Former Death in Paradise lead recalls stint on beloved show: "I always knew whodunnit!"
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.
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 heart wrapped up in its twisty plot and excellent jokes. (“I don’t love the term ‘cosy’,” he curmudgeons mildly, but will hold his hand up to “fluffy” or “gentle”.) The book’s hero is Finn, a celebrity gardener in the UK who returns to his small Irish home town to care for his elderly mother – not unlike O’Hanlon, it turns out. “The starting point of this novel was that my mother had a pretty bad accident, and she was in recovery for a long time. So I was spending quite a lot of time with her and getting to know her as a person, which was wonderful. I wanted to write the kind of book she would enjoy, but also wanted to celebrate mother-son relationships – so Finn and his mum form this investigative team. “The other theme I was interested in was the whole notion of fame. There’s a line in the book where Finn says he doesn’t like being labelled a celebrity – or, as he puts it, ‘libelled a celebrity’. I can identify with that.” O’Hanlon gets plenty of humour out of both themes. There’s a nice gag about Finn’s bitter TV-gardening rival, ‘Alan Titmouse’ – “and I read that paragraph out when I was a guest on Love Your Weekend with Alan Titchmarsh recently. I think he was a little aghast.” Likewise, you can almost hear the writer’s wry smile when he has Finn sit down to watch an episode of Death in Paradise at one point: O’Hanlon, of course, played the lead role in the Caribbean-set crime show from 2017 to 2020. In fact, in his book’s earliest incarnation, “I thought it would be a brilliant premise, imagining myself back in Guadeloupe being an actor on the show, who off-set was investigating a real murder.” A bit far-fetched, no? “I think I would be a good detective! When I was doing Death in Paradise, I didn’t even have to read the scripts to the end; I always knew whodunnit! Also, for both Finn and me, people do confide in us. I don’t know if it’s my angelic face or that I’m familiar off the TV, but strangers will tell me their innermost secrets.” Sounds like the 60-year-old is a shoo-in for the role if a mooted screen version comes off then? “I’ve done the audiobook, but this is how stupid I am: I wrote a main character that’s about 15 years younger than me – so I’ve blown it for myself. If the show ever gets made, then by the time it does I think I’ll be ready to play Finn’s elderly father.” The latest issue of Radio Times is out now – subscribe here. Check out more of our Books coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Philippa Perry talks the "cosy crime" renaissance, neighbour Richard Coles and husband Grayson Perry
Philippa Perry’s first foray into fiction is about a psychotherapist who turns to solving crime. A case of art imitating life?
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 bit like you’re in a group and you’re listening to all these voices and I kind of wanted to join the group and go, ‘I can do cosy crime, too!’” There are a lot of in-jokes: the florid character Prichard Knowles is a playful take on neighbour Richard Coles who lives just over a field from her. “His sub-personality is a bit like Prichard – always telling you what road he is on, the A21 or the A267.” But does he make filthy drinks like the character (pineapple and cheese vodka, for instance)? “No, but Richard is a very brilliant chef like Prichard – he won MasterChef! It was just a little private joke, me copying Richard because he writes cosy crime.” I ask if she wrote the book as a cynical exercise of cashing in on her name. “No, I’m not doing it for that,” Perry answers evenly. “I’m doing it because I want to enjoy myself. I don’t really need to cash in on anything. But having said that, if I was a brand new author I’d probably find it more difficult getting a deal. I got a very good deal and I think that’s to do with my name.” Her response to a reader of her agony column who wanted to write but was afraid of doing badly was: “The courage to fail is the same courage you need to succeed, so welcome failure. If you are not failing, you’re not trying, so keep failing.” Philippa went on to say that she couldn’t get an agent for her first book and that it took five years to find a publisher. The end of the novel leaves the possibility of a sequel. “I intend to write another and I started sketching the plot, but I never know if I’m going to be able to do it. It’s a bit like climbing a mountain – I don’t know if I’ve got enough puff to get to the top.” As for a television adaptation, she is “in talks”. There’s something pleasingly authentic about Perry: she’s not terrified to say what she thinks. “With my character Pat Phillips I’ve taken that to new extremes. She’ll be rude to strangers if she disapproves of them. I’d like to say that I’m not as authentic as she is. I think she may take authenticity a little bit too far.” Well, she is northern. “I’m northern as well, so I just made her a bit further north!” It has always irritated Perry when people come up to her at parties, when she is mid-conversation, to ask her if she thinks it will be OK for them to interrupt her husband when he is talking to someone. “People do that all the time. I say, ‘He’s much nicer than I am but I’m quite pissed off that you interrupted me!’ To treat me like a receptionist is a bit mad.” She certainly didn’t need his input on the book. Both her husband and the couple’s daughter Flo have read Shrink Solves Murder – but only when it was finished. “Grayson liked it very much,” she says. “Flo wasn’t quite so sure.” The latest issue of Radio Times is out now – subscribe here. Shrink Solves Murder (out 7 May) is available to pre-order at radiotimes.com/shop19. 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. Looking for more reading recommendations? Join the Radio Times Book Club – we offer 3-month or 6-month memberships as well as monthly or quarterly subscriptions where you'll receive a new hardback chosen by the RT team delivered directly to your door!
Jeremy Vine reveals why he wants Harry Potter legend to play his new murder mystery hero
Inspired by Agatha Christie, Jeremy Vine is reuniting readers with Sidmouth radio host/sleuth Edward Temmis.
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 good connection with his listeners and their stories, which is really useful,” explains Vine. “He can find himself confronted with a mystery or whatever, or having to solve something or help somebody, so he’s got that supply the whole time.” 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. On this occasion, the listener with the problem is the prime suspect in the crossbow murder of her doctor husband, despite being in possession of a cast-iron alibi. Meanwhile, the presenter/sleuth also has personal issues to deal with as the radio station finds itself in crisis and there is a mysterious motorbike crash on the Sidmouth seafront, a stretch of real estate that Vine describes as “beautiful and elegant, with these 1930s Georgian shop fronts on the hotels and grilled balustrades”. It all sounds impeccably Agatha. And it is, right down to the plot structure. “I don’t want to give too much away,” he teases, “but one of Agatha Christie’s golden rules is that you’ve got to play fair. You can’t suddenly have the killer appearing in chapter 19 for two pages before he disappears, only to be revealed in chapter 27. You have to give the reader enough clues to solve it, but hopefully they won’t. “I’m looking for about 30–40 per cent to say, ‘Yes, I got it.’ That will be about the right strike rate. If it were less than that, I’d wonder if I’d been playing fair. Another thing she says is, ‘Never underestimate the power of the false witness.’ So if somebody tells a story about a friend of theirs called Peter in chapter one, and how he died in the fog and he had a wooden leg, you will believe it completely, but it might be possible that none of it’s true.” Reports that Murder on Line One has been optioned by the BBC mean that viewers may soon be able to join readers in solving a modern rendering of an Agatha Christie whodunnit. Turn the Dial for Death will surely follow. Vine wants Jason Isaacs to play Temmis (“He was brilliant in The White Lotus and would be perfect for this”) but has he thought about what the residents of Sidmouth might make of their “picturesque and cinematic” seaside town being turned into the murder capital of the UK? “There was a tangle where the owners of the Clock Tower Café thought I was saying there had been a murder on the premises,” he reveals. “But we ended up having a little launch there… and nobody has complained yet. I think if the body count went above 40, like Midsomer Murders, they might have something to say, but we’re still in the low half-dozen.” The latest issue of Radio Times is out now – subscribe here. Turn the Dial for Death is released on 23 April and is available for pre-order now. Check out more of our Books coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Heated Rivalry author gives update on upcoming Ilya and Shane novel Unrivaled: "I rewrite a lot"
Following the last novel, Shane and Ilya's relationship is public. Where will Rachel Reid take them now?
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 sixth book in the series, which has also been adapted for the screen through the Crave Canada show. This succession will pick up from Shane and Ilya’s wedding, their progress to playing for the same team and the realities of love being entwined with work. Now having their relationship in the open for the first time, they must navigate acceptance but also public scrutiny. Reid shared her inspiration and insight for the novel: “[Unrivalled] is really where the world’s gonna judge them, right? ‘Cause now they’re on the same team, it’s in people’s faces, they have to decide how they feel about this. "And they’re gonna be loud about it. I think it’s two sides. There’s gonna be people that are extremely excited and supportive of it – some of it in maybe a parasocial way, which isn’t at all based on reality. And there will also be the other side: just blatantly homophobic and bigoted and terrible.” She continued: “Even though they had their happy ending, it’s a complicated happy ending, and there’s still a lot of things that they’re gonna have to deal with. That’s why I decided to write the book – because I felt like there’s still more story to tell.” Fans of the franchise have a lot to look forward to as creator of the show, Jacob Tierney, teased the season 2 at BookCon stating that the show is taking on “much more serious territory. There’s still lots of flirting, and there’s lots of sex, but it’s this kind of danger". Heated Rivalry is expected to return to HBO Max sometime in April 2027. Unrivalled is set to release on 1 June 2027. 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. Looking for more reading recommendations? Join the Radio Times Book Club here - we offer 3-month or 6-month memberships as well as monthly or quarterly subscriptions where you'll receive a new hardback chosen by the RT team delivered directly to your door!
Divergent author announces two more books in series – but with a major twist for heroine Tris
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 learns to conceal her true identity, out of fear of being rejected by society. View Green Video on the source website The book series was later adapted into a collection of Lionsgate film adaptations – Divergent (2014), The Divergent Series: Insurgent (2015) and The Divergent Series: Allegiant (2016). Although a final instalment, Ascendant, was planned, it was never made. Fans of the film series will be hoping that the newest book instalments will find their way onto the big screen. The Sixth Faction by Veronica Roth is available to pre-order now. Check out more of our Books coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
30 best romance books to make you believe in love again: From Emily Henry to Jilly Cooper
Will it be love at first page? Crack open one of these swoon-worthy romances and find out.
