Quick Book Reviews with Philippa Hall

Philippa sits down with the brilliant Adele Parks — bestselling author of 25 novels, over six million copies sold, OBE for services to literature — to talk about her latest book Eyes on You , the pressure of reader expectations, and a biscuit revelation that may change your tea break forever. 🎙️ Adele Parks on Eyes on You When Amy was 15, she watched her father brutally murder his secret lover. He...

Philippa is joined by three brilliant crime writers — Abir Mukherjee , Jane Casey , and Sarah Hilary — to talk all about St Hilda's Crime Fiction Weekend , the unique Oxford crime fiction event running 4th–6th September . Each guest is allotted a school role (head girl, school council rep, and chair stacker) which determines the questions they're asked — and the chaos that follows is exactly as fu...

Philippa opens with a much-requested update on the Barcelona Kindle story — specifically, the one detail everyone wanted to know: did the Kindle survive? (It did. The case did not.) Then it's three book reviews and a wonderful conversation with debut novelist Amman Brar about Mr. Sidhu's Post Office — one of BBC News's 12 books to read in 2026. 📚 Three Book Reviews The Burning Tide – William Shaw...

Kate Eberle's debut novel If Books Could Kill sparked a 10-way bidding war, sold film and TV rights, and is being published in over 14 countries — and it's easy to see why. This rom-com-meets-thriller follows Roxy Mitchell, a romance novel superfan who wishes herself into her favorite author's next book... only to discover the author has swapped genres to crime thriller, and her dream date is now...

Philippa welcomes back Alison Barrow , PR director at Transworld, fresh from Capital Crime, for a fascinating look behind the curtain of book publishing and promotion. The Business of Book PR Alison shares insights from a recent masterclass on author publicity, including the eye-opening shift in how many times someone now needs to see a book before buying — and why there's no single magic trick to...

Philippa opens with a genuinely unbelievable true story — how a friend trapped in a locked Barcelona hotel toilet used her Kindle to prise the door open and escape. Reading saves lives, people. Then it's three book reviews and a brilliant listener Q&A with crime fiction favourite M.W. Craven , talking about book eight in the Washington Poe series, The Killer's Mark , out 13th August . 📚 Book...

Philippa sits down with Lindsey Kelk — writing as Elle Kelk — to talk about her brand new novel Hit or Miss , the first in the Junior Year Abroad series. With over three million books sold, Lindsey is one of the UK's best-loved romance authors, and this conversation is funny, warm, and unexpectedly moving. In this interview, Elle and Philippa discuss: Why Lindsey chose a new pen name for this book...

Philippa has just received the most exciting email of the year: her holiday hotel has offered to receive a box of books in advance and put them in her room on arrival. The result? An unstoppable 12-book, 4-graphic-novel holiday TBR — and an episode dedicated entirely to sharing it. In this episode, Philippa runs through every book she's packing (plus the first line of each!), covering a wonderfull...

Are hardback books too expensive, too heavy, and past their sell-by date? A recent Guardian article made the provocative case that hardbacks should die — and Philippa has thoughts . In this episode, Philippa dives into the great book format debate, covering: Why she strongly disagrees with calls to "ban" hardbacks The real problem with hardback pricing — and those eye-watering £40 price tags How l...

Philippa reviews four very different books — from Tintin to Elizabeth Strout — before sitting down with TV wine expert and debut crime novelist Olly Smith to talk about his joyful new book Death by Noir , and the sub-genre he's invented: wine crime. 📚 Book Reviews The Adventures of Tintin and the Picaros – Hergé A revolutionary adventure featuring Bianca Castafiore and a mysterious plot around ca...

Celebrate the weekend (nearly) with crime fiction royalty! In this episode of Quick Book Reviews , Philippa Hall sits down with the brilliant, Sunday Times bestselling author Jane Casey to talk about her highly anticipated, mind-bending standalone thriller, Everything She Didn't Say . Marking an exciting, fresh departure from her iconic series fiction, Jane's new Irish-set novel weaves an intricat...

Welcome back to Quick Book Reviews! In this jam-packed, slightly different episode, Philippa takes you from a sweltering recording room straight into the heart of the UK book scene. First up, hear the hilarious story of how a registration mistake at London's The Podcast Show left Philippa walking around with a giant lanyard that read "Not Applicable" —and why it actually became the ultimate conver...

