The UK’s biggest book club is back with an all new podcast hosted by television royalty; Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan. Each week, Richard and Judy will be discussing a brand-new book with its author, delving into the novel’s origins, themes, inspirations and much, much more. This is the perfect podcast for any book lover, and with each title available in your nearest WHSmith store as part of their exclusive Richard and Judy Book Club collection, it’s never been easier to join Britain’s biggest book club! Simply pop in to your local WHSmith or head to www.whsmith.co.uk to browse the entire seasonal collection. Get reading and tune in each week as Richard and Judy take a deep-dive into a different, riveting title. So, grab a cuppa and join Richard and Judy on the sofa for this brand-new podcast, and welcome to the Richard and Judy Book Club, exclusive to WHSmith! Oh – and join the conversation and let us know what Book Club novels you’ve been reading recently by emailing [email protected]
Catherine Newman
Edi and Ash have been best friends for over 40 years, so when Edi is diagnosed with cancer, Ash has to reshape her world around the rhythm of Edi’s hospice care. This week’s Book Club novel is We All Want Impossible Things, an extraordinary story of devotion and sadness. Author Catherine Newman joins Richard and Judy to talk about why she writes so sensuously about food and the desire for good food in the hospice. They also wonder why humour is such a powerful survival method for people in difficult situations. Plus, we know not to judge a book by its cover, but what about its title? Catherine explains how her team came up with ‘We All Want Impossible Things’. Simply head online to whsmith.co.uk to browse the Autumn Book Club collection, and use the code autumn10 for a 10% discount.
11/2/2023 • 25 minutes, 37 seconds
Ava Glass
When a body is found in a padlocked suitcase, Investigator Emma Makepeace knows it’s murder, and that it’s personal. In The Traitor, Emma’s investigation sees her shadowing two oligarchs procuring illegal weapons in the UK, and it’s looking increasingly likely that someone deep inside the British government is helping them. Author Ava Glass joins Richard and Judy to talk about her own experience of working with – and being followed by – spies when she worked for the British government. Often in fiction women seem to tumble into becoming spies by accident, but Ava’s first-hand experience is that women actually make a very deliberate career choice. Ava, who used to be a crime reporter in the USA, also explains how different the job is there compared to in the UK. Simply head online to whsmith.co.uk to browse the Autumn Book Club collection, and use the code autumn10 for a 10% discount.
10/26/2023 • 27 minutes, 8 seconds
Janice Hallett
Everyone knows the story of the Alperton Angels – a cult who brainwashed a teenager and convinced her that her baby was the anti-Christ. But 18 years later, two competing true crime authors are quickly discovering all is not what it seemed. Author Janice Hallett joins Richard and Judy to explain why she felt so comfortable writing The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels as a series of email and WhatsApp exchanges, and why these interactions are such a great way to get to the heart of a character. They also discuss what makes a compelling cult leader, and how the themes Janice explores in the novel are evident in our everyday lives too. Simply head online to whsmith.co.uk to browse the Autumn Book Club collection, and use the code autumn10 for a 10% discount.
10/19/2023 • 23 minutes, 39 seconds
Gregg Hurwitz
You might already be familiar with the protagonist of this week’s Book Club novel, The Last Orphan. It’s Evan Smoak, aka government assassin Orphan X. There have been numerous books in the Orphan X series, but The Last Orphan also stands alone as a brilliant thriller. Author Gregg Hurwitz joins Richard and Judy to talk about the moral code that defines Evan’s actions – who he’s willing to kill and why or why not. They also discuss capital punishment, and the idea of trial by social media. Plus, who does Gregg think would win in a fight between Evan Smoak and Jack Reacher...? Simply head online to whsmith.co.uk to browse the Autumn Book Club collection, and use the code autumn10 for a 10% discount.
10/12/2023 • 27 minutes, 57 seconds
Charlotte Levin
If I Let You Go is this week’s Book Club novel. It tells the story of Janet Brown, a quiet woman who’s still carrying the guilt of a devastating loss 11 years ago when she’s catapulted into the national conscious for saving a child’s life. However, all is not as it seems... Author Charlotte Levin joins Richard and Judy to talk about coming to writing later in life and why it was important to her to represent normal working class people in her book. Plus, given they’ve all lived in Manchester, they discuss the nuances of the Mancunian accent and delivery – something that comes across strongly in Charlotte’s characters. Simply head online to whsmith.co.uk to browse the Autumn Book Club collection, and use the code autumn10 for a 10% discount.
10/5/2023 • 22 minutes, 58 seconds
Dinah Jeffries
Known for historical novels, returning Book Club author Dinah Jeffries has now written Night Train to Marrakech, a thriller and a love story rolled into one. In 1960s Morocco a young woman travels to meet her estranged grandmother, a woman whose childhood secrets are catching up with her. In 1960s Morocco a young woman travels to meet her estranged grandmother, a woman whose childhood secrets are catching up with her. Dinah joins Richard and Judy to explain how she accidentally ended up writing a thriller this time round, and why she had to ask for professional help with this particular genre. Character Clemence is 75 years old – the same age as Dinah – and she talks about why she chose to write her as a woman who has an active sex life and paints her toenails gold. Dinah, Richard, and Judy also all share their own thoughts about ageing. Simply head online to whsmith.co.uk to browse the Autumn Book Club collection, and use the code autumn10 for a 10% discount.
9/28/2023 • 26 minutes, 35 seconds
Dan Jones
The Hundred Years War has begun, and although King Edward and his lords are on the march through France, the war really belongs to the men on the ground. One of the tight knit companies making their way through the chaos are the Essex Dogs, who are trying to stay alive long enough to see their home again. Author of Essex Dogs, Dan Jones, is a historian, broadcaster, and best-selling author of ten non-fiction books. He joins Richard and Judy to explain why a milestone birthday prompted him to move into fiction writing for the first time. He also talks about the parallels he’s observed between medieval armies and football hooligans, what Game of Thrones author George R. R. Martin told him about how to combine fact with fiction, and how the title was inspired by a Blur song. Simply head online to whsmith.co.uk to browse the Summer Book Club collection, and use the code summer10 for a 10% discount.
8/24/2023 • 26 minutes, 37 seconds
Dawn O'Porter
A shocking event shatters the conventional life Mia has carefully crafted in this week’s Book Club novel Cat Lady, and it turns out that beneath the surface there was another woman clawing to get out... Returning Book Club author Dawn O’Porter joins Richard and Judy to talk about the very specific relationship ‘cat people’ have with their animals. Dawn explains how her relationship with her own beloved cat – who she had freeze dried when she died – inspired the insights in the novel. They all wonder how far our relationships with our pets tell us about what it is to be human. Plus, Dawn talks about how her husband – actor Chris O’Dowd – indirectly motivated her to write for her core audience rather than for the mainstream. Simply head online to whsmith.co.uk to browse the Summer Book Club collection, and use the code summer10 for a 10% discount.
8/17/2023 • 26 minutes, 59 seconds
B. A. Paris
Amelie wakes up in a pitch black room, having been abducted, she assumes by her loathsome husband... but she quickly discovers all is not as it seems. This is the plot of B. A. Paris’ novel The Prisoner. Bernadette MacDougal joins Richard and Judy to explain why an initial lack of confidence in her writing made her decide to write under a pen name. She also explains how this imposter syndrome meant success came as a real surprise to her. They also discuss how a book is able to become a bestseller when it hasn’t had a lot of publicity. Simply head online to whsmith.co.uk to browse the Summer Book Club collection, and use the code summer10 for a 10% discount.
8/10/2023 • 23 minutes, 48 seconds
Ruth Jones
All Grace wants for her 90th birthday is to heal the heartbreaking rift that’s rocked her family for decades. Love Untold is Ruth Jones third novel, and explores the intricate, devastating, and life-affirming relationships between four generations of Welsh women. Ruth joins Richard and Judy to discuss why family dynamics are such fertile ground for authors – they’re at the heart of her writing on TV’s Gavin and Stacey too. She believes that there’s a little bit of bad in the best of us, and a little bit of good in the worst of us, and that writing warmly about forgiveness and redemption celebrates what it is to be human. Simply head online to whsmith.co.uk to browse the Summer Book Club collection, and use the code summer10 for a 10% discount.