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 Thorne The Bookshop on the Corner by Jenny Colgan Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld A Not So Meet Cute by Meghan Quinn August Lane by Regina Black 1. Into the Blue by Emma Brodie A common misconception is that romance novels are all sunshine and rainbows, or that falling in love is always a purely joyful experience. In reality, true love often has a messy middle, but it’s worth it in the end, and Into the Blue captures that perfectly. AJ and Noah are acting partners whose connection deepens into something that goes beyond sexual tension or conventional romance; it feels almost embedded in their DNA. Over the decades, they find themselves drifting in and out of each other’s orbit, held apart by circumstance and an undeniable truth, yet continually pulled back together by an unbreakable bond. Can love really overcome anything… and, perhaps more importantly, should it? 2. You Again by Kate Goldbeck Inspired by one of the greatest romcoms ever made, When Harry Met Sally, this book is proof that opposites really can attract. Just as the pairing of an extroverted woman and an introverted man can be the perfect balance in a relationship, so too can a commitment-phobic woman and a hopeless romantic man go the distance – it just might take a decade or so. Ari and Josh hate each other at first sight. Every encounter only makes things worse, until they unexpectedly cross paths again at some of their lowest points. What follows is the slow evolution of a deep, vulnerable friendship, one that is clearly destined to become something more. Filled with sharp observations and sizzling chemistry, this is a story that practically begs to be experienced as an audiobook on your daily commute. 3. Every Summer After by Carley Fortune Soon to be a brand new Prime Video series, make sure you catch the book first. This romance novel is perfect for fans of Emily Henry’s travel-infused love stories, blending emotional depth with irresistible nostalgia. Spanning six years, it tells a friends-to-lovers story that didn’t quite go to plan. Persephone returns to Barry’s Bay, where she’ll meet Sam once again and be forced to confront the mistakes she thought she’d left behind. What follows is a hazy, nostalgic exploration of the choices that shape us, and whether it’s ever truly too late to make the right one. 4. Happy Ending by Chloe Liese The newest release on this list of romance novels – and one you won’t want to miss – leans into one of the most delicious, chaotic tropes of all: fake dating. Thea and Alex have three things in common: they love food, they hate where they live, and they’re both divorced. Oh, and their exes immediately got together after those divorces. What starts as a convenient arrangement soon evolves into something more complicated. They play at being first loves and, in the process, find an unexpected friendship. But when their lie is put to the test during a group holiday, the stakes are raised. Can they keep up the act and, more importantly, will pretending to be in love turn into the real thing? 5. And Now, Back to You by BK Borison Two competing meteorologists with no love lost between them, Jackson Clark and Delilah Stewart, have had more than their fair share of clashes over the years and have long since concluded they are complete opposites. Jackson thrives on routine and control, delivering forecasts from the safety of his radio booth, while Delilah prefers spontaneity and adventure out in the field, chasing the story as it unfolds. When they are unexpectedly paired together to cover the snowstorm of the century, tensions are forced into close quarters. She’s determined to be taken more seriously as a journalist, and in turn, she pushes him to rediscover the sense of fun he’s long buried. But as the storm rolls in and they’re stranded in the mountains together, the question remains: will this forced partnership change everything between them, or is it just a passing weather front? 6. Can You Keep a Secret? by Sophie Kinsella Emma Corrigan is a young woman with a huge heart, an irrepressible spirit, and a few very well-guarded secrets. She’s kept those secrets tightly under wraps, until a turbulent flight leaves her fearing the worst, and she ends up spilling everything to a handsome stranger sitting beside her. At least, he was a stranger at the time. Because when she returns to work, she discovers that the man she confessed all her most humiliating truths to is actually her company’s elusive CEO — the very person she most needs to impress. This romance book forces us to face the ultimate question: can someone still fall for you after discovering all of your worst mistakes? 7. Beach Read by Emily Henry If there’s a book that can make you believe in love again, it’s Beach Read. This beloved novel literally follows January as she tries to rediscover her faith in happily ever afters – how relatable. A romance writer who has lost belief in true love finds herself next door to Gus, a literary fiction author who would rather kill off his entire cast than write a happy ending. Stuck in creative ruts, the pair strike an unlikely deal: they’ll swap genres for the summer. As they challenge each other to write either doomed or hopeful stories, they begin to unravel something far more compelling than their manuscripts. Somewhere along the way, they might just end up writing their own happy ending. If anything can restore your faith in modern romance, it’s an Emily Henry novel. And they just cast the upcoming film adaptation… 8. As a Last Resort by Kristin Wollett Sam left her small-town Florida roots behind years ago and never looked back. But when her work nemesis falls ill, she’s forced to take his place on a resort development project – right in the hometown she swore she’d escaped. Suddenly, Sam is face-to-face with everything she ran from: her addicted mother, her estranged best friend and the high school bullies now settled down with families of their own. The one bright spot? Austin Marcs, the town golden boy and her childhood crush, who seems determined to swoop in whenever she needs saving. Their chemistry is undeniable, but how can Sam imagine a future with someone so tied to the very place she can’t stand? Tender, heartfelt and layered with grief, this romance doesn’t just make you root for the love story; you’ll find yourself falling for Sam herself. 9. Rivals by Jilly Cooper If you love your romance messy, glamorous and sprawling, Jilly Cooper’s Rivals is the ultimate guilty pleasure. Set in the cut-throat world of 1980s British television, it follows rival producers Rupert Campbell-Black (charismatic, arrogant and dangerously irresistible) and Declan O’Hara (idealistic, passionate and just as infuriating). Between on-set feuds, scandalous affairs and enough drama to fill a soap opera, Rivals delivers both sizzling romance and biting satire. Think Succession meets Love Actually, with even more bed-hopping and backstabbing. Top it off by watching the Disney+ series just in time for the second season! 10. Left of Forever by Tarah DeWitt Divorce is a reality for many of us, which makes it especially heartwarming to see it explored in novels – even when it’s two exes trying to make things work. Wren and Ellis fell in love as teenagers, had their son Sam, and built a life together in the coastal town of Spunes, Oregon. They were perfect for each other... until they weren’t. Now in their late 30s and sending their son off to college, Ellis convinces Wren to take an extended road trip back to Spunes to see if they can give their relationship one last chance. Everything feels right in the present, but can they truly overcome the past to build a future together? With sweeping coastal scenery, tender romance and the emotional weight of second chances, this story perfectly captures love, regret and hope. 11. Funny Story by Emily Henry Emily Henry is basically the Taylor Swift of romance novels: beloved by millions, endlessly quotable and a loud-and-proud Swiftie herself (with plenty of references tucked into her books). Funny Story might just be her best yet, thanks to a one-of-a-kind love interest: Miles, a tattooed, weed-smoking golden retriever of a man. The story follows Daphne, a small-town librarian whose fiancé dumps her for his childhood best friend (AKA the woman he claims is “like a sister”). Left stranded in Michigan, she moves in with Miles, the ex left behind on the other side of the break-up. When the two team up for a fake-dating scheme to make their exes jealous, Miles sets out to help Daphne fall for Michigan... but she just might fall for something, or someone, else entirely. 12. We Met Like This by Kasie West Too many of us can see ourselves in Margot Hart: a hopeless romantic determined to meet her soulmate the old-fashioned way. The snag? Her most consistent “relationship” is with Oliver, a guy she can’t stop rematching with on dating apps. They’re obviously not compatible... except, well, maybe physically. But when Margot loses her dream job as a literary agent and Oliver suddenly stumbles back into her orbit, she starts to wonder if he’s not the wrong fit after all. Maybe the real issue isn’t him... It’s her. This book might just convince you to download dating apps again! 13. Done and Dusted by Lyla Sage Town’s bad boy? Her brother’s best friend? Stuck back in the hometown she worked so hard to escape? Sign us up! Lyla Sage delivers a cowboy romance with all the sparks, heat, and small-town drama you could want. After an accident leaves Emmy unable to ride, she’s forced to return to the hometown she’s always tried to leave behind. Luke, Meadowlark’s most notorious bad boy, bar owner, and perpetual bachelor, used to tease her relentlessly, but now he can’t take his eyes off her. As Emmy rediscovers her spark, and Luke wrestles with feelings he can’t ignore, both must decide whether this fiery connection will heal them or leave them burned. 14. Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston If you’re looking for the ultimate rivals-to-lovers romance, Red, White & Royal Blue is globally revered for a reason. Alex Claremont-Diaz, the First Son of the United States, does not get along with Prince Henry of Wales. But when a very public international scandal forces them into a fake friendship, sparks start flying in ways neither expected. Between secret emails, stolen kisses, and the weight of the crown versus the White House, this book balances political drama with swoony romance. It’s cheeky, heartfelt and pure fanfic come to life. It’s the kind of love story that makes history feel sexy. 15. It Happened on a Sunday by Tracy Wolff If you’ve been swooning over Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce, you’ll love this (completely unrelated) romance between a pop star and a football player. Sloane Walker has been chewed up and spat out by the press before, and she’s learned to protect herself with sharp eyeliner and an even sharper attitude. To her, Mateo – the golden-boy athlete and media darling – is nothing more than a convenient photo op. But when he starts to look past the armour and really see her, Sloane realises there’s more to Mateo than headlines and highlight reels. The cameras may be watching, but the only sparks that matter are the ones flying between them. 16. First-Time Caller by BK Borison If Sleepless in Seattle is your favourite Meg Ryan movie, you’ll fall head over heels for this charming love story. Aiden Valentine hosts a romance hotline, but he’s lost his own faith in love. Lucie Stone, a single mum juggling everything, doesn’t realise that her daughter secretly called the show for dating advice on her behalf. As Baltimore becomes captivated by their story and everyone roots for Lucie to find her happy ending, sparks start flying behind the scenes. Suddenly, the romance isn’t just on-air, it might just be real. Cosy, heartfelt, and full of swoon, this novel is perfect for fans of unexpected love and tender second chances. 17. Well, Actually by Mazey Eddings Fans of Chicken Shop Date will love this seemingly inspired romcom, where Eva Kitt hosts Sausage Talk: a quirky show interviewing B-list celebrities over lukewarm hot dogs. But when her off-the-cuff rant about her college ex goes viral, Eva suddenly finds herself in the spotlight. The catch? Said ex is Rylie Cooper, a social media golden boy who’s built a career preaching about dismantling toxic masculinity and teaching men how to be better partners. Forced to confront him live on her show, Eva reluctantly agrees to let Rylie take her on a series of “make-up” dates to atone for his past mistakes. Only, somewhere between the staged gestures and genuine connection, the line between performance and reality starts to blur. Could the boy who once broke her heart actually be the man who heals it? 18. Friends with Benefits by Marisa Kanter Romance novels often give us the perfect dose of escapism, but the best ones also weave in the messy realities of life. Friends with Benefits does exactly that: best friends Theo and Evie strike up a marriage of convenience for the most unromantic reasons: health insurance and a rent-controlled apartment. On paper, it’s a logical, practical solution. The only hiccup? Evie never really wanted to be married, and Theo has quietly been in love with her for years. Nothing has to change... until, inevitably, it does. 19. Dukes and Dekes by Torie Jean If Pride and Prejudice is your not-so-guilty pleasure and you have a soft spot for a reformed rake, you’ll adore this friends-to-lovers romance. Aulie Desfleurs is cast as the impulsive Lydia Bennet in this year’s Jane Austen Regency Fair, while Jack Parker – the bad boy of the American professional hockey league – lands the role of the infamous George Wickham after a suspension sends him fleeing to the fair. Thrown together in close quarters, old crushes and unspoken feelings heat up fast. Can Jack prove himself trustworthy while supporting Aulie through her chronic illness? And can Aulie finally let herself trust that Jack might stay for good? Full of tension, tender moments, and swoon-worthy romance, this novel is perfect for fans of love stories that burn slowly but leave a lasting mark. 20. The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks Is it even possible to make a list of the best romance books without The Notebook? This is the blueprint for second-chance summer love stories. Noah and Allie meet as teenagers during one unforgettable summer in North Carolina. They’re from different worlds, but their connection is undeniable. Life tears them apart, but years later, fate brings them back together, testing whether first love can really last a lifetime. Keep a box of tissues close, as you’ll find yourself bawling harder than when you watched the film. 21. The High Dive by Chelsea Fagan Perfect for fans of The White Lotus and steamy academic rivalries, this romance follows Alex as she faces a blast from her past in the most glamorous – and high-stakes – setting imaginable: a yacht. It’s been ten years since that unforgettable night with Danial, and now she has to navigate him again while attending the wedding of two mutual college friends. Thrown into a world of ultra-wealthy guests as the lone middle-class outcast, Alex struggles to stick to her principles... even as her heart keeps pulling her toward him. With tension, longing and a touch of sun-soaked opulence, this novel perfectly captures the push-and-pull of romance that’s both irresistible and complicated. 22. Problematic Summer Romance by Ali Hazelwood Nothing beats a book that’s so aware of its own clichés that it gleefully plays with them, and Ali Hazelwood manages just that in Problematic Summer Romance. Maya Killgore is 23, still figuring out life, and utterly distracted by Conor Harkness, her brother’s 38-year-old best friend. Fate lands them together in a romantic Sicilian villa for over a week. Can they resist the undeniable pull between them? Or will they lean into every cliché of summer romance? Perfect for fans of messy, irresistible love stories, this novel is as self-aware as it is swoon-worthy. 23. Part of Your World by Abby Jimenez This list of the best romance books wouldn’t be complete without something by Abby Jimenez, and for that, we’re recommending Part of Your World. After a wild bet, Alexis Montgomery’s world is completely turned upside down by Daniel Grant, a ridiculously hot carpenter who’s ten years younger and as casual as they come – the total opposite of sophisticated city-girl Alexis. And yet, their chemistry is undeniable. While her ultra-wealthy parents expect her to continue the family legacy of world-renowned surgeons, Alexis is perfectly content as a “mere” ER doctor. Every minute she spends with Daniel and his close-knit hometown reveals what truly matters in life. With so many differences between them, Alexis must decide: can she find a way to bridge two worlds, or will love force her to choose? Tender, steamy and full of heart, this romance is perfect for anyone craving a story about opposites attracting in the most irresistible way. 24. The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren If you’re hunting for the ultimate enemies-to-lovers romance, look no further than this fan-favourite. When the entire wedding party comes down with food poisoning, the only ones left standing are Olive, the bride’s sister, and Ethan, the insufferable best man. The solution? Take the unclaimed honeymoon trip to Maui and pretend to be newlyweds. They can’t stand each other, but a free tropical vacation is worth faking it for – at least at first. Between beachside adventures, stolen moments and undeniable chemistry, Olive and Ethan quickly realise that what started as pretend might just be the real deal. 25. It Happened One Summer by Tessa Bailey If Schitt’s Creek is your comfort show and Alexis Rose your spirit animal, then you’ll be obsessed with It Happened One Summer. Piper Bellinger is a glamorous LA wild child who suddenly finds herself cut off and banished to a tiny fishing town in Washington. Her mission: prove she can survive without Wi-Fi and five-star dining. Enter Brendan, the grumpy, flannel-wearing sea captain who wants nothing to do with her glitter. They clash, they banter, and then they struggle to resist the pull between them. With sizzling chemistry, laugh-out-loud moments, and a whole lot of heart, this is one of the best small-town, opposites-attract romance novels out there. 26. The Hating Game by Sally Thorne There’s something about workplace tensions that gets our hearts thumping, and nowhere captures this dynamic better than The Hating Game. Lucy and Joshua are coworkers locked in an epic office rivalry, complete with constant eye rolls, snarky comments, and passive-aggressive games. But when a promotion raises the stakes, their “hate” starts to feel a little too close to something else entirely. Witty, flirty and full of sizzling tension, this enemies-to-lovers romance proves that sometimes the line between love and hate is just a heartbeat away. 27. The Bookshop on the Corner by Jenny Colgan Cosy up with this heartwarming read and a good cup of tea. Nina Redmond is a small-town librarian whose world is turned upside down when she unexpectedly loses her job. But instead of despairing, she buys a van and turns it into a travelling bookshop. Along the way, she brings literature, joy and a little bit of romance to the people she meets. This novel is perfect for anyone craving a feel-good, page-turning summer escape. 28. Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld Sally Milz is a writer for The Night Owls, a fictional late-night sketch show akin to Saturday Night Live. She's cynical about love, until pop star Noah Brewster guest-hosts and sparks fly. As their chemistry deepens, Sally grapples with insecurities about their differences in fame and status. Set against the backdrop of a pandemic, this novel explores love, identity and the complexities of modern relationships with humour and heart. It manages to question important topics about attraction and fame with a lighthearted touch. 29. A Not So Meet Cute by Meghan Quinn When it comes to a romance novel, it’s all about the meet-cute, and you can’t beat this one. Lottie Gardner, freshly fired and desperate to make her ex-boss jealous, prowls Beverly Hills in search of a rich husband. Enter Huxley Cane, a billionaire real estate mogul who’s lied to a client about being engaged and expecting. When their paths cross, they hatch a plan: pretend to be a couple to salvage Huxley’s deal. What starts as a fake engagement soon blurs into something real. It offers the perfect twist on the Pretty Woman trope, providing a modern and fun romcom. 30. August Lane by Regina Black This novel has been taking the romance world by storm, and you’ll quickly understand why. Former country heartthrob Luke Randall hates singing his only hit, Another Love Song, at dingy motel lounges, but it’s the only steady money left in his fading career. When he gets the chance to open for his childhood idol, JoJo Lane, the catch is returning to Arcadia, Arkansas, and facing August Lane, aka the woman who wrote the lyrics he’s long claimed as his own. August hates the song, and she hates Luke even more. But when she forces him into a co-writing partnership to save her songwriting dreams, old sparks reignite. As the concert nears, both must confront their shared past and decide whether to let a second chance love song finally be written. 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. Looking for more reading recommendations? Join the Radio Times Book Club here - we offer 3-month or 6-month memberships as well as monthly or quarterly subscriptions where you'll receive a new hardback chosen by the RT team delivered directly to your door!
