112: Nikki Smith on Destination Thrillers, Big Hooks and Why the Best Twists Feel Inevitable

112: Nikki Smith on Destination Thrillers, Big Hooks and Why the Best Twists Feel Inevitable

This week I'm joined by bestselling author Nikki Smith, whose latest novel The Last Place You Look is a psychological thriller that takes readers from an exclusive gated community in Surrey to a luxury safari lodge in South Africa. Known for her addictive destination thrillers, Nikki shares how she chooses the stunning locations for her novels, why she believes every great hook has to deliver on its promise, and how she balances meticulous plotting with surprises that emerge during the writing process. We also chat about her journey from accountant to bestselling novelist, the creative writing course that changed everything, and the return of the much-loved In Suspense podcast. Plus, Nikki recommends two brilliant books you won't want to miss. * The Death of Us — Abigail Dean * The Scandalous Ladies' Football Club — Frances Quinn Find Nikki here: https://www.instagram.com/nikkismith_author/ Buy The Last Place You Look: https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/the-last-place-you-look-nikki-smith/7b9d57401e4d544a?ean=9781405976121&next=t

111: Jane Casey: Everything She Didn't Say and What's Next for Maeve Kerrigan

This week I'm joined by one of the biggest names in crime fiction, Jane Casey. Best known for her bestselling Maeve Kerrigan series, Jane joins me to discuss her new standalone thriller, Everything She Didn't Say. Set in the West of Ireland, it's a tense psychological mystery about friendship and identity. We chat about why she wanted to write a novel set in Ireland for the first time, creating a completely new detective duo, and how this book challenged her more than any of her previous novels. Of course, I couldn't let her leave without asking about Maeve Kerrigan. Jane gives us a little tease about the next book in the series, reveals the real-life crime that inspired it, and explains why she's having more fun writing it than ever before. We also chat about her brand new newsletter and finish with two brilliant book recommendations for crime fiction fans. Books mentioned * Everything She Didn't Say – Jane Casey * The Drowning Place – Sarah Hilary * Never to Be Found – Jo Spain If you enjoyed this episode, I'd love it if you could follow the podcast, leave a rating or review, and share it with another crime fiction fan. Find Jane here: https://www.instagram.com/janecaseyauthor/ Buy Everything She Didn't Say: https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/untitled-jane-casey-jane-casey/7889899?ean=9780008702304&next=t Sign up for Jane's newsletter: https://signup.harpercollins.co.uk/join/6n7/signup-harperfiction-janecasey?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio&fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQPOTM2NjE5NzQzMzkyNDU5AAGnurP9vcYq5hBHvaEjy1vr9o328-5lYuNwPPKD9R6M71as-vijnud4ja7SLSs_aem_b-nD5BIt5Zs3R9XGCwCfMg&utm_id=97760_v0_s00_e0_tv3

110: GD Wright – Family Secrets, Crime Writing and Against the Tide

In this episode of In My Good Books, Susie Green is joined by author GD Wright to discuss his latest crime novel, Against the Tide. Gaz shares the inspiration behind Against the Tide, the third novel set in his fictional coastal town of Beechbrook. They discuss family liaison officers, the personal experiences that shaped the story, and why this is the most emotional and darkest book he has written so far. The conversation also explores Gaz's experience of working in the police, his recovery after a serious illness, his screenwriting work on upcoming film Breathe Deep, and the launch of his new podcast, Pros and Cons. Books discussed in this episode: • Against the Tide by GD Wright • Run For Your Life by Jackie Kabler • The Date by T.H. Murdoch • The Family Break by Ruth Irons Find Gaz here: https://www.instagram.com/gdwrightwrites/ Buy Against The Tide: https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/against-the-tide-g-d-wright/7914629?ean=9780008763213&next=t

109: JM Simpson & Gemma Denham Answer Your Questions About Writing and Thrillers

In this special episode of In My Good Books, Susie is joined by two thriller authors with brand-new releases to celebrate. JM Simpson discusses Mine to Keep, a domestic thriller exploring obsession, secrets, false accusations and the devastating impact of domestic abuse. Gemma Denham talks about The Inheritance, a chilling suspense novel in which a family's fresh start in an inherited Victorian house quickly turns sinister. Ahead of the recording, listeners submitted questions for both authors, leading to a fascinating conversation about where story ideas come from, overcoming second-book syndrome, writing difficult subjects, creating memorable characters, and the realities of balancing writing with everyday life. JM and Gemma also share whether they base characters on real people, discuss the appeal of standalones versus series, reveal what they're working on next, and recommend some brilliant books for your TBR. Books discussed include: • Mine to Keep – JM Simpson https://amzn.eu/d/07O9jPzv • The Inheritance – Gemma Denham https://amzn.eu/d/0610Q3jo • The Chemistry of Death – Simon Beckett • Five – Ilona Bannister • Don't Fall in Love with Me – Paige Toon • Sworn to Silence – Linda Castillo If you enjoy crime fiction, psychological suspense, domestic thrillers and hearing directly from the authors behind them, this episode is for you. Follow and subscribe to In My Good Books so you never miss an episode.

108: Jennifer Ross on Writing Every Lifetime After and Embracing Speculative Fiction

In this episode of In My Good Books, I’m joined by Jennifer Ross to discuss her genre-blending new novel Every Lifetime After. Previously known for her historical fiction as Jenny Ashcroft, Jennifer talks about why she wanted to move into more speculative storytelling and how Every Lifetime After combines World War Two historical fiction, romance, mystery and time-slip elements into one unforgettable story. We also discuss: * Why Jennifer doesn’t plot her novels in advance * Writing under a new name after publishing six novels as Jenny Ashcroft * The research behind both the World War Two storyline and the modern movie-set setting * Why speculative fiction has become such an exciting creative space for her * Her upcoming novel The Bureau of Second Chances * The books she’s recently loved and recommends to readers If you enjoy historical fiction, speculative fiction, time-slip novels, or stories about love, memory and second chances, this is an episode you won’t want to miss. Find Jenny here: https://www.instagram.com/jennyashcroftauthor/ Buy Every Lifetime After: https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/every-lifetime-after-jennifer-ross/8c23154611c9e0ef?ean=9780008753757&next=t Books recommended in this episode: Going Solo: https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/every-lifetime-after-jennifer-ross/8c23154611c9e0ef?ean=9780008753757&next=t The Artist: https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/the-artist-escape-to-provence-with-the-winner-of-the-waterstones-book-of-the-year-2025-lucy-steeds/ab6f46ef8ff5989c?ean=9781399819565&next=t The Heir Apparent: https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/the-heir-apparent-rebecca-armitage/9c24bf95ccfe93f8?ean=9780008757687&next=t