8/3/2023 • 25 minutes, 48 seconds
Jessie Burton
The Brandt family faces ruin; 18 year old Thea’s aunt Nella is convinced the only solution is to find Thea a wealthy husband among Amsterdam’s elite. The House of Fortune follows Nella and Thea as they clash over the demands of duty and the heart, old secrets overwhelming them along the way. Returning Book Club author Jessie Burton joins Richard and Judy to explain why it took her so long to write this, the sequel to bestseller The Miniaturist, including why she had found the idea of touching the character of Nella again so emotional. They also discuss the Amsterdam of Jessie’s books – an embellished impression of the real city – as well as exploring increasing modern acknowledgement of the Dutch empire and slave trade. Plus, does having your book made into TV show financially set you up for life? Jessie gives an honest answer. Simply head online to whsmith.co.uk to browse the Summer Book Club collection, and use the code summer10 for a 10% discount.
7/27/2023 • 24 minutes, 42 seconds
Claire Douglas
The Woman Who Lied tells the story of Emilia Ward. She’s the bestselling author of detective novels, but as she embarks on her tenth book an incident straight out of one of her plots occurs in real life. Then it happens again, and again. Returning Book Club author Claire Douglas joins Richard and Judy to talk about why this incredibly intricate story within a story meant she had to keep detailed plot and character notes for the first time in her novel writing career. They also discuss the endless re-writing process authors have to go through with editors – a procedure none of them truly appreciated until they became authors themselves. Simply head online to whsmith.co.uk to browse the Summer Book Club collection, and use the code summer10 for a 10% discount.
7/20/2023 • 16 minutes, 13 seconds
Mark Dawson
Oxford has Morse, Brighton has Grace, and now Salisbury has Atticus Priest thanks to author Mark Dawson. In this week’s Book Club novel, The House In The Woods, private eye Atticus must solve the murder of a father, mother, son, and daughter. Mark joins Richard and Judy to talk about why setting the book in Salisbury was both a commercial and an artistic decision, and whether he would make use of AI to help him write his books in the future... Simply head online to whsmith.co.uk to browse the Summer Book Club collection, and use the code APRIL10 for a 10% discount.
6/15/2023 • 28 minutes, 37 seconds
Ruth Ware
Do you know an It Girl? In Ruth Ware’s novel of that name, April has confidence, money, brains, friends, and good looks. This makes many people adore her, but it inspires hatred too. In fact, someone hates her enough to kill her. Returning Book Club author Ruth joins Richard and Judy to explain why she wrote such a complex, fleshed-out murdered character, that is, why it was important to her that the reader felt her presence in the world would be missed. Ruth also talks about taking inspiration for The It Girl from classic thriller writers like Agatha Christie by setting the novel in a ‘closed circle’ – a privileged, walled Oxford University College. Simply head online to whsmith.co.uk to browse the Summer Book Club collection, and use the code APRIL10 for a 10% discount.
6/8/2023 • 25 minutes, 7 seconds
Anthony Horowitz
Author Anthony Horowitz felt Ian Fleming was in the room with him as he wrote the most recent in the James Bond series – With A Mind To Kill. Picking up where The Man With The Golden Gun ends, it begins at M’s funeral. But one man is missing from the graveside: the traitor who pulled the trigger and who is now in custody, accused of M’s murder – James Bond. Returning Book Club author Anthony joins Richard and Judy to talk about needing to re-plan his storyline because it didn’t feel glamorous enough for Bond, and what he made of the controversial ending of the latest Bond film. Plus, why have the titles of Bond books – Diamonds Are Forever, You Only Live Twice, The Man With The Golden Gun - become so iconic? Simply head online to whsmith.co.uk to browse the Summer Book Club collection, and use the code APRIL10 for a 10% discount.
6/1/2023 • 24 minutes
C. L. Taylor
What would you do if your husband framed you for murder? Finally free after five years in prison, Olivia looks to clear her name and bring down her husband in this week’s Book Club novel, The Guilty Couple. Author C. L. Taylor joins Richard and Judy to talk about transitioning from writing romantic comedy to thrillers, and whether authors are in some way searching for immortality by leaving a written legacy. Plus, they share what kind of feedback their respective editors have given about their book drafts… Simply head online to whsmith.co.uk to browse the Summer Book Club collection, and use the code APRIL10 for a 10% discount.
5/25/2023 • 23 minutes, 45 seconds
John Brownlow
If you want the job, you have to kill the person currently holding it. Agent Seventeen is a hired gun, but he must kill his predecessor in order to assume the title the world’s greatest hitman. Agent Seventeen, the debut novel from author John Brownlow, is this week’s Book Club read. John joins Richard and Judy to tell them about the differences between writing scripts for films – something he’s done prolifically – and writing a novel. With this in mind, he also explains how writing action and dialogue in particular differ between these mediums. Simply head online to whsmith.co.uk to browse the Summer Book Club collection, and use the code APRIL10 for a 10% discount.
5/18/2023 • 23 minutes, 32 seconds
Lisa Jewell
Human bones and the seeds of a rare tree are found in a bag on the banks of the River Thames in this week’s Book Club novel, The Family Remains. DCI Samuel Owusu is called in to solve the mystery. Returning Book Club author Lisa Jewell joins Richard and Judy to explain why, despite not liking writing literary detectives, she ended up giving her DCI, Samuel, a lot of time. The three also share their takes on whether classic novels should be allowed to be drastically changed when they’re adapted for the screen. Simply head online to whsmith.co.uk to browse the Summer Book Club collection, and use the code APRIL10 for a 10% discount.
5/11/2023 • 23 minutes, 28 seconds
Sarah Turner
Beth is a 30 year old who lives with her parents and can’t hold down a job or relationship, but she’s suddenly forced to grow up when she’s put in charge of her teenage niece and toddler nephew after a terrible accident. The question is, will she be able to step up to the plate? Author Sarah Turner joins Richard and Judy to explain the art of taking a tragic situation and finding the humour in it, both in her real life, and in her writing. Also the author of her Unmumsy Mum blog, Sarah talks about the value of finding a community of other parents who can all share difficult and funny stories in order to feel less alone. Simply head online to whsmith.co.uk to browse the Spring Book Club collection, and use the code SPRING23 for a 10% discount.
4/13/2023 • 29 minutes, 6 seconds
Tim Weaver
CCTV footage shows a couple driving in a car looking perfectly happy and relaxed... moments later they’ve plunged into a 90 foot ravine. When the car is found, it’s empty. Missing persons investigator David Raker must solve the mystery. Author Tim Weaver joins Richard and Judy to talk about why sometimes real life missing persons cases can be stranger than fiction, and why he wanted to write an emotionally articulate leading man. Plus, he explains why the thrilling ending of The Blackbird made writing the sequel incredibly difficult as he’d left so many mysterious loose ends to tie. Simply head online to whsmith.co.uk to browse the Spring Book Club collection, and use the code SPRING23 for a 10% discount.
4/6/2023 • 24 minutes, 59 seconds
David Baldacci
Travis Devine, the character at the heart of this week’s Book Club novel The 6.20 Man, has survived combat tours in Afghanistan and Iraq, but soon finds himself wrapped up in a different kind of danger in the cut throat world of high finance. Author David Baldacci joins Richard and Judy to explain why he was ready to get out of his comfort zone as a writer by creating new characters and exploring new worlds through them. They also talk about some of the real life events that inspired parts of the storyline – namely the Pandora and Panama Papers – and how real world politics is being impacted by vast sums of money. Simply head online to whsmith.co.uk to browse the Spring Book Club collection, and use the code SPRING23 for a 10% discount.
3/30/2023 • 27 minutes, 27 seconds
Amanda Geard
Geologist Amanda Geard has written her debut novel, The Midnight House. Immersive, with an incredibly strong sense of place, the book tells the story of Lady Charlotte Rathmore who went missing in 1940, and that of Ellie Fitzgerald who looks to unravel the mystery in 2019. Amanda joins Richard and Judy to discuss how her geology knowledge helped her write both the novel’s central grand house, and south-west Ireland, in such vivid detail. Plus, Amanda talks about how the renovation of her own home in County Kerry unearthed some moving local history. Simply head online to whsmith.co.uk to browse the Spring Book Club collection, and use the code SPRING23 for a 10% discount.