Mary Beard reveals what President Donald Trump and the emperors of Ancient Rome have in common
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.
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 is this...’ but, ‘Over 50 years, this is what has interested me’. It’s a bit of a memoir and enables it to be more intimate and personal.” Before she begins to recount her journey into antiquity, the 71-year-old Professor Emerita of Classics and Honorary Fellow of Newnham College, Cambridge, takes pleasure in trashing lazy assumptions associated with her subject. There is, she says, nothing “uniquely admirable in Greek and Roman culture”; the surprising thing about classical literature is not how much has been lost “but that so much remains”; and the subject needs to face up to “its reputation as a friend of imperialism and fascism, as a bastion of privilege, exploitation and social exclusion”. But for all that, she has been in love with the ancient world since a chance encounter with a 4,000-year-old piece of Egyptian bread in 1960 – a man in the British Museum opened a display case and held it up for five-year-old Mary to inspect (the book is dedicated to this unknown inspirer). Decades later, her enthusiasm remains undimmed, and it’s her great gift that she’s able to bring the past to life for a modern audience by way of drawing attention to touching or amusing examples of human imperfection and frailty in the ancient world. She delights, for example, in the graffiti found next to a lavatory in Herculaneum that reads, “Apollinaris, the doctor of the emperor Titus, had a good s**t here”; or the fresco in the Bar of Salvius in Pompeii that records everyday life for the regulars as closer to Coronation Street than the epic poetry of Homer. “There’s a common humanity which we share,” she explains. “But the intellectual excitement for me comes from the fact that their view of the world, their sense of who they were, how they thought the world worked, is so different from our own that you don’t know which side of the rope you’re on. “When I talk about revulsion at the killing in the Colosseum I get accused of bringing my own ideas into history,” she continues. “But the past isn’t just a bland landscape which we’re not supposed to engage critically with.” Such interrogation, she points out, can also inform the present. “Roman analysis of ‘power focused on one man’ helps us understand what’s going on in the US today. When President Trump was recently seen to be issuing contradictory statements about tariffs, he was actually employing a very common weapon used by emperors: you change your mind just to demonstrate that you have the power to change your mind, and everybody has to fall in and say, ‘Yes, Emperor, of course.’” The “Queen of the Classics” is right. Her subject really is “zingy” right now. Talking Classics: the Shock of the Old is released on Thursday 16 April and is available to pre-order now. The latest issue of Radio Times is out now – subscribe here. Check out more of our Books coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
25 best TV adaptations of books of all time
From page to screen, these are the best book-to-TV adaptations ever.
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 episode of the BBC series had a 40 per cent share of audiences in the UK when it aired (not something many shows can boast). This adaptation in particular changed the landscape for Austen portrayals forever, prompting a plethora of adaptations in the years that followed. It also made a household name of Colin Firth, who would go on to be one of the UK's most celebrated actors ever (and a known heart-throb in many a movie). Read the book: Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen Lord of the Flies (2026) Lord of the Flies is an unsettling book, that's sort of the point of it. But Jack Thorne played into this feeling in bucket loads for his 2026 adaptation. The story remained the same, fairly faithful throughout (to its strength, not omitting some of the dreadful acts committed on the deserted island). What the 2026 version succeeded in were the visuals, with Thorne deploying a mixture of filming techniques such as infrared, fisheye lenses, aggressive colour grading and handheld cameras which all added to the hallucinatory and high-tension feeling of the drama, somehow making the story even more tense and gripping, which is no mean feat. Read the book: Lord of the Flies - William Goulding Game of Thrones (2011) While the ending to the show was controversial, to say the least, there's a reason Game of Thrones was so globally popular. George RR Martin's epic was translated for screen expertly, especially in the early seasons, by David Benioff and DB Weiss, who had an impressive and deeply considered world to bring to life. They selected just the right bits and cast exactly the right people, making Game of Thrones one of TV's true epics. Many have tried to replicate both the paperback series and the TV show, but nothing yet has quite lived up to this fantastic adaptation. Read the book: A Game of Thrones - George RR Martin His Dark Materials (2019) If Jack Thorne is making a series, it's going to be watched. So when he turned his eye to His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman, it's safe to say there was some excitement in the air. Thorne built a world that was very familiar to those who love the books about Lyra and her journey into a world filled with daemons and adventure. Ruth Wilson and Dafne Keen lead the cast effortlessly and embodied their characters so perfectly, it was hard not to fall in love with this fantastic adaptation from a skilled writer. Read the book: His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman Normal People (2020) Admittedly, some of the success of Normal People on the BBC came from the timing, landing in the middle of the first COVID lockdowns when people were seeking compelling stories. But what really brought Sally Rooney's love story for a modern age to life was the casting of relative newcomers Paul Mescal and Daisy Edgar-Jones in the lead roles of Connell and Marianne. Rooney's story was fantastic already, but two charismatic leads added another layer to the torturous romance. Read the book: Normal People - Sally Rooney And Then There Were None (2015) Douglas Booth, Charles Dance, Anna Maxwell Martin, Sam Neill and Aidan Turner combined forces among others for an outstanding adaptation of Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None. The fantastic murder mystery is set on a desolate island which is eerie in the books, but took on a whole new life in the adaptation, appearing as a horrifying place filled with terror. Sarah Phelps played on the mind-games of the original novel and managed to make something quite dark and completely watchable. Read the book: And Then There Were None - Agatha Christie I, Claudius (1976) I, Claudius welcomed together a who's who of outstanding British talent with one of the most gripping stories ever told. For those not in the know, Robert Graves's 1934 novel tells the history of the early Roman Empire and all the gripping events that followed the Roman Emperor Claudius. Who could take such a role? None other than Derek Jacobi, a master of the craft who brought life and depth to a character that is really best known in history books, and not on the screen. He was joined by Siân Phillips, Brian Blessed, John Hurt, Patrick Stewart and more, making I, Claudius one of the starriest casts on this list. The series now sits among the greats of television and is widely considered one of the best British shows ever made. Read the book: I, Claudius - Robert Graves Slow Horses (2022) Jackson Lamb is the type of character who just works visually, quite literally farts and all. A genius mind in body he doesn't take care of works better on screen than it does on the page - as does the sound of him passing wind. That's not all though, as Jack Lowden brings a special quality to River Cartwright, offering the agent more depth than other televised spies tend to have. Will Smith's London is exciting and alive, which helps to create a pacy thriller packed to the rafters with visual gags. Read the book: Slow Horses - Mick Herron Poldark (2015) Debbie Horsfield's adaptation of Poldark has gone down in history of being one of the greatest period dramas ever made - and for a good reason too. Aidan Turner takes on the role of Ross Poldark and became a household name - partly in due to his topless scenes which set the internet alight. The on-screen romance between Ross and Demelza (Eleanor Tomlinson) was steamy and fiery, and won over many people who maybe hadn't even encountered the books yet - but would soon turn to them to find out more about Ross and Demelza. The British production would spawn thousands of tourists to Cornwall to get a feeling for the series and would go on to be a massive success in America, too. A truly successful adaptation, by all means. Read the book: Ross Poldark - Winston Graham Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (1979) You know you've got a good adaptation on your hands when the author of the original book cites it as his favourite filmed adaptation of his work. That's what Le Carré thought of Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy which aired on the BBC in the late '70s. Starring Alec Guinness in the lead role of George Smiley, he especially has been widely lauded for his performance, even though he brought a new dimension to the role in Le Carré's popular novel, and he would go on to win several awards for his portrayal. Read the book: Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy - John Le Carré The Handmaid's Tale (2017) Margaret Atwood's dystopian story was published in 1985 and over 30 years later was finally adapted for the screen - to huge success, mainly because of the time it landed. Donald Trump had just become the President of the United States, ushering in a more right wing movement in the country, and Roe v Wade was a hot topic of debate as many tried to overturn it. Atwood's story of female oppression and reproductive control seemed terrifyingly prevalent to bring life to, and the cast led by Elisabeth Moss did just that with powerful performances and simply breathtaking cinematography. Read the book: The Handmaid's Tale - Margaret Atwood Big Little Lies (2017) Reese Witherspoon, Nicole Kidman and Shailene Woodley join forces to bring Liane Moriarty's thrilling novel to life - and actually gave the murder mystery a life of its own along the way. A star-studded cast, with lust-worthy homes brought about a phenomenon which would create a whole new genre of TV shows centred around rich and beautiful spouses in gorgeous homes. It also brought a new batch of fans to Moriarty who would go on to devour every novel she put out - and has since spawned a sequel to Big Little Lies, coming soon to screens, too. Read the book: Big Little Lies - Liane Moriarty The Night Manager (2016) Pretty much anything that Tom Hiddleston does will get attention, but perhaps nothing more so than his turn as Jonathan Pine in The Night Manager. Le Carré's novel was always full of excitement and espionage, but seeing it on the screen adds an extra layer of drama and tension to proceedings. The BBC series was also jam-packed with stunning locations and outstanding performances which simply couldn't be captured in a book, leading to a world-class end product that enjoyed a life of its own. Read the book: The Night Manager - John Le Carré Bridgerton (2020) When Bridgerton landed on Netflix in December 2020, some thought it would be merely a disposable romance series that was extremely watchable and fun, but nothing more. What we got was an outstanding piece of TV which was sumptuous, steamy, addictive, bingeable and absolutely gorgeous to look at. It also brought new life to the book series by Julia Quinn which came out 20 years prior, with many flocking to find out what would happen to the Ton while they couldn't wait for the series a moment longer. And thus, a franchise was born. Read the book: The Duke and I - Julia Quinn IT: Welcome to Derry (2025) IT: Welcome to Derry positively chilled audiences who watched it in the autumn of 2025 as it continued the story of Pennywise the Clown from Stephen King's iconic horror novel. Expanding past the world seen in the IT films (directed by Andy Muschietti), the Sky series explored some of the history revealed in King's epic which most adaptations will tend to ignore simply for pace. But what is found is a rich world which enhances the terror of Pennywise. IT: Welcome to Derry also ramped up horror, making one of the scariest shows on TV to date - which is fitting for the notorious novel. Read the book: IT - Stephen King One Day (2024) David Nicholls's 2009 novel has always been popular, but it got a welcomed boost in 2024 from Netflix's adaptation, starring Leo Woodall and Ambika Mod as lovers Dexter and Emma. The couple's love story has been told before, but this adaptation was more in-depth, spread out over a series of episodes, and allowed more time to getting to know the characters, just as a novel allows one to. It was also the most-watched show on Netflix in the lead-up to Valentines - no mean feat, and a sign that something was done very right. Read the book: One Day - David Nicholls Sharp Objects (2018) Amy Adams and Patricia Clarkson were among the stand-outs in this adaptation of Gillian Flynn's novel for HBO. Flynn's story was already pretty dark, but in bringing it to screens, producer Marti Noxon was able to add a stylish atmosphere and at times uncomfortable viewing to proceedings, all of which elevated the story to a tense and extremely haunting watch. An unmissable story both on the page and off it. Read the book: Sharp Objects - Gillian Flynn Heated Rivalry (2025) Few series take the world by storm this day, and takes something show-stopping to be able to do so. Heated Rivalry is one of the shows to do just that, with the November 2025 launch catching fire almost immediately and setting the world alight with its steamy romance and gripping plot. It also landed at the perfect time in culture where romance stories on BookTok are taking off and becoming viral - so this would always be a winner. The performance and chemistry between leads Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie propelled them into household names with the world as their oyster now, but more importantly, brought a delightful LGBTQ+ story to screen with worldwide acclaim. You can't ask for more than that with an adaptation, can you? Read the book: Heated Rivalry - Rachel Reid Pachinko (2022) Min Jin Lee's novel of the same name follows four generations of a Korean family from the early 1900s to the late eighties, exploring difficult themes of discrimination against Korean immigrants living in Japan. The series which aired on Apple TV+ in 2022 did so to critical acclaim, bringing to life the enduring bonds of a family within an epic drama made with the highest quality, winning awards while at it. Read the book: Pachinko - Min Jin Lee Wuthering Heights (1978) There's been a lot of discourse in recent years about how to faithfully adapt Wuthering Heights. Most popular films and series stop after Cathy's death, but in the BBC mini-series, which is widely considered one of the most faithful adaptations, it explores the second half of Brontë's novel where Heathcliff seeks revenge on those who hurt him previously. Ken Hutchison and Kay Adshead take on the roles of Heathcliff and Cathy in this unflinching portrayal of the classic story, embracing the grittier parts of the source material. Read the book: Wuthering Heights - Emily Brontë Brideshead Revisited (1981) A list of adaptations probably wouldn't be the same without Brideshead Revisted from ITV in the '80s. Evelyn Waugh's novel about a disillusioned officer of the British Army during service in World War II is widely considered to be one of the greatest dramas ever made - and that's mainly in part to Jeremy Irons and Anthony Andrews in the lead roles of Charles Ruder and Lord Sebastian Flyte. Directors Charles Sturridge and Michael Lindsay-Hogg also remained extremely faithful to Waugh's original text, citing that over 95 per cent of the dialogue was lifted straight from the text. We'd challenge you to find a more faithful adaptation if you tried. Read the book: <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Brideshead-Revisited-Profane-Memories-Captain/dp/0241472733/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&dib_tag=se&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.fzWD0izqvXHNjkCpwyX-8SqBtL3nxHiZ2p_C6bOs0fd9_IeTy6CTxXTio2kGb162gJPVriXojCzLS78jz4DEWhQpqLqUxpHs2kllMXyvLQ_WiHpUCTxpT9NY-0oVxMO1gfseGbkKT_FGSTTFj2uoc-bKXr8EKEBfUqSRDF8xb3ffXhS5NrFBVj_6O21gjw7ffJJS8Oz3jY2a6qLdlQJAWvyroylUmyFBXypXJt9sPGg.b9G0dCZGElmiLQNwW3A5l24Mb0rwRwS6vZno_DIp-zI&qid=1775657135&sr=8-1&tag=radtim0b-21&ascsubtag=radiotimes-2417729" target="_blank" rel="sponsored">Brideshead Revisited - Evelyn Waugh Wolf Hall (2015) You can't really mention book-to-screen adaptations of recent years without mentioning Wolf Hall, produced by the BBC in 2015 after the book was published in 2009. Hilary Mantel's original novel is widely considered one of the best historical novels of all time for its portrayal of English history between 1500-1535, marking the rise of Thomas Cromwell to the death of Sir Thomas More. The adaptation brought a superb cast to the screen in one big ensemble, including Mark Rylance, Damian Lewis and Claire Foy, among others. What makes Wolf Hall simply unmissable is not just the historical accuracy, but also how faithful it is to the superb novels. Plus, with a powerhouse cast and outstanding costumes, it's hard not to binge the whole series in one go. Read the book: Wolf Hall - Hilary Mantel The Summer I Turned Pretty (2022) There's something gorgeous about a show that transports you back into your teenage years with first loves, summer crushes and an unconventional love triangle - we've all been there, right? The Summer I Turned Pretty welcomed a group of newcomers to the industry and propelled them into a summer romance story as young Belly (Lola Tung) came of age as a debutant. The cast really brought Jenny Han's vision to life, especially with heartthrob Conrad (Christopher Briney) who brooded to the camera at every opportunity. The Amazon Prime Video series made full use of music trends, soundtracking their tale with the likes of Taylor Swift, Olivia Rodrigo and Billie Eilish, making the whole thing look and feel very current and cool - which added to the success of the timeless story. Read the book: The Summer I Turned Pretty - Jenny Han 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. Looking for more reading recommendations? Join the Radio Times Book Club here - we offer 3-month or 6-month memberships as well as monthly or quarterly subscriptions where you'll receive a new hardback chosen by the RT team delivered directly to your door!
