. “Well, it’s 30 years since my first book was published, and things have been suggested all the time, and nothing ever gets made, and it’s the hope that kills you,” she says. “So I just never bothered expecting it, because I felt there was no point.” When I ask why she’s so down on herself, she widens her green eyes and looks directly at me. “Because I write popular fiction. People were so keen to tell me that that my voice was worthless and my books were worthless…” she shrugs. Not only does Keyes write popular fiction – albeit peppered with Shakespearean allusions and quotes from the King James Bible – but that fiction often comes with pink covers. “I have stayed the course and I have defended myself for a long time, especially with men. I mean, sexism was so rife. It was OK for men to mock books with pink covers.” The eyes get even wider. “The patriarchy was so confident. One great way of hanging on to the power and the money is to mock the things that women love. A woman might read a book and love it. And a man will say, ‘You’re not reading that pink fluff, are you?’ And immediately a woman feels foolish and embarrassed.” Keyes is charming, but there is anger just under the smiley surface. Take her first novel, Watermelon. It deals with a number of the most urgent of female issues (single parenting, the pay gap, body dysmorphia). Yet, when it was published in 1995, it was put into a pink du…

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How to read James Patterson’s Alex Cross books in order
type: item
date: 2026-02-10T15:00:45.000Z
creator: Fleurine Tideman
subject: Books
subject: RT Book Club
description: We've put together the ultimate guide to James Patterson’s Alex Cross series, from his very first case to his latest showdown.
encoded: As Aldis Hodge returns as Alex Cross in the second season of Prime Video's adaptation, simply titled Cross, now could be the perfect time to revisit or read for the first time the novels that inspired it. Over more than three decades, Alex Cross has emerged as one of suspense fiction’s most enduring characters, appearing in 34 novels to date by James Patterson. Of course, the Alex Cross series isn't the only one written by Patterson, but it is a fan favourite, with readers finding themselves hooked by the adventures of the Metropolitan Police Department. Whether you're a newcomer who's enjoying the Prime Video series, a seasoned Cross-head who's read all of the novels, or someone looking for a lighter spin-off fix, you’ll find everything you need to know in this guide to Patterson’s most popular series. Here’s how you read the Alex Cross books in order. How to read the Alex Cross books in order Along Came a Spider (1993) Kiss the Girls (1995) Jack & Jill (1996) Cat & Mouse (1997) Pop Goes the Weasel (1999) Roses Are Red (2000) Violets Are Blue (2001) Four Blind Mice (2002) The Big Bad Wolf (2003) London Bridges (2004) Mary, Mary (2005) Cross (2006) Double Cross (2007) Cross Country (2008) Alex Cross’s Trial (2009) I, Alex Cross (2009) Cross Fire (2010) Kill Alex Cross (2011) Merry Christmas, Alex Cross (2012) Alex Cross, Run (2013) Cross My Heart (2013) Hope to Die (2014) Cross Justice (2015) Cross the Line (2016) The People vs. Alex Cross (2017) Target: Alex Cross (2018) Criss Cross (2019) Deadly Cross (2020) Fear No Evil (2021) Triple Cross (2022) Cross Down (2023) Alex Cross Must Die (2023) The House of Cross (2024) Return of the Spider (2025) What’s the appeal of the Alex Cross series? Meet Alex Cross: a forensic psychologist turned DC detective, a widower raising children and a dogged crime-solver with a heart. Since the first novel was published in 1993, readers have followed Cross through gruesome murders, ruthless masterminds and personal heartache. Patterso…

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