3/23/2023 • 25 minutes, 23 seconds
Sarah Pinborough
How well do you sleep at night? We all go through periods when we’re not sleeping as well as we might like, but for the protagonist in this week’s Book Club novel, Insomnia, her sleep deprivation is particularly disturbing... Sarah Pinborough’s unreliable narrator Emma is petrified of meeting the same fate as her mother who had a psychotic breakdown when she turned 40. Richard, Judy, and Sarah chat about which big milestone birthdays they found difficult, and how they cope with early morning and lack of sleep. Plus, with a history as a horror writer, Sarah explains why she likes to add an paranormal element to her thrillers. Simply head online to whsmith.co.uk to browse the Spring Book Club collection, and use the code SPRING23 for a 10% discount.
3/16/2023 • 24 minutes, 49 seconds
Victoria Selman
What happens to the families of serial killers? How do they reflect on the memories they shared? These are the questions Victoria Selman asks in Truly Darkly Deeply. Sophie was 12 when Matty Melgren came into her life as her mother’s much-loved partner; 20 years later he’s in prison for murder and Sophie must question everything she thought she knew. Richard, Judy, and Victoria explore whether they think people are born evil, and why our fascination with true crime might speak to a need to understand the things that scare us so we’re better prepared to face them. Plus Victoria explains why she’s keen not to celebrate killers in her work, instead focusing on the victims. Simply head online to whsmith.co.uk to browse the Spring Book Club collection, and use the code SPRING23 for a 10% discount.
3/9/2023 • 23 minutes, 46 seconds
Jessamine Chan
Are there any circumstances under which it’s ok to leave a young child alone? What should the punishment be? In Jessamine Chan’s The School For Good Mothers, such recklessness demands you spend time being re-educated as a parent by the state. Joining Richard and Judy, Jessamine tells the real life story that inspired her semi-dystopian novel, and they wonder whether parents are subject to more judgement now than ever before. Simply head online to whsmith.co.uk to browse the Winter Book Club collection, and use the code WINTER22 for a 10% discount.
1/19/2023 • 28 minutes, 36 seconds
Nora Murphy
What is a woman to do when staying with her abusive husband is dangerous, but leaving could be worse? Leah and McKenna, both women with apparently perfect lives, have never met, but their home lives look incredibly similar in this week’s Book Club novel, The Favour. Debut author Nora Murphy joins Richard and Judy to talk about how her law degree informed the way she chose to cover intimate partner violence in her novel. They also explore how, although the book is dark and chilling, Nora has written with a compelling sense of cheer and adventure. Simply head online to whsmith.co.uk to browse the Winter Book Club collection, and use the code WINTER22 for a 10% discount.
1/12/2023 • 22 minutes, 56 seconds
Jo Browning Wroe
In October 1966, a landslide at a colliery spoil tip buried a school in Aberfan. In A Terrible Kindness, this real life event is the back drop for Jo Browning Wroe’s fictional story. 19 year old newly-qualified embalmer William is one of many who volunteer to attend the disaster, and the novel follows his life as it continues to unfold. Jo, who grew up in a crematorium in Birmingham, joins Richard and Judy to explain why undertaking is often a family business, and why the process of embalming is so important at disasters in particular. Simply head online to whsmith.co.uk to browse the Winter Book Club collection, and use the code WINTER22 for a 10% discount.
1/5/2023 • 28 minutes, 35 seconds
Jacquie Bloese
Isolation is a key theme in this week’s Book Club novel, The French House. Set on the remote island of Guernsey during WWII, we meet a deaf Guernsey native, a woman trapped in a fearful marriage, and a German lieutenant whose isolated worlds will all collide, changing their lives forever. Author Jacquie Bloese joins Richard and Judy to talk about the parts of the book that are inspired by her own life, including the fact that she used to work at the real ‘French House’ in the title. They also discuss the ways in which the Nazi occupation of Guernsey was a microcosm of what could have happened had the mainland been occupied. Simply head online to whsmith.co.uk to browse the Winter Book Club collection, and use the code WINTER22 for a 10% discount.
12/29/2022 • 23 minutes, 5 seconds
Harlan Coben
Thriller writer Harlan Coben joins Richard and Judy to talk about his new novel, The Match. A sequel to previous Book Club novel The Boy From The Woods, Harlan explains that the two books can be read in either order if you’d like to think of The Boy From The Woods as an origin story. Similarly, Harlan talks about how the joy of writing for him is that each reader will conjure up an entirely different world, so his characters exist in hundreds of thousands of iterations across the world. The Match is set in the New Jersey mountains, so Richard and Judy explore this wilderness through Harlan’s descriptions. Simply head online to whsmith.co.uk to browse the Winter Book Club collection, and use the code WINTER22 for a 10% discount.
12/22/2022 • 28 minutes, 8 seconds
Robert Gold
A terrible child murder is at the heart of the first novel in Richard and Judy’s Winter 2022 Book Club collection. Considering himself a ‘failed journalist’, author Robert Gold chose to write a protagonist who is an investigative journalist instead. In Twelve Secrets, Ben Harper’s job means he begins to uncover secrets about the murder of his brother when they were children. Joining Richard and Judy, Robert talks about his time as an intern at CNN in Washington DC during Clinton’s presidency, as well as the process of writing with James Patterson. They also trade stories about desperately hoping people would turn up to their book signings. Simply head online to whsmith.co.uk to browse the Winter Book Club collection, and use the code WINTER22 for a 10% discount.
12/15/2022 • 28 minutes, 1 second
Celia Walden
Three women agree that something must be done about their misogynistic boss in this week’s Book Club novel, Payday, but when that man is found dead, the question is whether those women really did follow through with their pact. Author Celia Walden joins Richard and Judy to talk about how the different ages of the aggrieved women helped her reveal changing attitudes to harassment in the work place, and they all share their own reflections on the Me Too movement. Simply head online to whsmith.co.uk to browse the Autumn Book Club collection, and use the code AUTUMN22 for a 10% discount.
11/3/2022 • 23 minutes, 15 seconds
Claire Douglas
Taking inspiration from real stories of ‘road ghosts’ who allegedly lurk on lonely lanes, this week’s Book Club novel asks how three of four girls who were in a car crash mysteriously just disappeared. The Girls Who Disappeared is written by Claire Douglas, who joins Richard and Judy to talk about how entering a writing competition changed her career. They also all share their experiences of being journalists having to cover tragic stories, and reveal why they might lie to their editors... Plus, as we approach Halloween, Richard tells his own spooky story about the time he saw a ghost in Paris. Simply head online to whsmith.co.uk to browse the Autumn Book Club collection, and use the code AUTUMN22 for a 10% discount.
10/27/2022 • 28 minutes, 2 seconds
Emily Edwards
‘Herd immunity’ is a term that’s been talked about a lot over the last few years, and it’s the divisive topic of vaccinations that author Emily Edwards chose to write about in this week’s Book Club novel, The Herd. However, it’s not COVID that Emily’s story centres around, but childhood vaccinations. Emily joins Richard and Judy to talk about why she didn’t want to present anti-vaxxers as unthinking people, instead wanting to explore the idea that generally those who are pro-vaccination, and those who are anti-vaccination, are motivated by the same thing: fear. She also discusses whether all her research for the book has changed her opinion on vaccinating her own children. Simply head online to whsmith.co.uk to browse the Autumn Book Club collection, and use the code AUTUMN22 for a 10% discount.
10/20/2022 • 24 minutes, 6 seconds
Freya North
The mesmerising landscape of the Isle of Harris is the setting for this week’s Book Club novel, Little Wing. Author Freya North has written the powerful story of two families over three generations, in it exploring what it really means to belong. Freya tells Richard and Judy why ‘what if?’ is one of the most powerful questions an author can ask. What if, Freya asked herself, her central character – quirky 16 year old Florence – found herself pregnant? And what if she was banished to a far flung island? Freya has written 15 books, but she tells Richard and Judy that this character in Little Wing might just be her favourite. Simply head online to whsmith.co.uk to browse the Autumn Book Club collection, and use the code AUTUMN22 for a 10% discount.
10/13/2022 • 31 minutes, 26 seconds
Lisa Gardner
After a young man goes missing on a stag do in the Wyoming wilderness, an unlikely group of volunteers get together five years later to try to find him. The group – including the missing man’s father, and a Big Foot hunter – must hike deep into the woods in search of answers. Richard and Judy are joined by author Lisa Gardner, whose research for the book included a wilderness survival course. She shares what she learnt, including how to make a fire, whether to prioritise food or shelter, and how to use the flora as medicine. Simply head online to whsmith.co.uk to browse the Autumn Book Club collection, and use the code AUTUMN22 for a 10% discount.