New James Bond novel announced from acclaimed spin-off author with "an extraordinarily timely story"
Young Bond author Charlie Higson is returning to the world of Ian Fleming’s spy in a new novel.
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 character in all of fiction quite like James Bond, and since Ian Fleming’s passing no-one has captured him quite so distinctively as Charlie Higson. We were swept away by Charlie’s vision for Bond which will delight old fans and new, and we can’t wait to make this the coolest, classiest publication of the year.” Amanda Douglas, Managing Director for Ian Fleming Publications Ltd, added: “We are delighted to be working with Penguin Michael Joseph on the publication of King Zero. Charlie Higson’s return to James Bond follows his outstanding success with On His Majesty’s Secret Service, commissioned for the King’s Coronation, and we are delighted to be working with Charlie again, bringing the next chapter of Bond to fans." 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.
Jo Nesbø books in order: How to read all Detective Harry Hole stories
Get to know Jo Nesbø's iconic thrillers.
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 endless daylight drives him towards madness, the men hunting him draw closer – can he escape his past? The Kingdom in order: The Kingdom (2020): A tense family drama about two brothers and buried secrets in rural Norway. Blood Ties (2024): A sequel to The Kingdom, delving deeper into family loyalty and small-town intrigue. Standalone books: Headhunters (2008): A slick Oslo-set thriller about a corporate headhunter who moonlights as an art thief. The Son (2014): A story of revenge and redemption, following a wronged man on the run. Macbeth (2018): Nesbø’s dark, modern retelling of the Shakespeare classic, set in a corrupt 1970s town. The Night House (2023): A chilling tale centred on a teenager investigating a sinister death. Wolf Hour (2025): After a sniper begins killing in Minneapolis, detective Bob Oz investigates and realises the murderer may be a serial killer – one whose methods eerily mirror his own, pulling him into a disturbing hunt for the truth. For younger readers, the Doctor Proctor series delivers wild, imaginative adventures with a comic twist – quite the switch-up from his chilly crime stories. The Netflix adaptation: Detective Hole Nesbø’s world is no longer confined to the page. March 2026 sees the arrival of Detective Hole on Netflix – a major new series based on the Harry Hole novels. Tobias Santelmann (known for The Last Kingdom) takes on the role of Harry, with Joel Kinnaman as his enigmatic colleague Tom Waaler. View Green Video on the source website The series promises a faithful yet fresh take on the books, with Nesbø himself serving as creator and executive producer. Expect a gripping whodunnit, a brooding Oslo backdrop and all the moral complexity of a Harry Hole novel. How to read Jo Nesbø: the essentials Start with the Harry Hole series in order for the richest experience. If you’re short on time, The Redbreast is a strong entry point, but the full journey from The Bat to Kill Shot is worth every page. Dip into the standalones for a change of pace, and don’t miss the Netflix series for a new way to experience Nesbø’s dark world. 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. Looking for more reading recommendations? Join the Radio Times Book Club here - we offer 3-month or 6-month memberships as well as monthly or quarterly subscriptions where you'll receive a new hardback chosen by the RT team delivered directly to your door!
Richard Osman's We Chase Shadows release date: When is it published?
Everything you need to know about We Chase Shadows.
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.
Emma Chapman: "If intelligent life has evolved and wants to send us a message, they'll develop a radio telescope to do that"
The signals that bring us radio and TV could also let us talk to extraterrestrial life, says Emma Chapman.
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 more than a million connected antennas when finished. Even more mind-blowing is the revelation that radio waves are actually a kind of light. “Optical light – that’s the light humans have evolved to be able to see – is only a tiny sliver of the spectrum,” says Chapman. “In fact, most animals on Earth can also see in UV, which we can’t. But radio waves have the longest wavelength and lowest energy of the whole spectrum, so can travel really long distances.” Which is why we can use them to eavesdrop on what Chapman calls “the cosmic dawn”, and why she describes herself as a “stellar archaeologist” (it’s not, she insists, because it makes her sound like a cross between Princess Leia and Lara Croft). But is any of this useful at all? “Absolutely! Just a few weeks ago, scientists on the International Space Station were looking at a Petri dish of bacteriophages. These are viruses that can kill bacteria, and they were found to have much stronger abilities to do that in space. Then there are the asteroids up there worth a trillion dollars each because they have all the rare metals we could need and that countries are fighting over here on Earth. “Nasa has already sent probes, scooped up parts of asteroids and brought them back – with radio astronomy helping to map them, work out where they’re travelling and how they’re spinning, so the probes could land. We could be dragging those asteroids into Mars orbit and mining them, and we’re close to that. The physics is there, and there’s enough money down here to do it; it’s just that governments aren’t paying enough attention.” Then there’s the small matter of black holes. “Every spiral galaxy in our universe, including our own, has what’s called a supermassive black hole at its centre – and we’re comfortable with that because it’s all the way over there. But what’s quite horrifying, when you think about it, is that there are loads of little wandering black holes just roaming around the galaxy.” Fortunately, while conventional optical telescopes can’t see black holes (“because they’re, well, black”), they can show up on radio telescopes (“because there’s so much stuff falling into them, and so much friction between those particles and gas and dust, that it emits radio waves”). Perhaps of greater significance still is radio astronomy’s role in the search for extraterrestrial life. Which brings us back to telly. “The physics that makes radio waves so good for communications on Earth will be the same on planets around Alpha Centauri or wherever,” says Chapman, “so if intelligent life has evolved and wants to send us a message, they’ll develop a radio telescope to do that. But it’s just as likely they’ll do it by accident, through their TV broadcasts or whatever.” Maybe we’ll also be talking to them about I Love Xjgrfnujzjdtk. Radio Universe by Emma Chapman is available now The latest issue of Radio Times is out now – subscribe here. Check out more of our Books coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guideto find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Will there be a The Thursday Murder Club book 6 from Richard Osman?
Everything we know so far about the next instalment in Richard Osman's beloved crime series.
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. However, any details about the mystery at the heart of the next novel remain tightly guarded. In the meantime, you can watch the trailer for Netflix's The Thursday Murder Club here: View Green Video on the source website 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.
I thought I'd made a friend – then I found out she was a spy. Here's what I learned about real-world espionage
"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."
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. Producers are now circling The Hiding Season, which explores the damage that spies can do to those who become entangled with them and the cost of deception. "All I ever wanted to do in my life was to be a writer. And do something good. And make a living. Those were my three career goals," Glass says. Born in Texas, she paid her way through college writing before taking her first full-time position as a crime reporter in Savannah, Georgia. New Orleans was next. After several years "trudging down hot or very cold sidewalks and facing people down and trying to get information out of them", she came to England in "the dying days of that brilliant London media excess of the '90s" to work as an editor at Time Out. "I've never had more hangovers." But then the party ended. She wanted to stay – London was now her home – but magazines and newspapers were shrinking. "And right then, a woman that I'd met only briefly and who I didn't even realise had my phone number called and said she'd taken a job working for the government. She was looking for somebody who could write about terrorism and not get scared. And she thought of me." The first few weeks were spent settling in. One day, Glass bumped – literally – into a young woman in the canteen, who had also just started. A few days later, she ran into her in a favourite coffee shop. Shortly after, they found themselves on the same bus. They started hanging out. "We didn't know anybody. And 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." Months later, Ava learnt this had been her final background check. "She was a spy. She was never my friend. It was never coincidental. And that's when I understood. This is who you're working with. They – we – will be anyone we have to be to get the information out of you." She dedicated Alias Emma to her. "If I hadn't met her, I would never have written any of those books. She fascinated me. She was so young. I didn't know there were 25-year-old spies. I didn't know there were young female spies. We're not shown that. That was the beginning of my understanding that spies are nothing like we think." Glass’s research into the spy genre uncovered the source of those misconceptions. "We don't expect female spies because art has never shown us female spies, or only very rarely. Books, particularly, have never shown us female spies." Television and film do it better. Glass singles out Killing Eve and Alias as series with a strong female focus. Cinematic glamour, she argues, is not always inaccurate. Having experienced convincing deception, Glass finds a series like The Night Manager credible. "It's very glossy, and it takes place in high-end hotels, but if you are going undercover with the oligarchs, you have to fit in, and this is what the spies do." Books, where they show female spies, tend to be about women accidentally finding themselves in that role. "They don't want to spy, but they have to. Every woman I met in that world was utterly focused. They didn't want to do anything else. This had been something that they wanted to do for years. People do not stumble into it. They fight to get into it." The cost of that work fascinates Glass. "I knew spies in real life who had to lie to their families all the time. One I knew quite well was very devoted to his partner. And yet, his partner thought he worked at the Department for Transport. So he lied every day when he went home. I asked him, how can you? And it was one of the rare times when I felt like I got true answers from one of them because he just said, I hate it." Secrecy constrains her. "There's loads that I can't tell people." Instead, Glass captures the emotion of real events in fictional ones. Despite her fondness for different aliases, she thinks being a writer would be a terrible job for a spy. A spy avoids drawing attention to themselves. Her aliases correspond in a way to the different lives she's led. "I've written about a crime reporter in Savannah. She was 100 per cent not me and had none of my experiences, but all of my passion. All my love for that city goes into that story." Imagination fills the gaps. "I've never been a spy. But because I met them, I felt like I could then explore that." When she sat down to write her first spy novel, she knew what she wanted: George Smiley "before all the bad stuff happened. When we meet Smiley in the le Carré novels, he's in his 50s, and he's bitter, and he's worn down. I wanted to write a George Smiley at 25, just starting out, a believer." And a woman, inspired by that first spy she met. Emma Makepeace is that character – the Emma of the series title. She gives us le Carré without the cynicism. Glass now writes full-time, but she misses her spies. "Whenever I run into somebody from that world, which I have a couple of times now, they'll let me know. And they do it not by saying, 'I was a spy.' They'll say, 'Were you in the government when'" – she uses those audible placeholder brackets again – "'[Insert name here] – who's quite top secret – was there?' and the only way you would know them is if you were in that office at that time. And then, like, suddenly we know." She laughs. "And then we can have a real conversation." Every conversation is potential material for a writer. The Hiding Season opens in a private mountain resort for billionaires, inspired by the Yellowstone Club in Montana, which her best friend told her about after working there as a caretaker. It lies empty outside two months of the year, "and I used to tell her it would be an amazing place to commit a murder because, I mean, no witnesses, no cameras. Miles and miles of land to bury the body. 'What if...?', which is, you know, the start of many a novel." The protagonist, Maya Landry, must adopt a new identity after witnessing that imagined murder. Unlike Emma, she did stumble into deception. She has to hide the truth to save her life, and she hates it because it puts a distance between her and the people she comes to love. Glass still has no idea if her first spy liked her or not. "But I liked her. And I was completely honest. I felt like such an idiot when I understood. What a fool. She must have thought I was so stupid that I didn't see it. And yet I have no idea what she thought or felt. If you had to do that day in and day out, would you eventually start to feel anything?" The Hiding Season by Ava Glass is available in hardback and as an audiobook from 26 March. Looking for more reading recommendations? Join the Radio Times Book Club here - we offer 3-month or 6-month memberships as well as monthly or quarterly subscriptions where you'll receive a new hardback chosen by the RT team delivered directly to your door!
