Books to die for: The Witness for the Prosecution cast reveal their favourite page-turners

Kim Cattrall

Did you grow up reading Agatha Christie?

I was brought up on Agatha Christie! Murder mysteries were part of my childhood because my mum loved them, but mostly on screen. I would watch the old movies with her. Even at a young age, I never felt terrified – I just really invested in the detective work!

Aside from Christie, which is your favourite murder mystery?

Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. Because none of us knows what we are truly capable of. I like things that engage my brain, rather than just lulling me.

You’ve written two books about sex – would you ever write a novel?

I would like to do more writing; whether it’s a novel I don’t know. I’m very interested in this period of my life – my 60s – in reading and talking about it and creating a forum for women to explore it more because I don’t think there’s enough out there.

Who would play you in the story of your life?

Carey Mulligan – I love her. She played my daughter in a TV film called My Boy Jack, about Rudyard Kipling and his son. She’s smart, funny, irreverent, gorgeous and strong in a very vulnerable way.

What book do you want to find in your Christmas stocking?

Any of Dashiell Hammett’s Sam Spade series.

Andrea Riseborough

What did you enjoy most about The Witness for the Prosecution?

I loved its darkness. The story takes place at a sad time, post-First World War, and it got me thinking of my great-grandad, who died on the Somme. It was a really interesting time for literature.

Aside from Christie, which is your favourite murder mystery?

My favourite stories that involve murder are not exactly mysteries – Albert Camus’ The Stranger is one of my absolute favourites, it’s brilliant. And I love Dostoyevsky’s Crime and Punishment. I’m really interested in the perspective from inside of the accused, the guilty or the innocent. One of my favourite novels is Hemingway’s A Moveable Feast. I love its transience, its honesty, its hopelessness and its hopefulness. Spending a lot of time on the road is something I can really identify with.

What book do you want to find in your Christmas stocking?

I would love Dennis Feldman’s Hollywood Boulevard, which is an amazing set of photos that Feldman took in the 60s and 70s. Portraits of regular people walking up and down the street.

Toby Jones

Did you grow up reading Agatha Christie?

She’s such a big figure in culture that it would be hard to avoid her – I grew up watching her. What’s extraordinary about The Witness for the Prosecution is that it seems to belong to a bleaker world than other Christies. But perhaps the impact of Scandinavian crime dramas means people have a taste for something bleaker now.

Aside from Christie, which is your favourite murder mystery?

My wife is more of a murder mystery fan, she reads that stuff all the time – between other books she’ll process a quick pulp murder – but I’m not that guy.

What is your favourite genre?

I love contemporary novels like the Rabbit series by John Updike, but I’m a big fan of non-fiction. Right now I’m reading a travel book about Naples. That, and an old spy thriller – I usually have about three or four books on the go at once.

What book do you want to find in your Christmas stocking? I can never read as much as I want to, and there’s always a pile that I’ve bought with the best intentions but go unread.

Billy Howle

Did you grow up reading Agatha Christie?

I grew up with lots of Christie surrounding me but it was the films. My grandmother was an avid viewer of things like Poirot and Murder on the Orient Express.

What book do you want to find in your Christmas stocking?

A lot of my friends have told me to read Tao Te Ching – a classic Chinese text on the fundamentals of Taoism.

Which book would you choose to be turned into a Christmas drama next year?

There’s a children’s book by Anthony Browne called The Tunnel that I’ve always loved. Pixar make kids’ movies, but there are jokes in there for adults and it never gets too sentimental. If I could bring The Tunnel to life, I’d like to do it like that.

The Witness for the Prosecution airs on Boxing Day at 9pm on BBC1

Books to die for: The Witness for the Prosecution cast reveal their favourite page-turners

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