10/6/2022 • 28 minutes, 57 seconds
Linwood Barclay
When a woman is murdered, the husband is always suspect number one. That’s certainly the case in this week’s Book Club novel, Take Your Breath Away. Brie – thought to have been killed six years ago – suddenly turns up screaming outside her old house, and her husband Andy’s future depends on discovering what’s going on. Author Linwood Barclay, a returning Book Club author, joins Richard and Judy to share experiences of working to tight deadlines as newspaper columnists, and why as a result he doesn’t believe in the concept of writer’s block, and doesn’t over write when it comes to descriptions. Simply head online to whsmith.co.uk to browse the Autumn Book Club collection, and use the code AUTUMN22 for a 10% discount.
9/29/2022 • 29 minutes, 39 seconds
Lexie Elliott
There’s sun, sea, and a mysterious serpent in this week’s Book Club novel, How To Kill Your Best Friend. A friendship group are on holiday when a star swimmer drowns off the coast of a remote island. Author Lexie Elliot tells Richard and Judy how she was inspired by her own time in South East Asia, as well as her background as a wild swimmer. They also discuss the myths of creatures like the Loch Ness Monster lurking under water, and how shared passions or hobbies can keep friendship groups together over many decades. Simply head online to whsmith.co.uk to browse the Summer Book Club collection, and use the code SUMMER22 for a 10% discount.
8/25/2022 • 21 minutes, 50 seconds
Behind The Scenes at the Book Club
Richard and Judy are joined in this episode by Ashley Bruce, Senior Buyer for Adult Books at WHSmith, to take a peek behind the curtains at the Richard and Judy Book Club and discuss this week’s Book Club pick ‘Lily’ by Rose Tremain. Lily, a historical fiction novel, is this week’s Book Club pick. Set in Victorian England, this is a story of murder and revenge. A baby is abandoned at the gates of a park only to be saved by a young policeman and taken to the Foundling Hospital. After suffering years of brutal hardship at the Hospital, Lily is released into the world of Victorian London. But she’s hiding a dreadful secret... Richard and Judy also chat with Ashley about behind the scenes of each season’s Book Club selections, from the moment publishers submit their books for consideration, to the huge group of people who read and begin to whittle the list down, to what Richard and Judy are looking for when they select their final six for each collection.
8/18/2022 • 28 minutes, 5 seconds
Lucy Clarke
A former party girl is getting married, and brings together all the women in her life for a hen do on a sun-soaked Greek island in this week’s Book Club novel One Of The Girls. All dying for a holiday, the six women are ready to throw themselves into four days of drinking and wild freedom, but by the final night there’s a body on the rocks below their beautiful terrace, and one of the girls knows what happened. Returning Book Club author Lucy Clarke joins Richard and Judy to explore the charm, allure, and danger of the places on Earth where the land meets the sea. They also discuss how alcohol on holidays can loosen tongues and bring strained relationships within a group to the fore. Simply head online to whsmith.co.uk to browse the Summer Book Club collection, and use the code SUMMER22 for a 10% discount.
8/11/2022 • 24 minutes, 32 seconds
Ken Follett
WWI, author Ken Follett believes, was caused by a number of small incidents that were not properly dealt with at the time. It’s a similar gradual escalation that poses a threat to global stability in his new novel Never. Ken explains to Richard and Judy why he’s careful not to be politically biased in his novels, and why his characters must have a rich personal life as well as playing a strategic or military role in order for readers to empathise and feel invested in the story. Simply head online to whsmith.co.uk to browse the Summer Book Club collection, and use the code SUMMER22 for a 10% discount.
8/4/2022 • 26 minutes, 35 seconds
Paula Hawkins
Three women are connected by one brutal crime in this week’s Book Club novel, A Slow Fire Burning. Author Paula Hawkins joins Richard and Judy to explain why she feels the key to a good thriller is less about the whodunnit and more about the whydunnit. She also reflects on the apparent overnight success of her novel The Girl on the Train, and how she’s changed as a writer over the years. Simply head online to whsmith.co.uk to browse the Summer Book Club collection, and use the code SUMMER22 for a 10% discount.
7/28/2022 • 24 minutes, 4 seconds
Liane Moriarty
Apples Never Fall is the first of Richard and Judy’s recommendations in their Summer Book Club. Author Liane Moriarty, who also wrote Big Little Lies and Nine Perfect Strangers, tells Richard and Judy about how even she doesn’t know how her mysteries will unfold as she’s writing them. They discuss the themes that Liane has woven through the book, including holding grudges, children living up to their parents' expectations, and the grief that sportspeople who don’t fulfil their potential might feel. Simply head online to whsmith.co.uk to browse the Summer Book Club collection, and use the code SUMMER22 for a 10% discount.
7/21/2022 • 21 minutes, 18 seconds
John Nichol and Kate Ruby
Former Tornado navigator John Nichol has written a new book, Tornado: In The Eye of The Storm. He joins Richard and Judy to talk about the different types of fear he felt when he was shot down and tortured during the first Gulf war, and how the treatment of military personnel who are suffering mentally has changed over the last century. Tell Me Your Lies is this week’s Book Club novel. Written by Kate Ruby, it tells the story of a mother who – determined to portray a picture perfect image of her family – sends her alcoholic daughter, Rachel, to therapy. However, Rachel and her renowned therapist develop a troubling relationship. Continuing the theme of mental health, Richard, Judy, John, and Kate all share their own thoughts about, and experiences of, therapy and psychological traumas. Simply head online to whsmith.co.uk to browse the Early Summer Book Club collection, and use the code APRIL10 for a 10% discount.
6/16/2022 • 36 minutes, 2 seconds
Lizzy Barber
Author Lizzy Barber has spent time in Florence every year since she was a teenager. Knowing the city intimately, she has set her novel Out of Her Depth in and around its glamourous hills. Quiet young woman Rachel takes a summer job at the beautiful Villa Medici, and is plunged into a social group of glamorous teens used to a life of privilege. Lizzy joins Richard and Judy to talk about how the concept of an unassuming outsider finding themselves in a lavish world allows for commentary on this type of lifestyle. A thriller, Out of Her Depth mirrors the themes in The Talented Mr Ripley, and they all discuss the bravery in writing unlikeable protagonists. Simply head online to whsmith.co.uk to browse the Early Summer Book Club collection, and use the code APRIL10 for a 10% discount.
6/9/2022 • 24 minutes, 26 seconds
Miranda Cowley Heller
First time novelist Miranda Cowley Heller has written The Paper Palace, which joins 50 year old Elle as she steals away from a family holiday to have sex with her childhood crush for the first time, while her beloved husband is inside with the rest of her family. How can Elle choose between two equal but entirely different men? Miranda joins Richard and Judy to talk about how her own life inspired the story in a number of different ways – not least that she grew up in mesmerising Cape Cod where the book is set. They also discuss how Miranda wrote the entire novel not knowing herself what decision her protagonist was ultimately going to make. Simply head online to whsmith.co.uk to browse the Early Summer Book Club collection, and use the code APRIL10 for a 10% discount.
6/2/2022 • 25 minutes, 46 seconds
Harriet Evans
Long hot summers have a strange ability to make life both stand still and take on a vibrant, mystical quality. This week’s Book Club read takes place over one such summer. Catherine, a successful London barrister goes missing the day before her wedding anniversary; the clue to her disappearance lies buried thirty years in the past at a rambling old English house where rituals take place. Joining Richard and Judy is author Harriet Evans. She talks about choosing to write an unreliable narrator, taking inspiration from Game of Thrones, and how the idea to include folklore in her novel began in a traffic jam on Chelsea’s King’s Road. Plus, how Richard and Judy themselves inspired parts of the book... Simply head online to whsmith.co.uk to browse the Early Summer Book Club collection, and use the code APRIL10 for a 10% discount.
5/26/2022 • 27 minutes, 12 seconds
Shari Lapena
A cruel patriarch, a weak wife, and three adult children who all have a motive to murder their parents are at the centre of this week’s Book Club novel Not A Happy Family. Returning Book Club author Shari Lapena joins Richard and Judy to discuss whether the children of a psychopath might learn to take on similar character traits, as well as how she created a location that would become a character in itself, by taking inspiration from various real places she knows well. Simply head online to whsmith.co.uk to browse the Early Summer Book Club collection, and use the code APRIL10 for a 10% discount.