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
In this piece from the RT Archives, novelist Len Deighton opens up about writing SS-GB.
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 working life I was an illustrator. Yet, despite my lifelong concern with pictures, and an inclination to judge everything for colour and shape, books consist of 100 per cent words. Words are a writer’s only currency and it is his task to confide his story to the reader; confide as to a trusted and intimate friend. No wonder then that I spend so long in preparation and research, and then work slowly and nervously preparing a story-structure. I worry about each page; deleting paragraphs and improving words, with a gigantic, well-thumbed dictionary at my side. For books, as with cooking, building and probably with many other things in life, it’s the long and careful preparation that is decisive. Initial ideas for books arrive in fits and starts. An environment and the characters usually provide the beginning. Those decisions steer me to the mood and writing style. Is it to be written in the first person or third person? Is it historical or up to date? Is there to be an element of comedy? Ray’s suggestion did not fade but there was one big obstacle. Who would be the central figure – the hero – of my grim tale? A German? We had lived in Germany and I knew many Germans of widely differing political pasts. I’ve always been a risk-taker (you can ask my wife about that) and writers must take risks if they’re to progress and improve. But I baulked at creating a German central figure. It had to be someone moving in the upper circles of the German administration in order to tell the story in the way I wanted. But I didn’t relish attempting to create a sympathetic English collaborator; a Quisling! My man couldn’t be a war hero, they would all be dead, in hospital or in PoW camps. He couldn’t be a fugitive; I needed to describe England, and the occupation, without such constraints. I almost abandoned the project at that stage but I was enjoying lunch at a fish and chip shop in Marylebone with the writer Ted Allbeury – telling him all my troubles – when a solution jumped up and waved a red flag. Ted, before starting his career as a novelist, was a senior Army intelligence officer. He was the only English agent parachuted into wartime Germany. Stationed in postwar Germany, he became the man the local Germans persisted in calling the head of the English Gestapo (“...eventually I stopped correcting them,” said Ted). Exactly how the final idea for SS-GB emerged I cannot remember, but by the time we reached the steamed golden pudding my central figure was beginning to look like a London copper. Later that night I fleshed out this “hero”. Douglas Archer would be a celebrated Scotland Yard detective of the “murder squad”. As such he’d sit at the heart of the German authority but not be a contributor to the repressive Nazi regime. This didn’t mean that I could start writing. The research wouldn’t be easy. The London of the 1970s had altered a great deal since 1941. Architecture, communications, policing and politics had changed fundamentally. If I was to write with the authenticity that my story demanded, I would have to tread warily through a minefield of anachronisms. But I was old enough to remember London in 1941 vividly. So I decided that most of the scenes described in the book would be places I remembered; my home, my school, my neighbours and my local shops. And I remembered the bombed buildings, the blacked-out streets, the tin baths, the food rationing, the shortage of fuel and thus of hot water. And I remembered the brave Londoners; their concealed anxieties, studied composure and their prevailing sense of humour. By the 1970s, the old Scotland Yard building – where my Archer would have his office – had been converted into offices for senior politicians and civil servants. It was out of bounds to everyone else. It loomed as an insurmountable obstacle. It was my old friend Freddy Warren, from the Whip’s Office, who waved a magic Westminster wand. He not only arranged for me to wander through this “Parliamentary building” at will, but also found a retired policeman to guide me on my wanderings, providing a commentary about “the good old days”. The Metropolitan Police gave me unlimited access to their archives and museum. For day after day, I studied photos of 1940s detectives in mandatory suits and ties, plus details of real wartime crimes. This privileged kindness contributed greatly to my knowledge and my book. I anticipated resistance to my research trips. I worried that people would refuse to help a writer describe a German victory and a subservient Britain. I needn’t have; I encountered no opposition nor criticism. Some were amused, some were perplexed. Some expressed hatred of the Germans and relief at our ultimate victory. But everyone I spoke with trusted my judgement in describing these fictional, but nonetheless controversial, events. And this was also the case when I spoke with German veterans, including army generals and some senior SS officers. There were many more decisions to be made before I started. As an overall plot, I decided that a detective story format would inflict a necessary discipline on the story. A murder committed on page one would be solved at the very end. I studied the German plans for the occupation. I didn’t stick rigidly to these, but the Germans might not have stuck to them either. I drew a wall-chart of the German chain of command; army, SS, British puppet government and civil police. I looked at newsreel film of postwar Germany and the other occupied countries. The tone-colour of the story was to be grey, like the SS uniforms. The season must be winter; the mood bleak and cold. So it was fitting that I started writing it in an old mountainside house in Tuscany. Never mind the tourism posters, that winter in Italy was icy cold. My wife and two small sons were there to watch my hands swell and grow purple as I bashed the keys of a locally purchased manual typewriter. (I had searched high and low in Barga, the nearest town, to buy an electric typewriter but without result.) Another problem emerged; this time it really was insurmountable. As I neared the end of that first draft I found that the first-person format could not be sustained. A man, even my detective Douglas Archer, couldn’t be in London and on a ship at sea at the same time. I dumped that draft, bought another ream of paper and started afresh. There are moments in a writer’s life when other ways of earning a living become remarkably attractive. Check out more of our Books coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Viola Davis and bestselling author James Patterson reveal their inspiration for abortion courtroom drama "about America right now"
The actor is James Patterson’s latest collaborator for a powerful new novel about abortion rights in Trump’s America.
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 book with James Patterson?’,” laughs Davis, who’s renowned for roles as various as a housemaid in 1960s Mississippi (The Help), James Brown’s mother (Get On Up) and that Oscar-winning performance as Rose Maxson in Denzel Washington’s film of August Wilson’s play Fences. “And that was the beginning and end of it because I was like, ‘Oh, of course.’ And then, when I knew what the premise was, I just said, ‘I can do that’. Like James, I saw it as [a take on] To Kill a Mockingbird and what that could do in terms of bringing out the most interesting parts of a town, of a people, of a relationship, of ethos and ideologies.” “When I’m writing,” says Patterson, “I imagine there’s one person sitting across from me and I don’t want them to get up until I’ve finished telling the story, so when I was writing with Viola, that person was sitting across from both of us. There are at least three significant characters: Nova [the pregnant teen] – what’s going to happen to her? You have Dr Gaines – what’s going to happen to her? Then you have Judge Stone, and also Mary’s family. You’re interested in all of them, wondering how is this going to unfold?” The story hangs on the title character and Davis was immediately attracted to her. “It felt like there was a way in,” she says now. “When you are given a character [as an actor], you have to go down to a sort of imagination playground based on your memory of every human being you’ve ever met. And those are the things that you call on. This was the same skill set. I’d call James while I was driving to pick up my daughter from soccer, and say, ‘Listen, I’ve got one more idea. Just hear me out.’ And one of the biggest surprises was that he was always open to my ideas.” Patterson is a serial collaborator and has published books with more than 30 co-authors including Bill Clinton (“a pest”) and Dolly Parton (“relentless”), but the process here for him was as painless as he’s ever known. “There was never a time when I had to say, ‘I’m not seeing it.’ It was just, ‘OK, that makes some sense. That’ll work. That’s a good idea.’” The pair set about “developing the characters, layering on the pieces” and the result is a tense, page-turning drama that demands investment but returns it with interest. Patterson reveals that the film rights were, not unsurprisingly, “bought instantly”. Given that news, would it be a huge surprise to see Davis picking up a few more awards for her portrayal of Judge Mary Stone some time in the future? Judge Stone is available to buy now The latest issue of Radio Times is out now – subscribe here. Check out more of our Books coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Nadiya Hussain reveals feelings on parting ways with the BBC: "I'd had really difficult conversations"
Nadiya Hussain on the end of her relationship with the BBC – and why she’d like to be more like Prue Leith.
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 backgrounds don’t have that person who works in television so they don’t get a little step stool into the industry. I’d like to be that step stool.” She’s toying with the idea of launching her own production company to action those goals (“I’m scared, but I’ve got nothing to lose”), though for now says she feels happiest away from the spotlight – where “nobody is calling the shots, nobody pulls my strings, nobody can tell me what I can and can’t do”. Last September, she began working as a primary school teaching assistant near her home in Milton Keynes, but because of a weakened immune system due to fibromyalgia and gastric atrophy, she’s been forced to step away. “I had to hand in my notice because working with children I was constantly ill,” explains Hussain, adding that next she’s planning to train in special needs education, which would involve teaching smaller groups. She has already started learning sign language. Musa, 19 – Hussain’s eldest with her husband Abdal – has moved out of the family home, and her other son, 18-year-old Dawud, who is mid A-levels, will be leaving for university in September. “I’ll have a whole house and just my little girl,” says Hussain, of her daughter Maryam, 15. “We want to think about moving somewhere smaller with some land so we can maybe get some alpacas and a donkey.” Hussain is no longer frequently absent from home. Thumbing through photo albums with Abdal, 44, she realised she had “missed chunks of the kids’ lives” while filming everywhere from LA to Cambodia and Thailand. She even missed three house moves. Was it worth the sacrifice? “To some extent, yes, but I don’t want to look back at the next 10 years and think I should have thought about my kids before my career,” she says. “If anyone tells you your kids need you less as they grow up, that is an utter lie.” Hussain describes Abdal as “still very much the breadwinner” who pays her phone bill and is an emotional pillar, too. “He always says, ‘Everything is figure-out-able’. He’s like Superman. He has the broadest, strongest shoulders of any man I know. If I’m completely honest, I love being taken care of.” One thing they won’t do together is sit down to watch Bake Off. “The magic has disappeared for me,” she admits. “Sometimes it feels like it’s competing with some of the shows on Netflix where it’s bigger and bolder and more outrageous, and I don’t think it needs any of that. It’s a beautiful show, it’s a classic.” It’s also changing shape, with food writer Nigella Lawson replacing judge Prue Leith, who succeeded Mary Berry when she joined alongside Paul Hollywood in 2017, as the series moved from the BBC. “Nigella’s got a lot to live up to following Prue,” says Hussain. “It’s very easy to become quite stuffy and very proper, and I love that she’s got a little wild streak about her. I want to be like Prue when I’m older. If I get to that lovely age.” The latest issue of Radio Times is out now – subscribe here. Check out more of our Books coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
How to read Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander books in order
We've put together the ultimate guide to the beloved time-travel series.