In this special episode of Quick Book Reviews , Philippa chats to Sharon Canavar , Chief Executive of the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival and Harrogate International Festivals. If you’ve ever wondered what really happens behind the scenes at one of the world’s most beloved crime fiction festivals, this is the episode for you. Sharon shares: how the festival began back in 2003 why Har...

In this episode of Quick Book Reviews , Philippa chats to David Goodman about his latest spy thriller Solitary Agents , the follow-up to his brilliant debut A Reluctant Spy . David talks about writing spy fiction for readers who may not usually read spy novels, creating the hugely compelling character of Jamie Tulloch , and the long road to publication after earlier books did not sell. He also dis...

In this episode of Quick Book Reviews , Philippa chats to bestselling thriller author Jack Jordan about his brand new novel, Deception — a tense, addictive thriller that asks one terrifying question: How far would you go to save your child? Jack discusses: the inspiration behind Deception writing high-stakes moral dilemmas balancing relentless tension with emotional depth why readers become emotio...

In this episode of  Quick Book Reviews , it is feedback week! Please send Philippa your thoughts on the podcast, you can email here: quickbookreviews@outlook.com. You can find her on instagram at this account: @quick_book_reviews Philippa chats to bestselling author  Rosie Walsh  about her gripping new novel  The One Day You Were My Husband . Rosie discusses the inspiration beh...

This week on Quick Book Reviews , Philippa is joined by publishing powerhouse Alison Barrow for a fascinating behind-the-scenes conversation about the world of books, publishing, publicity, BookTok, book reviewing, and what really happens inside a major publishing house. Alison shares the emotional impact of the recent Bookseller Awards, including the extraordinary success of Nobody’s Girl and the...

In this episode of  Quick Book Reviews , Philippa chats to  Ardal O’Hanlon  about his new novel  A Plot to Die For , the first book in his  Blooming Murder Mystery  series. Best known for  Father Ted  and  Death in Paradise , Ardal brings comedy, warmth and murder mystery together in this funny, charming and sharply observed cosy crime novel set in a sm...

Bestselling author Veronica Roth joins Philippa to talk about her gripping new novel Seek the Traitor’s Son — a romantic dystopian fantasy packed with prophecy, danger and high-stakes love. We cover: Life after the global phenomenon Divergent Writing pressure, creativity & finding joy again Playlists, world-building & surprising story twists Why this is just the st...

In this episode of  Quick Book Reviews , Philippa talks to  Tariq Ashkanani  about his latest novel  The Hollow Boys , a dark, atmospheric blend of crime, horror and small-town mystery. Set in the fictional Appalachian town of Aurora,  The Hollow Boys  begins after two boys go missing. Ten months later, one boy returns — but claims he is the other boy. What follows is...

In this episode of  Quick Book Reviews , Philippa is joined by the powerhouse writing duo  Ellis Hunter  —  Kate Ellis Brown  and  Becky Hunter  — to talk about their hugely anticipated debut  Bloodbound . Already generating major buzz across the book world,  Bloodbound  is a standout novel blending witches, dragon riders, high-stakes magic, a...

In this special Wednesday episode of  Quick Book Reviews , Philippa chats to bestselling author  Laurie Gilmore , creator of the hugely popular  Dream Harbor  series, which has sold over  4 million copies . Laurie joins the podcast to discuss her latest book,  The Daisy Chain Flower Shop , as well as the magic of cosy small-town romance, why readers have fallen so har...

In this episode of  Quick Book Reviews , Philippa is joined by  Ilona Bannister  to talk about her striking new novel  Five  — a tense, original and deeply thought-provoking thriller set over just a few minutes on a train platform. What would you do if you had only  five minutes left  and didn’t know it? That chilling question sits at the heart of  Five , a...

In this episode of  Quick Book Reviews , Philippa is joined by bestselling author  Tom Rob Smith  to talk about his moving and deeply personal new novel,  20 Years Together . Known for acclaimed books including  Child 44 , and for screen work such as  London Spy  and  The Assassination of Gianni Versace , Tom discusses why  20 Years Together  is su...

In this episode of  Quick Book Reviews , Philippa is joined by  Bella North  to talk about her  Oakwood Ranch series , beginning with  Score to Settle . Bella also reveals the story behind her different author names, having previously appeared on the podcast under her thriller-writing identities. Together, they chat about  sports romance ,  writing under multiple...