5/19/2022 • 27 minutes, 54 seconds
Taylor Jenkins Reid
Malibu Rising is the first novel in the Early Summer 2022 Book Club. Author Taylor Jenkins Reid has written about the glamorous Riva siblings, professional surfers and models who live an enviable life in Malibu, but are all grappling with their own fears and secrets that will spill out at their annual summer party. The novel is set in 1983, often flashing back through the family’s history over the decades. Taylor joins Richard and Judy to talk about how the nature of fame has changed recently, and why we feel entitled to know about the lives of celebrities. She also describes Malibu as she sees it today, yes as a dazzling colony of superstars, but predominantly as a place of unbelievable natural beauty. Simply head online to whsmith.co.uk to browse the Early Summer Book Club collection, and use the code APRIL10 for a 10% discount.
5/12/2022 • 28 minutes
LV Matthews
Writing twins provides infinite possibilities to explore the human psyche. This week’s Book Club author LV Matthews has created two women who might look the same, but whose lives have taken incredibly different paths as a result of a cataclysmic shared experience in childhood. Her novel, The Twins, follows straight laced nanny Margot, and promiscuous dancer Cora as they learn more about their past. Richard and Judy share their experience of raising twin boys, and LV looks back at her own childhood as she knew from five years old – before she could spell – that she wanted to be a writer. Simply head online to whsmith.co.uk to browse the Spring Book Club collection, and use the code SPRING10 for a 10% discount.
3/31/2022 • 26 minutes, 20 seconds
Julietta Henderson
The Funny Thing about Norman Foreman is the delightful title of this week’s Book Club read. A young hopeful comedian, 12 year old Norman, is at the centre of the story, and author Julietta Henderson joins Richard and Judy to chat about her own love of old-style British comedy. A fan of anything slightly quirky and eccentric, she also talks about her own upbringing in the rainforests of Queensland, where she grew up without a TV, telephone, or toilet! Simply head online to whsmith.co.uk to browse the Spring Book Club collection, and use the code SPRING10 for a 10% discount.
3/24/2022 • 33 minutes, 53 seconds
Tim Sullivan and Ashley Audrain
Film director, screenwriter, and novelist Tim Sullivan joins Richard and Judy to reminisce about the time they all spent together at Granada Television in the 1980s, as well as to talk through how his career as an author began by self-publishing his own books. His latest book The Patient, is the third DS Cross novel. The Push is this week’s Book Club novel. It centres around mother Blythe who, knowing bad mothers run in her family, worries her daughter is showing psychopathic tendencies because of the way she’s been parenting. Author Ashley Audrain ponders the age old question of nature versus nurture, and explains why the unusual, gripping structure of her chapters was a bit of a happy accident. Simply head online to whsmith.co.uk to browse the Spring Book Club collection, and use the code SPRING10 for a 10% discount.
3/17/2022 • 30 minutes, 41 seconds
Jane Casey
The Killing Kind, this week’s Book Club novel, is an intense, high-class legal thriller. At the centre is Ingrid, a criminal barrister, and a man who becomes obsessed with her. He harasses her, burns down her house, ruins her relationship, and ultimately resorts to murder too. Author Jane Casey joins Richard and Judy to talk about how helpful her criminal barrister husband was when she was writing the book. They all wonder whether they feel they’d have it in them to be a defence barrister given the moral dilemmas they must face, and ask whether psychopaths are born or made. Plus, Jane explains why she wanted other people to write the script for the TV adaptation of her book. Simply head online to whsmith.co.uk to browse the Spring Book Club collection, and use the code SPRING10 for a 10% discount.
3/10/2022 • 24 minutes, 37 seconds
Rick Edwards and Kristin Hannah
Is it possible we’re living in a simulation? And could humans ever re-grow limbs? These are questions Rick Edwards explores with Richard and Judy. Rick is co-host of the BBC Radio 5 Live Breakfast Show and has a new science podcast coming soon called Eureka! This week’s Book Club author is Kristin Hannah; she joins the conversation to talk about her book The Four Winds, which follows a young woman in 1930s Texas as she has to make the life changing decision to stay or leave the farm she loves as drought hits. Simply head online to whsmith.co.uk to browse the Spring Book Club collection, and use the code SPRING10 for a 10% discount.
3/3/2022 • 39 minutes, 21 seconds
Susan Lewis
I Have Something To Tell you is the first novel in the Spring 2022 Book Club. High flying criminal defence lawyer Jessica Wells appears to have it all, but her career and family life are put at risk by a new client. Edward Blake has been accused of murdering his wife, and Jessica is the only one who believes he’s innocent. Author Susan Lewis joins Richard and Judy to discuss having a lawyer friend on speed dial while writing, and why she feels the editing process is so crucial in creating a gripping novel. Simply head online to whsmith.co.uk to browse the Spring Book Club collection, and use the code SPRING10 for a 10% discount.
2/24/2022 • 22 minutes, 52 seconds
Tana French
Returning Book Club author Tana French has written The Searcher. Protagonist Cal is an ex-Chicago cop who’s moved to the west of Ireland to find some peace and quiet. However, he soon finds that even the most seemingly idyllic small towns have their secrets, and potential crimes that are worth looking in to... Richard, Judy, and Tana all share a love of Westerns, so they discuss the specific brand of morality that exists in them, something that Tana took inspiration from when writing the central character in The Searcher. Tana also explains how she transitioned from being an actor to a writer by thinking of her first book as scenes in a show. Simply head online to whsmith.co.uk to browse the Winter Book Club collection, and use the code WINTER10 for a 10% discount.
1/27/2022 • 26 minutes, 12 seconds
Laura Dave
A husband goes missing and the FBI are after him. All he leaves behind is a note to his wife Hannah: ‘protect her’. She knows he’s referring to his daughter – her step-daughter – Bailey. Together, the two women must uncover the truth about the man they thought they knew. This is the plot of Laura Dave’s new novel, The Last Thing He Told Me. Laura explains to Richard and Judy that she doesn’t necessarily know what’s going to happen in her plots when she sits down to write, and they all swap notes on finding both California and London particularly magical places. Simply head online to whsmith.co.uk to browse the Winter Book Club collection, and use the code WINTER10 for a 10% discount.
1/20/2022 • 23 minutes, 24 seconds
Janet Skeslien Charles
This week’s Book Club author transports us to Paris in 1939, and later to Montana in 1983. Janet Skeslien Charles has written The Paris Library, a novel about the thriving community of book lovers at the American Library in Paris as the Nazis invade. Janet joins Richard and Judy to discuss her own experiences of living in both Paris and Montana, and of working at the American Library in Paris. Plus, they explore how important libraries are now in the digital world. Simply head online to whsmith.co.uk to browse the Winter Book Club collection, and use the code WINTER10 for a 10% discount.
1/13/2022 • 31 minutes, 55 seconds
Vicky Pattison and Marianne Cronin
Known for her TV work, Vicky Pattison is also an author. She’s written The Secret to Happy, a book to help young women in particular quash their self-doubt. As well as exploring why they think laughter is one of the keys to happiness, Vicky and Richard compare notes on their I’m A Celebrity experiences. Richard, Judy, and Vicky are also joined by this week’s Book Club author, Marianne Cronin. Her debut novel, The One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot, tells the story of terminally ill 17 year old Lenni’s friendship with 83 year old Margot. Living on a hospital ward, the pair bond by painting their life stories. Marianne agrees with Vicky that humour is particularly important in difficult situations, and also shares her beliefs about the afterlife. Simply head online to whsmith.co.uk to browse the Winter Book Club collection, and use the code WINTER10 for a 10% discount.
1/6/2022 • 33 minutes, 19 seconds
Karin Slaughter
A lawyer finds herself forced to defend a man accused of rape in this week’s Book Club read, False Witness. In doing so, a huge secret about her traumatic past threatens to resurface. Author Karin Slaughter joins Richard and Judy to discuss why she enjoys writing about mistakes made years ago coming back to haunt her protagonists. Karin is one of very few authors who have decided to write about the pandemic while we’re still in it. She explains why she feels it’s brought so many social inequalities to the surface, and why she feels so strongly about shedding light on them through her writing. Simply head online to whsmith.co.uk to browse the Winter Book Club collection, and use the code WINTER10 for a 10% discount.