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, where her modern knowledge both helps and endangers her. Amid the political turmoil, Claire meets the dashing Highlander Jamie Fraser, and a passionate romance develops that changes the course of her life forever. What are the Outlander books about? Outlander (1991) Claire Randall, a former combat nurse, is transported back in time to 1743 Scotland, where she becomes entangled in the Jacobite risings and a passionate romance with Jamie Fraser. Dragonfly in Amber (1992) Returning to 1968, Claire reflects on her time in the past and the events that led to her departure from Jamie. Voyager (1993) Claire discovers that Jamie survived the Battle of Culloden and embarks on a perilous journey to reunite with him. Drums of Autumn (1996) Now in the American colonies, Claire and Jamie settle in North Carolina, where they face new challenges and adventures. The Fiery Cross (2001) As tensions rise in the colonies, Jamie and Claire navigate the complexities of family, loyalty, and impending war. A Breath of Snow and Ashes (2005) The Frasers confront the harsh realities of the American Revolution and its impact on their lives. An Echo in the Bone (2009) The story weaves together multiple timelines as characters grapple with the consequences of their actions. Written in My Own Heart’s Blood (2014) The Frasers face personal and political upheaval as they navigate the tumultuous events of the 18th century. Go Tell the Bees That I Am Gone (2021) The latest instalment continues the saga of the Fraser family amid the backdrop of the American Revolution. What is Seven Stones to Stand or Fall about? Published in 2017, this collection of seven novellas by Gabaldon offers readers deeper insights into the Outlander universe. This compilation includes two previously unpublished novellas and features beloved characters such as Jamie Fraser, Lord John Grey, and Master Raymond. Virgins In 1740 France, a young Jamie Fraser and his friend Ian Murray embark on their first mercenary mission, facing challenges and adventures. A Fugitive Green Minnie Rennie, a young woman searching for her mother, crosses paths with Hal Grey, leading to an unexpected connection in 18th-century Europe. The Custom of the Army It's 1759, and Lord John Grey is summoned to Canada to assist his friend Charlie Carruthers, who faces court-martial after a duel. A Plague of Zombies In 1761, Lord John Grey is sent to Jamaica to quell a slave rebellion, only to find himself investigating a mysterious death and a possible zombie outbreak. Besieged Set in 1762, Lord John Grey learns that his mother is in Havana, Cuba, just as the British Navy plans a siege, prompting a daring rescue mission. The Space Between This novella follows Michael Murray and Joan MacKimmie as they journey through Paris in 1778, encountering Master Raymond and the enigmatic Comte St. Germain. A Leaf on the Wind of All Hallows Set during World War II, this poignant story reveals the origins of Roger MacKenzie's parents, Jerry and Dolly, and their connection to the standing stones. Which Outlander books are about Lord John? It seems we’re not the only ones who can’t get enough of English aristocrat and friend to the Frasers, Lord John Grey. Lord John is the focus of three short stories that appear in the collection, Seven Stones to Stand or Fall. Additionally, Gabaldon has written several standalone novels and stories about his various adventures. Lord John and the Hand of Devils (2007) is a collection of three novellas by Gabaldon that delve into Lord John's investigative adventures during the 18th century, blending elements of mystery, supernatural intrigue, and personal discovery. Lord John and the Hellfire Club Set in 1756, this novella follows Lord John Grey as he investigates the death of a man in London, leading him into the clandestine world of Sir Francis Dashwood's notorious Hellfire Club. Lord John and the Succubus In this 1757 tale, Lord John is called to investigate a series of mysterious deaths among soldiers in Prussia, believed to be caused by a supernatural entity known as a "night-hag". Lord John and the Haunted Soldier Written specifically for this collection, this novella takes place in November 1758, following the events of Lord John and the Brotherhood of the Blade. Lord John investigates the case of a cannon explosion on the battlefield, leading to the discovery of treason within His Majesty's ranks. Additionally, there are three books dedicated to Lord John, occasionally featuring Jamie as well. Lord John and the Private Matter It's 1757 and Lord John Grey must navigate scandal, secrets, and personal danger when a sensitive political case lands squarely in his lap. Lord John and the Brotherhood of the Blade Set in 1758, this novel follows Lord John as he uncovers a deadly conspiracy within a secretive military society, forcing him to rely on his wits and courage. The Scottish Prisoner Against the backdrop of 18th-century Europe, Lord John and Jamie Fraser reunite to unravel a treacherous plot while contending with political intrigue and imprisonment. When should you read the Outlander companion volumes? There are also two companion volumes of Outlander. These are best read after you have completed the series, to avoid any spoilers. The Outlandish Companion A comprehensive guide to the series, including character profiles, historical notes and behind-the-scenes insights. The Outlandish Companion Volume Two Continues the exploration of the Outlander universe with additional information and commentary. 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.
Nick Hornby crowns Nero Book Awards winner as he discusses his next novel
“ 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, waiting for cast, waiting for whatever. “And that is a long and painful process, so I'm quite glad to be writing the book while that stuff's going on.” It’s good to have different irons in different fires, then? “ Yeah,” Hornby agreed. “There's no point in waiting for these things to happen. They just take too long. So you just gotta let it go, move on with the next thing and hope something happens at some point. Speaking of screenplays, what has it been like for Hornby to see some of his works adapted for the screen for a second time? For example, High Fidelity has now become both a film (starring John Cusack in the year 2000) and a TV show (starring Zoë Kravitz in 2020). "Well, things like that, the TV High Fidelity, it's quite reassuring to think that it's gone through its initial life, and yet it's still alive. It means something to a whole different generation of people. It meant something to Zoë Kravitz, who's a lot younger than me, and it spoke to her and it spoke to the people who adapted it. “And you think, ‘Oh, okay, whatever it is, 30 years, it survived’. And I kind of enjoyed feeling that, perhaps more than when things are adapted immediately, or within their first phase of life, because that's quite a well trodden route. “More or less anything with a story and characters gets optioned by someone, somewhere along the food chain. Doesn't mean it'll be made, but sometimes it's made. So you kind of get used to that. But things being made, then receding, then coming back, that is interesting.” Hornby has also had a hand in adapting other people’s books for screen, notably working on the movie version of Colm Tóibín’s Brooklyn. And with Brooklyn now having a sequel book, Long Island, is Hornby working on adapting it? “ I was asked to do it,” Hornby admitted. “And I keep meaning to read it. I haven't read it. I wanted to say no before I'd read it, because I didn't want Colm Tóibín to think that I was turning it down because I didn't think that book was as good as the previous one. “I just knew that the film turned out pretty well, and I was anxious about going back on old territory, and everything not being quite as good as it was the first time. So, I think it's much better that someone else does it.” And has Hornby ever been to write sequels to any of his own books? “ I've had no interest so far,” he said. “I think as long as I keep having ideas about different characters, then I'm gonna be working with those.” And do fans ever ask him what happened next to certain characters? “Not so much,” Hornby said. “All Arsenal fans want a sequel to Fever Pitch, but I think I said everything I had to say in the first book.” On my bookshelf with… Nick Hornby The book that made me want to be an author… was Anne Tyler's Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant, something that changed what I wanted to do with my writing. I'd been trying to write scripts up until that point, and when I read that, I thought, ‘Okay, I can see that there is a kind of writing that I hadn't yet come across, something that was a little bit more direct and conversational, and could sort of see how I might manage prose in a way that I hadn't seen until that point. So she was a big influence on me. The book I'd recommend to anyone… is by an author who gets overlooked in the UK and I've yet to fail with in terms of recommendation. It’s the American writer Kevin Wilson, and his book, Nothing to See Here. I think if anyone's stuck in their fiction-reading life, this is a book to get you unstuck. The books I'm reading right now... I was lucky enough to get an early copy of the next Elizabeth Strout novel, and she's a big inspiration to me. I love her work. I just finished that at the end of last week. And now I've moved on to the next book by Louise Kennedy, who wrote Trespasses. 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. Looking for more reading recommendations? Join the Radio Times Book Club here - we offer 3-month or 6-month memberships as well as monthly or quarterly subscriptions where you'll receive a new hardback chosen by the RT team delivered directly to your door!
Rose Ayling-Ellis: "When you grow up not seeing yourself in stories, you don't stop imagining"
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.
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 fact, I want the opposite. I want them to not notice it. I want it to feel natural, for them to just enjoy the story, falling in love with the characters and be entertained. Because the absence was loud for me and I hope it is quieter for deaf children today. But children today are growing up with new challenges that many of us didn’t have. I used to go to my local library to get books, then to Blockbuster to rent DVDs. It feels like a precious memory now. A time where life felt slower and choices felt more thoughtful. As I got older, the torch under the duvet became a laptop, and the rented DVD became endless scrolling. My attention span got shorter as libraries started closing down. Now only one in seven primary schools has a library, and access to reading feels more fragile than ever. World Book Day has never felt more important. I remember those days my brother dressed as Willy Wonka and I just wanted to be a fairy. Now that memory reminds me not to take stories, books or imagination for granted. View oEmbed on the source website Now I put time limits and blockers on my phone. I put it away when I’m watching a film or a good drama. I read more. I’m more creative. My mental wellbeing is the best it’s been, I’m more patient. Reading slows us down in a world that constantly speeds us up. If it’s making this much of a difference to me, what is doing to a child’s brain? Reading gives children something that technology can’t, having an imagination that isn’t algorithm-led. I hope I’ve inspired you in some way not by my story or by being deaf but by something simpler. To slow down, to be more present. To make more space for stories, for imagination, and for each other. Next time you buy that book, really do make time for it. Books don’t just teach us how to read, they teach us how to see. In a world that moves ever so fast, learning how to really see each other might be the most important story of all. Rose Ayling-Ellis wrote The Big Bang! for World Book Day on Thursday 5 March 2026 – The Big Bang! is available now, and you can find out more about World Book Day at its website. 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. Looking for more reading recommendations? Join the Radio Times Book Club here - we offer 3-month or 6-month memberships as well as monthly or quarterly subscriptions where you'll receive a new hardback chosen by the RT team delivered directly to your door!
Author Sarah J Maas confirms next books in best-selling A Court of Thorns and Roses series
The book series has become a global phenomenon.
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 else. The story just kept expanding, and I couldn't wait to share a single part of it any longer!!" Maas is also the author of the Throne of Glass and Crescent City series. She has sold more than 75 million books worldwide. Buy A Court of Thorns and Roses boxset at Amazon 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. Looking for more reading recommendations? Join the Radio Times Book Club here – we offer 3-month or 6-month memberships as well as monthly or quarterly subscriptions where you'll receive a new hardback chosen by the RT team delivered directly to your door!
How to read the Young Sherlock books in order
The new Prime Video series focuses on Sherlock's investigations at age 19.