12/16/2021 • 34 minutes, 30 seconds
Gemma Bird and Lisa Jewell
Money influencer Gemma Bird is on a mission to make it clear that saving is cool. Having built a successful Instagram page, she’s now written a book called Money Mum Official: Save Yourself Happy, and joins Richard and Judy to share some of her best money saving tips, including using apps to find deals and having a ‘no spend’ day every week. This week’s read is by returning Book Club author Lisa Jewell. She’s written The Night She Disappeared, which traces the disappearance of a young mum and her boyfriend, leaving the girl’s distraught mother to bring up their baby son. Lisa explains how hearing someone say the words ‘boarding school’ was the inspiration for the novel, and why she doesn’t plan her plots ahead of time. Simply head online to whsmith.co.uk to browse the Winter Book Club collection, and use the code WINTER10 for a 10% discount.
12/9/2021 • 40 minutes, 33 seconds
Catriona Ward
The Last House on Needless Street is the final book in Richard and Judy’s Autumn Book Club collection. It’s the story of a murderer, a stolen child, and revenge. An unspeakable truth binds the family that live in the last house on Needless Street, but a new neighbour is intent on uncovering the truth. Award-winning author Catriona Ward joins Richard and Judy to discuss why she feels the horror genre historically has a problematic relationship with mental health, and why you actually have to be incredibly empathetic to write a good horror book. Plus, she explains the hugely important and clever function Dissociative Identity Disorder serves in people’s lives as a protection mechanism from trauma and abuse. Simply head online to whsmith.co.uk to browse the Autumn Book Club collection, and use the code BOOKCLUB10 for a 10% discount.
11/4/2021 • 25 minutes, 53 seconds
Jane Harper and Rosie Day
Reckless mistakes can lead to devastating consequences. Kieren Elliot is haunted by guilt from his past when he returns to the Tasmanian coastal town he used to call home in Jane Harper’s novel The Survivors. Jane tells Richard and Judy about going diving and talking to mental health charities as part of the research for this book. Mental health is also an important topic for actress and author Rosie Day. She’s written Instructions for a Teenage Armageddon, a call to arms that explores everything from body image and consent, to boundaries and rebellion. Simply head online to whsmith.co.uk to browse the Autumn Book Club collection, and use the code BOOKCLUB10 for a 10% discount.
10/28/2021 • 36 minutes, 54 seconds
Simon Scarrow
It’s December 1939 in Berlin; a rigidly enforced blackout plunges the city into darkness every night and allows crime to thrive. Author Simon Scarrow’s novel Blackout follows Criminal Inspector Horst Schenke as he’s under pressure to solve a murder. Simon joins Richard and Judy to explain why blackouts were imposed, how hedonistic Weimar culture was a casualty of the new Nazi regime, and why he chose to write Schenke as a man who was not a Nazi sympathiser. Plus, Simon explains why he feels it’s healthy for us to challenge accepted historical narratives. Simply head online to whsmith.co.uk to browse the Autumn Book Club collection, and use the code BOOKCLUB10 for a 10% discount.
10/21/2021 • 38 minutes, 17 seconds
Paul O'Grady and C.J. Tudor
Paul O’Grady has written his first children’s book – Eddie Albert and the Amazing Animal Gang. Paul has taught his own pigs to sit, and used to answer the door with a bird on his head; he tells Richard and Judy about his love of animals, and how his own experiences inspired the animal characters in his book. This week’s Book Club read is The Burning Girls. Author C.J. Tudor joins us to explore more macabre themes, from religious rituals and grisly local traditions, to superstitions and belief in the supernatural. Simply head online to whsmith.co.uk to browse the Autumn Book Club collection, and use the code BOOKCLUB10 for a 10% discount.
10/14/2021 • 34 minutes, 39 seconds
Bernice L. McFadden
Sugar, this week’s Book Club read, was first published in the US two decades ago. Now available in the UK, its core themes of race relations, oppression, and abandonment are still just as relevant and vital today. Richard, Judy, and author Bernice L. McFadden explore prejudices towards sex workers, finding friendship in unlikely places, and how racism manifests in slightly different ways in different parts of the USA. Simply head online to whsmith.co.uk to browse the Autumn Book Club collection, and use the code BOOKCLUB10 for a 10% discount.
10/7/2021 • 27 minutes, 51 seconds
Rachel Hore
A Beautiful Spy is the first of Richard and Judy’s Autumn Book Club reads. Minnie Gray appears to be an ordinary woman, but she’s actually a spy for the British government. It’s the summer of 1928 and she must move away from her family to infiltrate the communist movement. Author Rachel Hore joins Richard and Judy to discuss the real woman Minnie is based on, the qualities she possessed that made her such a fantastic spy, and the loneliness that can come from leading a double life. Simply head online to whsmith.co.uk to browse the Autumn Book Club collection, and use the code BOOKCLUB10 for a 10% discount.
9/30/2021 • 30 minutes, 21 seconds
Sid Owen and Kiran Millwood Hargrave
Eastenders icon Sid Owen has been playing character Ricky on and off since 1988. He joins Richard and Judy to talk about writing his autobiography, From Rags to Ricky, and explains how acting helped him cope with a difficult childhood. Richard and Judy are also joined by this week’s Book Club author Kiran Millwood Hargrave to discuss her novel The Mercies. A violent storm erupts over a remote Norwegian island in the 17th century, drowning every man on the island as their fishing boats are engulfed. To survive, their wives must take over the fishing themselves, but their independence leads to them being tried as witches. Kiran discusses how she approached writing a fictional retelling of a true story, and Richard shares his personal connection with the Salem witch trials. Simply head online to whsmith.co.uk browse the new Summer Book Club collection, and use the code SUMMER10 for a 10% discount.
8/19/2021 • 30 minutes, 11 seconds
Michael Robotham
How many times a day do you lie? That’s what Richard and Judy began to wonder when they read this week’s Book Club novel, When She Was Good. The novel follows Evie Cormac, a teenager who witnessed a brutal murder and is now staying silent, and forensic psychologist Cyrus Haven as he tries to discover what happened to her. Author Michael Robotham discusses how his background as a journalist influenced his decision to write about organised crime and the psychology of criminals. Simply head online to whsmith.co.uk to browse the new Summer Book Club collection, and use the code SUMMER10 for a 10% discount.
8/12/2021 • 31 minutes, 5 seconds
Ellery Lloyd
Husband and wife Paul Vlitos and Collette Lyons have written their first book together under the pseudonym Ellery Lloyd. People Like Her follows mummy influencer Emmy, who blogs under the name Mamabare. She shares her life as a parent of two young children with her followers, but her online persona hides the offline reality. The authors tell Richard and Judy why they found that two people writing one book is a bit like a game of consequences, and what they’ve learnt about the art of being an online influencer. Simply head online to whsmith.co.uk to browse the new Summer Book Club collection, and use the code SUMMER10 for a 10% discount.
8/5/2021 • 35 minutes, 55 seconds
Robinne Lee
The Idea of You puts a spotlight on relationships where there’s a significant age gap; author Robinne Lee writes a passionate love affair between a 20 year old pop star, and a successful 40-something woman. She explains to Richard and Judy how her own experience of being an actress turning 40 in LA inspired her to write a multi-dimensional female character, and reveals who the pop stars she idolised as a teenager were. Simply head online to whsmith.co.uk to browse the new Summer Book Club collection, and use the code SUMMER10 for a 10% discount.
7/29/2021 • 28 minutes, 28 seconds
Bella Mackie and Gillian McAllister
How far would you go to protect your family from a prison sentence? That’s the question Book Club author Gillian McAllister poses in her new novel That Night. She and Bella Mackie – author of How To Kill Your Family – join Richard and Judy to debate what might persuade them to seek revenge on behalf of a loved one, and how to convince a reader to root for a character who kills. Simply head online to whsmith.co.uk to browse the new Summer Book Club collection, and use the code SUMMER10 for a 10% discount.
7/22/2021 • 30 minutes, 56 seconds
Robert Harris
V2 is Robert Harris’ latest book; it’s the fifth of his novels that Richard and Judy have picked to be part of their Book Club. It follows Rudy, a German rocket scientist who has dreams of launching rockets to the moon, but is instead forced by the Nazis to develop the world’s first truly ballistic missile. Robert joins Richard and Judy to explore why the V2 is so historically significant, and what parallels can be drawn between World War II and the Coronavirus pandemic. Simply head online to whsmith.co.uk to browse the new Summer Book Club collection, and use the code SUMMER10 for a 10% discount.
7/15/2021 • 33 minutes, 40 seconds
Dr Alex George and Emma Donoghue
The Pull of the Stars is the last of the Early Summer Book Club reads. It tells the story of Nurse Julia Power as she helps deliver babies in an understaffed, overcrowded ward during the Spanish Flu pandemic in 1918. Returning Book Club author Emma Donoghue joins Richard and Judy to discuss writing about the politics of childbirth, and why she likes writing novels set in confined spaces. Meanwhile, A&E and TV doctor Alex George has been working in a hospital throughout this century’s pandemic. Together, they all explore the differences – and many similarities – between the Spanish Flu and Covid-19. Alex also explains why he wrote his book Live Well Every Day, and why he feels it’s important that mental health sits on the school curriculum alongside maths and English. Simply head online to whsmith.co.uk to browse the entire Early Summer Book Club collection, and use the code BOOKCLUB10 for a 10% discount.
6/10/2021 • 42 minutes, 49 seconds
Cara Hunter
A glamorous, charismatic, female Oxford University professor is accused of sexual assault by a young man on the rugby team. Who do you believe? Author Cara Hunter revives her much-loved character, DI Adam Fawley, to investigate in this week’s Book Club read, The Whole Truth. Cara cleverly uses a true crime podcast within the novel to help the reader uncover the truth; she tells Richard and Judy why she feels we’re all so gripped by true crime documentaries on TV and in audio. Simply head online to whsmith.co.uk to browse the entire Early Summer Book Club collection, and use the code BOOKCLUB10 for a 10% discount. Content warning: this episode contains frank conversation about sexual assault and harassment, themes that Cara’s book, The Whole Truth, deals with, so do take care while listening.
6/3/2021 • 32 minutes, 31 seconds
Matson Taylor
The Miseducation of Evie Epworth is this week’s Book Club novel. Set in the 1960s, it follows larger-than-life 16 year old Evie as she navigates following her dreams of leaving Yorkshire for the bright lights of London …not least to escape the clutches of her step mother, determined to keep her closer to home. Author Matson Taylor is a design historian – the material culture of specific decades is of particular interest to him, something that comes across particularly strongly in his novel as he immerses the reader in 1960s Yorkshire. Matson, Richard, and Judy discuss the music and icons of the ‘60s, and their own teenage hopes and dreams. Simply head online to whsmith.co.uk to browse the entire Early Summer Book Club collection, and use the code BOOKCLUB10 for a 10% discount.
5/27/2021 • 31 minutes, 15 seconds
Anthony Horowitz
With this week’s Book Club read, Moonflower Murders, you almost get two books for the price of one. Author Anthony Horowitz has written an entire novel within a novel, the fictional novel playing a central role in helping to solve the main book’s murder! Anthony and his squeaky office chair join Richard and Judy from Suffolk to talk about writing the screenplays of his books, the importance of school libraries, and his new found love for Japanese murder mysteries. Simply head online to whsmith.co.uk to browse the entire Early Summer Book Club collection, and use the code BOOKCLUB10 for a 10% discount.
5/20/2021 • 34 minutes, 44 seconds
Jo Nesbo
A sleepy Norwegian village is where this week’s Book Club novel is set. The Kingdom is a thriller following two brothers reunited after the more gregarious of the two left to travel the world; on his return, the dark truth about their family legacy begins to unravel. Author Jo Nesbo is a bestselling crime novelist, but he’s also been a premier league football player, in a successful band, and in the military. He joins Richard and Judy from Oslo to discuss the popularity of Scandi Noir, the specific tensions that can arise between brothers, and how humour can get lost in translation. Simply head online to whsmith.co.uk to browse the entire Early Summer Book Club collection, and use the code BOOKCLUB10 for a 10% discount.
5/13/2021 • 32 minutes, 14 seconds
Dawn French
Comedian Dawn French’s latest novel, Because of You, is of course warm and witty, but it’ll also make you cry. The book ultimately has a crime at its heart, and explores the intense pain and joy being a mother can bring. Dawn joins Richard and Judy to talk about why grieving mothers might steal babies, who her teenage crushes were, and the unexpected reason she started writing in the first place. Simply head online to whsmith.co.uk to browse the entire Early Summer Book Club collection, and use the code BOOKCLUB10 for a 10% discount.
5/6/2021 • 34 minutes, 21 seconds
Stephanie Wrobel
The final read in this year’s Spring Book Club is The Recovery of Rose Gold. It’s the debut novel of Stephanie Wrobel, who joins Richard and Judy from Arizona to talk through the mental health syndrome at the centre of her story – Munchausen by Proxy. For 18 years mother Patty made her daughter, Rose Gold, believe she was desperately ill; the book joins the pair as Patty is released from prison having served time for abusing Rose Gold. Richard, Judy, and Stephanie explore the nuances of this mother daughter relationship, as well as discussing similar real life cases. Simply head online to whsmith.co.uk to browse the entire Spring Book Club collection, and use the code SPRING10 for a 10% discount.
4/15/2021 • 28 minutes, 29 seconds
Holly Miller
The Sight of You, a heartbreaking story that asks whether you’d want to know the fate of the people you love, is this week’s Book Club read. Author Holly Miller joins Richard and Judy to talk about learning the art of writing from professors, university course mates, and professional writing critics, and how a divisive dinner party conversation helped her come up with the premise of the book. Do you believe dreams can predict the future? Richard, Judy, and Holly all have their say. Simply head online to whsmith.co.uk to browse the entire Spring Book Club collection, and use the code SPRING10 for a 10% discount.
4/8/2021 • 30 minutes, 26 seconds
Clare Balding and Graham Moore
This week’s Book Club read is The Holdout. What happens when the jurors who found someone guilty of murder are brought back together for a Netflix series ten years later? Will they all remember the events in the same way? Will they all stand by the decision they made? Author Graham Moore joins Richard and Judy to explain how his own experience of being a juror on a murder trial influenced his desire to ask these questions. Broadcaster Clare Balding has also published a new book – Fall Off. Get Back On. Keep Going. – a non-fiction book looking at how to inspire and cultivate confidence in young children. Together, they all explore their own childhoods feeling like outsiders, and where their confidence in adulthood has come from. Simply head online to whsmith.co.uk to browse the entire Spring Book Club collection, and use the code SPRING10 for a 10% discount.
4/1/2021 • 37 minutes, 33 seconds
Camilla Thurlow and Matt Haig
Would you do anything differently if you had a second chance at life? That’s the central question posed in this week’s Book Club novel, The Midnight Library. Author Matt Haig joins Richard, Judy, and Love Islander Camilla Thurlow to chat about everything from bomb disposal and space exploration, to regrets and mental health recovery. Simply head online to whsmith.co.uk to browse the entire Spring Book Club collection, and use the code SPRING10 for a 10% discount. Content warning: this episode contains frank conversation about depression and suicide, themes that Matt’s book The Midnight Library deals with, so do take care while listening. In the UK, the Samaritans can be contacted on 116 123. In the US, the National Suicide Prevention Hotline is 1-800-273-8255. In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is on 13 11 14. Hotlines in other countries can be found here.
3/25/2021 • 39 minutes, 22 seconds
JP Delaney
Playing Nice, a story following the parents of babies who were swapped at birth, is this week's Book Club read. Author JP Delaney joins Richard and Judy to talk about psychopathic characters, and when even the kindest of people have to stop 'playing nice'. Plus, how does an author come up with the pseudonym they want to write under? Writing under a pseudonym himself, JP explains... Simply head online to whsmith.co.uk to browse the entire Spring Book Club collection, and use the code SPRING10 for a 10% discount.
3/18/2021 • 29 minutes, 33 seconds
Louise Pentland and Jeanine Cummins
The UK's number one parenting vlogger, Louise Pentland, joins Richard and Judy to talk about her latest book - Mum Life - and how her own childhood has shaped who she is as a mum. American Dirt is this week's Book Club read. Author Jeanine Cummins explains what compelled her to write about the relationship between a mother and son fleeing to America to escape violence in their home of Acapulco, Mexico. Simply head online to whsmith.co.uk to browse the entire Spring Book Club collection, and use the code SPRING10 for a 10% discount.
3/11/2021 • 34 minutes, 54 seconds
Giovanna Fletcher and Julie Ma
Julie Ma, author of Happy Families and winner of 2020’s Richard & Judy Search for a Bestseller competition, joins Richard, Judy, and Queen of the Jungle Giovanna Fletcher to discuss family feuds, missing your kids, and the myth of the ‘perfect’ parent. They also wonder whether we’re all a bit too available on email, and perhaps we should go back to hand writing letters. Simply head online to whsmith.co.uk to browse the entire Spring Book Club collection, and use the code SPRING10 for a 10% discount.