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 2015. How to read the Young Sherlock Holmes series in order The Young Sherlock Holmes novels are designed to be read in release order, with each story leading into the next. That means readers should start with 2010's Death Cloud, and finish with 2015's Night Break. Here's the full list of Young Sherlock Holmes novels in order. <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Death-Cloud-Young-Sherlock-Holmes/dp/1035063697/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&dib_tag=se&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.vitbW53fhVpEvknh4qyYjl4JsL6W35kyixSC2JI69hDNBYONo7FmTOaYLupOLzj07ndE5dcMIteEsmmeIsG2IJB12RbRAWrIaYB-ZIiIQWwJQ0sVfWrorIpH92mThRqx8k8EDTZZ_eoZpixrpJMxyVGLzStrSn9rYqq0FPPSKqsbprGeuHoI_4vHmaK9jJm7Oxqc_85egbIsCXA5jAiDFbc0jPDPWRV2Yd2q5zVirvI.g_ZgyNHcZ-5yiiCKIp6XlTP9j5tH8CzdN5H_1VRrJmY&qid=1771858175&sr=8-1&tag=radtim0b-21&ascsubtag=radiotimes-2398065" target="_blank" rel="sponsored" data-id="iframe-1-anchor-5">Death Cloud (2010) <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Red-Leech-Young-Sherlock-Holmes/dp/1035063700/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1RPBMME2UA9N4&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.7UKfdV2zPiVEQwq45uvvaxrBgTTavz4j_7HfUA-fh-vQNiJnDCQT-XhqSYmghynx-0xQussbQYo9wc8u306znnu25ldYbGU-BXsfedHJN-KC8dclpUglVp3UuJdy5pk4mw5jM9OuDa4v4GaNXIksMy17f2vDcd6Owj1zbnPHnOHrAatjLiNrz7d1TK1Xh7RqNZVgeHzoAFv5jRRFuAlPYJ3neooPivsSwXGrrrD4Lm8.g-Iki9_i8fo3dIn-jMFU6a54474EnyHxAb42g6d_niA&dib_tag=se&keywords=red+leech&qid=1771858195&sprefix=red+leec%2Caps%2C279&sr=8-1&tag=radtim0b-21&ascsubtag=radiotimes-2398065" target="_blank" rel="sponsored" data-id="iframe-1-anchor-6">Red Leech (2010) <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Black-Ice-Young-Sherlock-Holmes/dp/0330512005/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&dib_tag=se&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.3G2kkzlcUZrQJ9qonccsQoHz6yFT65BUu6dwySOZbUEUrkStvcdibKET_szziln3xuagKN_VtSWF6HBcCNgY3hirZFDxzniy8SF9PX_JxlWYmpbS0zwYpn1i0AZ8GMC-Zzy7k5L01IfngttYw4kzEw.InvdzXQqRelxPK0ixXSANmrnj1l1_K8JI_lwHYmtYv4&qid=1771858213&sr=8-1&tag=radtim0b-21&ascsubtag=radiotimes-2398065" target="_blank" rel="sponsored" data-id="iframe-1-anchor-7">Black Ice (2011) <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Fire-Storm-Young-Sherlock-Holmes/dp/1447265610/ref=sr_1_1?crid=31HI8UFW9QWN7&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.bfsIVLPIwdeMyx3fcOlaeiDSHVoFM3aR23aRHR6QpXcdzMNp_DegMwZU-KtOx3jRm7EItMlyCNS8-yIMLS0lUirn93qP_XzfKCkw5Lenu4CYmpbS0zwYpn1i0AZ8GMC-KpIOncgFbWnycxtZcv387Q.K2VmtrIEOeIVf7Uz_mfevWFT9ojxakxoliTd8dcbXXk&dib_tag=se&keywords=fire+storm+sherlock&qid=1771858271&sprefix=fire+storm+sherloc%2Caps%2C260&sr=8-1&tag=radtim0b-21&ascsubtag=radiotimes-2398065" target="_blank" rel="sponsored" data-id="iframe-1-anchor-8">Fire Storm (2011) <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Snake-Bite-Young-Sherlock-Holmes/dp/1447265629/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2W9U6MC6J0AX1&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.8qHF4ISvNs7IjicB3oSWMwE-dfiWEinqGPotLb5WCcxLnFe8XdGFn8zRlKMAxJkKIr3u_x7JaMWizuAXKJ9eKw.VLh-LDYqYIw26Dss1pIEar4Nv1JTEFmCZq8WULMUCv4&dib_tag=se&keywords=snake+bite+sherlock&qid=1771858318&sprefix=snake+bit+sherlock%2Caps%2C256&sr=8-1&tag=radtim0b-21&ascsubtag=radiotimes-2398065" target="_blank" rel="sponsored" data-id="iframe-1-anchor-9">Snake Bite (2012) <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Knife-Edge-Young-Sherlock-Holmes/dp/1447200322/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3A6VA00ZUPD4W&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.A0zX5cEEE9Lr9_BvF8W3hpXAphE6l1e8-xT0i77yOo0iPZ43DpnNsuNoZCZC7mZ8jeJnv9Y0-ny4GH5zx7WQonRSNefw6n93tzH-cyeF7S4.ST0moZoO2g9KDoJvTYT8I3EHR9CDV6enASc68XRgkcM&dib_tag=se&keywords=knife+edge+sherlock&qid=1771858333&sprefix=knife+edg+sherlock%2Caps%2C271&sr=8-1&tag=radtim0b-21&ascsubtag=radiotimes-2398065" target="_blank" rel="sponsored" data-id="iframe-1-anchor-10">Knife Edge (2013) <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Stone-Cold-Young-Sherlock-Holmes/dp/1447228014/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2RLGWZZ8NYIBH&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.BtPKE6NZWk923hgPClTk8b3Yza3ED0FT6EuMxwm8jtb8aYiMNo0eexXKeOhgkAKlszeOH0vIWPNZmSQuOxzFqwH_LB79yPIFvkG23CbPbFU._y22Zx5wZiPKzsyt15vDbCguccgu4jB4FtDdNfNha64&dib_tag=se&keywords=stone+cold+sherlock&qid=1771858348&sprefix=stone+co+sherlock%2Caps%2C280&sr=8-1&tag=radtim0b-21&ascsubtag=radiotimes-2398065" target="_blank" rel="sponsored" data-id="iframe-1-anchor-11">Stone Cold (2014) <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Night-Break-Young-Sherlock-Holmes/dp/1447294572/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1WYCYBRPBQFSN&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.gSfS_ctAQj2VJGGm48vbAdx4lz4TCGK8zTaLFkofoaKm7XQFV0-xnwpA420OCWGfaXpt64LYYmY05itQEMkJ0_eVhalmecOc7PhtYBJHmyIY595mLROsnMmNBbBxXmm28eAkV5G4sfjvNtRySpxSDIgKlORm0jfMWF5M5KJ4XKdQYZsMLOUZ7eEYokwu4CjkWNavwSTHsTwW2Hfs40dJn1_VnlTAACpFbB2J6P0XvgA.kQh3-zWxpZjnW5hzel5BZc-1ZM8O3Jo9SxYfie8bvZM&dib_tag=se&keywords=night+break&qid=1771858371&sprefix=night+break%2Caps%2C242&sr=8-1&tag=radtim0b-21&ascsubtag=radiotimes-2398065" target="_blank" rel="sponsored" data-id="iframe-1-anchor-12">Night Break (2015) Young Sherlock will premiere on Prime Video on 4 March 2026 – try Amazon Prime Video for free for 30 days. Plus, read our guides to the best Amazon Prime series and the best movies on Amazon Prime. Add Young Sherlock to your watchlist on the Radio Times: What to Watch app – download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more. Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Dept Q books in order: How to read Jussi Adler-Olsen stories
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 privilege and power. The novel deepens the partnership between Mørck and Assad, and introduces themes of institutional failure and the long reach of past sins. Redemption (2013) A cryptic message in a bottle, written in blood, lands on Mørck’s desk and launches Department Q into a harrowing investigation involving missing children and a chilling serial killer. Redemption is a turning point for the series, raising the stakes and expanding the team with the arrival of Rose, whose own backstory and sharp wit add new layers to the group dynamic. A relentless read. Guilt (2013) Guilt sees Mørck and his team drawn into a decades-old disappearance that soon reveals a pattern of vanished individuals and a sinister web of abuse and revenge. The investigation forces Mørck to confront his own past as well as the consequences of institutional neglect. This instalment stands out for its exploration of vengeance, justice, and the cost of unaddressed pain. Buried (2014) In Buried, Department Q investigates the case of a missing civil servant, presumed dead after returning from Africa, only to find that the answers may lie much closer to home. The novel introduces Marco, a streetwise teenager on the run, who becomes central to the investigation. The story weaves together themes of corruption, exploitation, and the resilience of those society overlooks, while giving the team one of their most challenging cases yet. The Hanging Girl (2015) A call from the Danish island of Bornholm draws Mørck and his team into the cold case of a 17-year-old girl found hanging in a tree. What begins as a local tragedy soon links to a shadowy cult and a series of new murders. The Hanging Girl is notable for its atmospheric setting and the way it pushes each member of Department Q to their limits, both professionally and personally. The Scarred Woman (2017) The Scarred Woman finds Department Q threatened with closure, with the team under pressure to deliver results. When the murder of an elderly woman in a Copenhagen park echoes an older unsolved case, and a series of attacks on young women rocks the city, Mørck and his colleagues must work against the clock. The novel delves deeply into Rose’s troubled past, making it one of the most personal and emotionally charged entries in the series. Victim 2117 (2020) The eighth novel, Victim 2117, brings the refugee crisis to the heart of Department Q’s work. The death of an unnamed refugee in the Mediterranean becomes the catalyst for a sprawling investigation with international implications – and a direct link to Assad’s own hidden history. This is a deeply political and personal story, broadening the scope of the series and revealing new details about the central characters. The Shadow Murders (2022) On her 60th birthday, a woman’s apparent suicide draws Mørck and his team into a labyrinthine case spanning three decades. As they connect a series of mysterious deaths, it becomes clear they’re dealing with a calculating murderer who has evaded justice for years. The Shadow Murders is the penultimate book, raising the tension and pushing the team to the brink as secrets from the past threaten to destroy them. Locked In (2024) The series concludes with Locked In, where Carl Mørck finds himself imprisoned, framed for crimes he did not commit, and with a bounty on his head. Department Q is fractured, trust is in short supply and the team must race against time to clear Mørck’s name and expose the true mastermind. This final entry is both a culmination of long-running threads and a high-stakes thriller, offering a fitting send-off to one of crime fiction’s most compelling teams. How to get started The best way to experience Dept Q is to read the novels in publication order, as each book builds on the last and the characters’ personal journeys are as important as the cases themselves. Whether you’re coming to the series fresh from the Netflix adaptation or are a returning fan, it doesn't matter – Jussi Adler-Olsen’s Dept Q series is sharp enough for all-comers. Now get to it... 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. Looking for more reading recommendations? Join the Radio Times Book Club here - we offer 3-month or 6-month memberships as well as monthly or quarterly subscriptions where you'll receive a new hardback chosen by the RT team delivered directly to your door!
Richard Osman confirms brand new sequel novel with "lots of thrills" and when fans can expect it
Steve, Amy and Rosie D'Antonio will be back...
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: "In the Italian hills, a body is found on the steps of a private villa at sunrise. Our mis-matched detective trio Amy, Rose and Steve return, in pursuit of an elusive and ruthless killer. "Between Italy and Palm Springs, via Barcelona and Steve's sleepy village pub, they uncover an impossible case where it seems that everyone is hiding something..." We Chase Shadows by Richard Osman is released in September 2026 and 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. Looking for more reading recommendations? Join the Radio Times Book Club here - we offer 3-month or 6-month memberships as well as monthly or quarterly subscriptions where you'll receive a new hardback chosen by the RT team delivered directly to your door!
Harriet Tyce: 'No jury in the land would be able to crack The Traitors'
Tyce talks Witch Trial, her latest book out now – and it's unintentional link to The Traitors.
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 laughs. "The mad and crazy thing is that I handed in a near-complete first draft on Halloween of 2024 and I put my application in for The Traitors in mid-December! There were six weeks clear water. "I mean, I've obviously loved the show from the beginning and I'm fascinated by its tropes and the whole Gothic supernatural – of course at some point it was going to play into a book. "While 'zeitgeist' is an awful word, I think there have been a lot of books and films which are part of that, so it's not actually that spooky a coincidence that I'd write a book that falls on some of the tropes. The weird bit is that I actually got onto the show." The Traitors cast do act as a would-be jury as Tyce thoroughly explores in Witch Trial throughout the show with the Faithfuls desperately searching to find those pesky Traitors - though her fictional characters get a lot more evidence than they do on the TV show. "The thing about the roundtable is that all you can go on is your best instincts - your best instincts when we have no actual evidence can be very, very tough... no jury in the land would be able to perform on what you actually have to go on in The Traitors because there's just nothing. "It turned out I had a good gut instinct, but I don't think gut instinct is good enough when it comes to actually finding someone properly guilty of an offence..." Tyce is keen to keep playing in the supernatural space, perhaps with a follow-up to Witch Trial. And her Traitors experience is already seeping into her authorial world, too. "I was fascinated by how real it became to me; it was my life. We were all living in it. It’s incredibly clever, the way they set the scene and keep you in an isolated space where you don’t have to think about anything except playing the game. "You know perfectly well it’s a game – of course it’s a game – but when you’re there day after day, it does feel a little bit life or death. I’m quite interested in the idea of what happens if you don’t snap out of it." It’s been a very rich year for Tyce – and, if her readers are lucky, many of those experiences will find their way into a future thriller. On my bookshelf with... Harriet Tyce The book that made me want to be an author... was reading a series of books by Dorothy L Sayers, featuring Harriet Vane. Detective fiction and crime fiction are brilliant. The book I wish I'd written... was David Nichols's One Day. The thing about it is that it's genius in its simplicity – something is just such a brilliant idea and you can't think how nobody had thought of it before, but they didn't and he did. That would've been great. And the adaptation was so painfully done; I cried buckets watching it. The book I'd recommend to anyone... is Rivals by Jilly Cooper in order to get people to transcend any snobbery of genre. It's just such a cracking read, it's so much fun – and again, we can see from the brilliant adaptation. The books I'm reading right now... are the diaries of Helen Garner (it's made me very nostalgic for a world before phones when we wrote letters!). I'm a judge for the Crime Writers' Association so I'm reading lots of collections of short stories by crime writers, and a book called Blank Canvas by Grace Murray. It's about a girl at college who has told a lie that her father is dead. It's very good but it's written by someone who's just a year older than my son, and that is bothering my deeply! 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. Looking for more reading recommendations? Join the Radio Times Book Club here - we offer 3-month or 6-month memberships as well as monthly or quarterly subscriptions where you'll receive a new hardback chosen by the RT team delivered directly to your door!
Next Heated Rivalry book release date delayed as author Rachel Reid offers health update
The novel has been delayed by almost a year.
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 neurologist, and I have an appointment in a couple weeks. "That could change things for me because I'm not really getting the treatment that I should be getting." Unrivaled by Rachel Reid is available to 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. Looking for more reading recommendations? Join the Radio Times Book Club here - we offer 3-month or 6-month memberships as well as monthly or quarterly subscriptions where you'll receive a new hardback chosen by the RT team delivered directly to your door!
Why Lord of the Flies author William Golding didn't put girls on his classic novel's island
William Golding’s daughter Judy Carver recalls the seismic effect Lord of the Flies had on her father’s life and work.
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 Lovers, includes a story about photographer Lord Snowdon capturing a furious reaction from Golding after congratulating him on having written The Lord of the Rings, the JRR Tolkien book that is another adolescent classic. “People made that mistake lots and lots of times,” says Judy. “I think he knew he was being manipulated by Snowdon to get a reaction, but he couldn’t help looking thunderous in the picture. The mistake still happens and I just have to let it go. I think it was clever of Snowdon to do that because Daddy loved to subvert photographers’ expectations of what the author of a book like Lord of the Flies should look like by smiling and telling jokes.” The island dystopia of Lord of the Flies has been shared with tens of millions of readers and viewers of movies and now TV. But what was Judy’s experience of it? “When it was first published, I was nine, and Daddy said I could read the first 50 pages before things got bloodthirsty. And all I really remember is thinking: goodness, there’s a reference to [Arthur Ransome’s] Swallows and Amazons! I really loved those books. “I read the whole of Lord of the Flies when I was 14 and can still feel the sense of dread. I wouldn’t say that I re-read it now reluctantly but it’s always going to be a tough read. It’s a very sad book.” Today’s TV viewers of Lord of the Flies will find it unusual to see four hours of drama featuring only male characters. Judy remembers that when Hollywood producer Sam Goldwyn bought the film rights to the book, he had a “bit of a rumpus” with Golding: “Goldwyn wanted to put little girls on the island and my father said, ‘No, if you do that, you completely change the story and have to have things like sex.’” An interesting aspect of the book is that the government seems only to have put boys on the evacuation flights; if the aim was to repopulate elsewhere, surely girls would eventually be required? “There’s a lot more detail in the full unedited manuscript that I sometimes think I might publish and then think: no, he cut that stuff out. I don’t remember any reference to girls in the manuscript. But actually I will rush back to it and have a jolly good look because it’s a good question.” Judy later contacts me to say that, in the first paragraph of the initial version, there is a reference to politicians sending abroad “a job lot of children”. However, her father crossed out “children” and replaced it with “boys”. With that pen stroke was born what has come to be seen as a handbook about masculinity. Golding had been a teacher of boys – is the book very directly about the male psyche? “He never said that specifically. What he did say was that he was a son and a brother and a father, and so he knew about boys and didn’t know about girls. The fact that he was the father of me seems to have eluded him at that point! I don’t think, though, he wanted to commit himself to the book being about what we now call ‘toxic masculinity’.” The late Sir Tom Stoppard told a story about his sons studying Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead at school and getting bad marks when the playwright helped them with their essays. Did any later generations of Goldings get Lord of the Flies as a set text? “That Stoppard story is wonderful. My children’s schools carefully avoided them being in the tutor groups that did Lord of the Flies. None of my grandchildren, as far as I know, has been taught it, although one was told that he should read The Inheritors [Golding’s 1955 novel about Neanderthal society]. Which I don’t believe he has done.” Golding wrote other novels that were arguably greater – such as The Spire (1964), in which a spiritually uneasy Dean supervises the building of a huge cathedral – but his story of feral plane-wrecked boys so dominated the novelist’s reputation that the subtitle of John Carey’s posthumous biography was The Man Who Wrote Lord of the Flies. Did Golding ever regret or resent the book being seen as his creative pinnacle? “I think Daddy was superstitious about ever regretting it, because it changed so much. Later in his life – when he was in his 60s – he had a nightmare about Charles Monteith writing to him and rejecting the book. So it still seemed to him a bit of a knife-edge. He felt the same thing about being interviewed or praised too much: that he was tempting fate.” Judy recalls that, when asked to list his favourite books, her father “would say he thought The Inheritors was his best. Then The Spire. Then he’d add, in a slightly shamefaced way: ‘And Lord of the Flies isn’t bad!’” Golding “hated the idea of a film being made” but came to love Peter Brook’s 1963 movie adaptation, especially the black-and-white photography, and the use of choral music by Raymond Leppard, an admirer of Benjamin Britten, whose own music is, in a deliberate link, used in the current BBC version. However, the novelist refused to see Harry Hook’s 1990 version due to suspicions that seemed justified by the reviews. In 2005, the BBC broadcast Golding’s trilogy about an early 19th-century sea voyage as the mini-series To the Ends of the Earth, starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Jared Harris (now available on Amazon Prime). But, as a director of the family company that manages the Golding estate, Judy says that most inquiries involve Lord of the Flies. “A very good film director held the rights to The Spire for many years, but that won’t happen now. People often want to turn The Spire into an opera. And a very determined man tried to make an animation of The Inheritors, which would have been interesting. But none of these things seem to happen. Maybe they will now.” The latest issue of Radio Times is out now – subscribe here. 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. Looking for more reading recommendations? Join the Radio Times Book Club here - we offer 3-month or 6-month memberships as well as monthly or quarterly subscriptions where you'll receive a new hardback chosen by the RT team delivered directly to your door!
I quit my job of 25 years to write a book – I felt frozen with fear
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 all get together to celebrate the historic concert, and all their secrets come tumbling out.” Why Live Aid? “It felt like this seismic event, and everyone who was around at the time remembers it. Even people who weren’t born then know about it, and they’ve seen clips of it on YouTube. My own memories of that day are vivid: I remember crying on the phone to my friend Sam about how amazing Freddie Mercury was…” Given that – and given the eye-widening nature of some of the characters’ secrets revealed in the book – it’s impossible not to wonder if there’s a touch of autobiography to it. Godfrey’s first novel, The List of Suspicious Things, was partly inspired, alarmingly, by her dad’s real-life realisation that he had known Peter Sutcliffe, the Yorkshire Ripper. “When I was 11 or 12 we did move to a new-build estate ourselves [like The Barbecue at No 9’s central characters], transplanted from our Yorkshire mill town to Milton Keynes, which felt like a fate worse than death for us northerners. But it’s not such a direct personal experience as the Sutcliffe link was for the first book.” In fact, adds Godfrey, the idea for this one came out of the blue: “After the success of List, I felt frozen with fear, and I was just working out how to tell my editor that I was never going to write another book, when I got on a train and the idea for Barbecue landed in my brain, almost the whole book in one go.” The author now lives in Somerset, where she works occasional shifts at her local Waterstones, because “all novelists should have to work in a bookshop. It’s an absolutely invaluable experience as a writer to understand who your readers are.” Her own, she’s found, are much more disparate than she expected: “I’ve been really surprised by how many men are massive fans of my work, and also how many young people. They think, because its set in the 1970s or 80s, it’s historical fiction, though! That makes you feel pretty old.” At least Godfrey has a few A-list fans for comfort. Among others, broadcaster-turned-author Graham Norton and author-turned-broadcaster Marian Keyes are devotees. “I’ve met them both and was completely star-struck,” she giggles, “and a little bit intense. They were lovely.” But aren’t authors supposed to hate her? “Well, maybe they were just nice to my face. Maybe they were the ones on SubStack being mean…” 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. Looking for more reading recommendations? Join the Radio Times Book Club here - we offer 3-month or 6-month memberships as well as monthly or quarterly subscriptions where you'll receive a new hardback chosen by the RT team delivered directly to your door! The latest issue of Radio Times is out now – subscribe here.
Beloved author Marian Keyes reveals why 'chick lit' exposes the "hollowness" of post-feminism
Marian Keyes’s novels were seen as fluffy fiction, but a new drama about her Walsh sisters is fun and fearless.
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 dust jacket and filed under a new, fluffy genre, known for its pastel dust jackets and adorned with drawings of high heels and cocktail glasses. “Chick lit. It was degrading. It was meant to be degrading. What it did was ‘defang’ post-feminism,” says Keyes wearily. “We were told, ‘The second wave of feminism has ended, you can be anything you want.’ But women knew that was absolutely not the case. Women could not expect to get paid the same as men, to get promoted with the same speed as men, to be welcomed back after maternity leave, to have sex with the same freedom that men do – and not get judged. And that is exactly what so-called ‘chick lit’ was about,” she says, with scorn. “It was about the hollowness of post feminism. Slap a title like chick lit on; instantly, it’s defanged.” Indeed, it blunted the weapon she wielded. Which was? “Writing about the lives of women who were confused by a world where men still had all the power. None of that was picked up. Because of the pinkness of chick lit.” Did the pink fluffiness of the covers make her change her subject? Did it hell. “I write about women. I’m 62 now, and as I age, the women I write about get older. My focus shifts. I wish younger women well, but I can’t really relate to their lives in the same way that I used to. Now, I love the thing you have in your late 50s, of being too exhausted to care about getting your legs waxed. Or just that feeling the world won’t end if your roots are on show.” She smiles beatifically at me. She explains she hasn’t helped with the scripting by Stefanie Preissner of The Walsh Sisters. “She didn’t ask me to, and I wouldn’t have wanted to. I like writing books. And forgive me, this sounds ungrateful, but when I finished the books, the books were done. And no matter what the series is like, the books are still the books that I wrote. Secondly, I knew Stefanie. I find her fascinating and admirable. So, I thought if anybody could do it, she could. I also felt that the producers had paid for the option. It was theirs for them to do with what they liked, and that’s the deal.” No worries then? “Well, it was a risk, but you can’t do it without risk. I moved house recently, I sold my house to somebody else, and what they do with it is up to them. They gave me the money. It’s now their house.” A woman who has coped with addiction and has defined herself as an “ordinary alcoholic”, Keyes clearly has enormous strength, as well as a no-nonsense approach to the vagaries of the media. “I have used humour in the books to deal with painful subjects, and that’s a personal survival mechanism, but it’s also immensely Irish. When people told me I was crap back then, I wondered if I was, if my books were… I always knew their worth, but it was exhausting to be told, constantly, that my books counted for nothing.” Now they count in their millions, and have presumably made Keyes an extremely wealthy woman. Not that this was the plan. “My first book was published only in Ireland, set in Ireland about Irish people. I honestly thought nobody outside of Ireland would have any interest. I still can’t believe how lucky I am.” The latest issue of Radio Times is out now – subscribe here. The Walsh Sisters airs at 9:15pm on BBC One and iPlayer on Saturday 21 February. Check out more of our Books coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast. Looking for more reading recommendations? Join the Radio Times Book Club here - we offer 3-month or 6-month memberships as well as monthly or quarterly subscriptions where you'll receive a new hardback chosen by the RT team delivered directly to your door!
How to read James Patterson’s Alex Cross books in order
We've put together the ultimate guide to James Patterson’s Alex Cross series, from his very first case to his latest showdown.
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. Patterson’s lightning-paced plotting and emotional chords – rooted in family, ethics and vengeance –have made Cross one of thriller fiction’s most iconic heroes. An ongoing theme in the earlier books is the unsolved murder of his first wife, Maria. What happens in Along Came a Spider by James Patterson? Along Came a Spider (1993) is the first book in James Patterson’s Alex Cross series and introduces the Washington DC detective/psychologist who will go on to anchor more than 30 thrillers. The debut sees Detective Alex Cross pulled from a high-profile murder case in his own neighbourhood to investigate the kidnapping of two wealthy children from an exclusive private school. The abductor, Gary Soneji, is a math teacher with delusions of grandeur who dreams of committing “the crime of the century” and cementing his place in history alongside infamous criminals. Cross teams up with Secret Service agent Jezzie Flannagan to track the missing children, but the deeper he digs, the more twisted the case becomes – blending abduction, murder, betrayal and psychological manipulation. The first book in the Alex Cross series establishes the hallmarks of the series: Patterson’s short, punchy chapters, high-stakes suspense, and Cross’s personal tug-of-war between duty and family life. It’s also one of the most psychologically driven entries, with Cross pitted against a chillingly unpredictable villain. When did Return of the Spider come out? The latest novel in the Alex Cross series, Return of the Spider, was released on 9th October 2025. It takes us back to where it all began, with the infamous Gary Soneji case from Along Came a Spider. When a hidden cabin yields a cache of grisly trophies and diaries, Alex Cross is forced to face a devastating possibility: he may have put the wrong man behind bars. As he retraces the steps of his rookie investigation, Cross learns the case was never truly closed... and the “Spider” might be deadlier than ever. Short break: Alex Cross spin-offs and novellas Novellas and spin-offs If you want a shorter, faster-paced taste of Alex Cross, James Patterson has written a handful of novellas and side stories. These are designed as quick thrillers, perfect for reading between the main books, or if you want to see Alex in action without committing to a full-length novel. Cross Kill (2016) is part of Patterson’s BookShots series. This novella pits Alex against an old enemy thought to be long dead, blurring the line between past and present dangers. Detective Cross (2017) is another BookShots instalment where Cross investigates a deadly explosion in Washington, DC, racing against time to prevent more attacks. Ali Cross series These spin-offs follow Ali Cross, Alex’s son, who takes after his father’s detective instincts but navigates them through the lens of a teenager. Written as middle-grade/young adult mysteries (aimed at readers roughly 9–14), they blend Patterson’s trademark fast pace with themes of friendship, family and growing up under the shadow of a famous detective. There are currently three books in the series: Ali Cross (2019) follows Ali as he gets caught up in a case when one of his friends goes missing. Ali Cross: Like Father, Like Son (2021) is a mystery that forces Ali to balance school life with living up to his dad’s legacy. Ali Cross: The Secret Detective (2022) sees Ali take on a case involving a school field trip and missing items. Which Alex Cross novels are the Prime Video Cross series based on? Cross on Prime Video is actually not based on any of Patterson's novels, and instead tells new stories while utilising the characters from, and world of, the books. Stars Aldis Hodge and Isaiah Mustafa previously discussed this when speaking with RadioTimes.com, with Hodge explaining: "What people will learn is that every season, the seasons aren't based on the books, right? They are new mysteries, new characters, new villains, with obviously your staple characters - your Cross, your Sampson, you know what I mean? "The benefit is that we get to create a world that stands as an asset to the Cross universe as it is. So people get the books, and then when they come to the series, they get an extension of the world that they love and know. And we get to create these magnanimous characters that really are truly inspired, they're creative, there's depth to them, a lot of mystery going on. "But we get the freedom to play and create how we do as artists, always celebrating the fabric and the foundation of the books. And we get to give the audience kind of like, again, the final full experience that they want to get out of the world of Cross that they love so much." Meanwhile, Mustafa added: "I think they complement each other, whereas the books can kind of introduce you to the characters and the world, but our show will fill in any gap, and create new things that you never even thought. "Like, 'I had no idea Sampson was like that, no idea that Alex was like that.' Like, it would create this world that is fully fleshed out and breathed into." Read more: Holly Jackson: 'I'm surprised I wasn't arrested for research on Good Girl's Guide to Murder' Daisy Jones & The Six star: 'Taylor Jenkins Reid has a great ability to take you on an adventure in the world' 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. Looking for more reading recommendations? Join the Radio Times Book Club here - we offer 3-month or 6-month memberships as well as monthly or quarterly subscriptions where you'll receive a new hardback chosen by the RT team delivered directly to your door!