3/4/2021 • 28 minutes, 50 seconds
Ollie Ollerton and Eve Chase
Ollie Ollerton of SAS Who Dares Wins fame is with Richard and Judy to reflect on how far he's come, from the Special Forces to broadcaster and novelist. The Glass House is this week's Book Club read, and author Eve Chase joins the conversation to discuss houses as sanctuaries and prisons, and the clarity that can come from a walk in a secluded forest. To browse the entire Richard and Judy Winter Book Club collection, simple head online to www.whsmith.co.uk, and use the code BOOKCLUB10 for a 10% discount.
1/28/2021 • 33 minutes, 59 seconds
Susie Dent and Peter Swanson
Countdown's Susie Dent joins Richard and Judy to share her love of words and teach them a few new ones such confelicity and ipsedixitism, in a little taster of her own podcast about words and language, Something Rhymes with Purple. Peter Swanson is this week's Book Club author, having written the brilliantly clever and great fun novel Rules For Perfect Murders. Together they discuss the differences between the English and American languages, what their Desert Island books would be, and how best to write a psychopathic character. To browse the entire Richard and Judy Winter Book Club collection, simply head online to www.whsmith.co.uk and use the code BOOKCLUB10 for a 10% discount.
1/21/2021 • 32 minutes, 49 seconds
Anton du Beke and Louise Candlish
King of the ballroom Anton du Beke joins Richard and Judy to discuss his new novel, which is set in a grand hotel, as well as revealing if he feels the right person won Strictly… This week’s Book Club read is The Other Passenger, a thriller tackling jealousy and entitlement. Author Louise Candlish explains how she came up with the idea of having the action centre around the Thames Clipper. Simply head online to www.whsmith.co.uk to browse the entire Winter Book Club collection, and use the code BOOKCLUB10 for a 10% discount.
1/14/2021 • 39 minutes, 52 seconds
Sam Lloyd
Sam Lloyd, author of The Memory Wood, joins Richard and Judy to explore the inspiration for the chess games, kidnappings, and country estates that feature in the novel. They also share their own memories about camping in woodlands and telling scary stories at night when they were kids. Simply head online to www.whsmith.co.uk to browse the entire Winter Book Club collection, and use the code BOOKCLUB10 for a 10% discount.
1/7/2021 • 27 minutes, 21 seconds
Sophie Hannah
Richard and Judy are joined by Book Club author Sophie Hannah to discuss her new novel Haven’t They Grown, the merits of a solid plan when writing a mysterious thriller, and the undeniable draw of ghost stories at Christmas. They also find themselves reminiscing about being teenagers, with Judy admitting she was once reprimanded at school for ‘walking in an insolent manner’… Simply pop in to your local WHSmith, or head online to www.whsmith.co.uk to browse the entire Winter Book Club collection, and use the code BOOKCLUB10 for a 10% discount.
12/24/2020 • 38 minutes, 49 seconds
Peter James and Adele Parks
The first book in the Richard and Judy Winter Book Club is Just My Luck, by Adele Parks. They’re also joined by author Peter James, and together they all explore the excitement and mysticism of playing the lottery, how money can corrupt relationships, and immersing themselves in the real life stories that inform their novels. Plus, Richard and Peter share tales of the serendipity that brought them to meeting their wives, making them believe that life really can turn on a sixpence. Simply pop in to your local WHSmith, or head online to www.whsmith.co.uk to browse the entire Winter Book Club collection, and use the code BOOKCLUB10 for a 10% discount.
12/17/2020 • 37 minutes, 2 seconds
Alex Jones, Lisa Jewell, and Sarah Vaughan
Richard and Judy are joined this episode by The One Show’s Alex Jones, Lisa Jewell, author of The Family Upstairs, and Sarah Vaughan, who wrote Anatomy of a Scandal, to celebrate the ten year anniversary of the Book Club’s partnership with WHSmith. Together they explore shared loves of Dolly Parton, atmospheric old houses, and courtroom dramas. Plus, Lisa and Sarah swap experiences of having their books optioned for TV. To browse the entire anniversary collection, head online to www.whsmith.co.uk , and use the code BOOKCLUB10 for a 10% discount.
11/26/2020 • 38 minutes, 34 seconds
Annie Mac, David Nicholls, and Jessie Burton
Broadcaster and first-time author Annie Mac joins Richard and Judy to celebrate the ten year anniversary of the Book Club’s partnership with WHSmith. This week’s Book Club authors are David Nicholls, author of Us, and Jessie Burton, who wrote The Miniaturist. Listen to find out all about Jessie’s research into the historical detail that’s so vivid in The Miniaturist, how Annie overcame the challenge of writing her first novel, and why being former actors has helped both David and Jessie to get into their characters’ heads as they’re writing. To browse the entire anniversary collection, head online to www.whsmith.co.uk , and use the code BOOKCLUB10 for a 10% discount.
11/19/2020 • 38 minutes, 38 seconds
Emma Donoghue and Delia Owens
Richard and Judy are joined in this episode by Emma Donoghue, author of Room, and Delia Owens, who wrote Where The Crawdads Sing, to celebrate the ten year anniversary of the Book Club’s partnership with WHSmith. Room was made into an award-winning film starring Brie Larson in 2015, and Where The Crawdads Sing is currently in production, with actress Daisy Edgar-Jones recently cast as the lead. Both authors discuss their experience of helping turn their words into pictures, as well as comparing notes on tackling the theme of isolation in their novels. To browse the entire anniversary collection, head online to www.whsmith.co.uk , and use the code BOOKCLUB10 for a 10% discount. Trigger warning: this episode contains references to sexual assault.
11/12/2020 • 36 minutes, 35 seconds
Richard Osman, Clare Mackintosh, and Alex Michaelides
Richard Osman joins Richard and Judy to celebrate the ten year anniversary of the Book Club’s partnership with WHSmith. Together with Book Club authors Clare Mackintosh and Alex Michaelides they discuss how their personal lives inform their writing, the enduring popularity of murder mysteries, and coming up with a deliciously unexpected plot twist. Simply pop in to your local WHSmith, or head online to www.whsmith.co.uk to browse the entire anniversary collection, and use the code BOOKCLUB10 for a 10% discount.
11/5/2020 • 39 minutes, 13 seconds
Rob Rinder, Heather Morris, and Terry Hayes
Richard and Judy are celebrating the ten year anniversary of the Book Club’s partnership with WHSmith, and are bringing back 12 of their all-time favourite Book Club titles with a ‘Best of the Richard and Judy Book Club’ collection. This week, TV’s Judge Rinder, and authors Heather Morris and Terry Hayes join them to talk about The Tattooist of Auschwitz and I Am Pilgrim. Together, they explore Rob’s personal connections with Heather’s book, rich Yiddish words, and how conspiracy theories really work. Simply pop in to your local WHSmith, or head online to www.whsmith.co.uk to browse the entire anniversary collection, and use the code BOOKCLUB10 for a 10% discount.
10/29/2020 • 34 minutes, 54 seconds
Gabby Logan
Gabby Logan joins Richard and Judy to discuss ageing, big family secrets, and the time she and Clare Balding ended up having the same idea for a children’s book! Richard and Judy are celebrating the ten year anniversary of the Book Club’s partnership with WHSmith, and are bringing back 12 of their all-time favourite Book Club titles with a ‘Best of the Richard and Judy Book Club’ collection. This week, they explore the moral conundrums in Gillian Flynn’s Gone Girl, and Liane Moriarty’s The Husband’s Secret. Simply pop in to your local WHSmith, or head online to www.whsmith.co.uk to browse the entire anniversary collection, and use the code BOOKCLUB10 for a 10% discount.
10/22/2020 • 30 minutes, 5 seconds
The Book Club Is Back!
The UK’s biggest book club, hosted by Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan, is back! We're delighted to be celebrating the ten year anniversary of our partnership with WHSmith, so we’re bringing back 12 of our all-time favourite Book Club titles with a ‘Best of the Richard and Judy Book Club’ collection. The authors of these bestsellers can be found right here on this podcast alongside a whole host of celebrity friends. So go on, grab a cuppa and join us and our fellow keen readers for a chat. Simply pop in to your local WHSmith, or head online to www.whsmith.co.uk to browse the entire anniversary collection.
10/19/2020 • 1 minute, 37 seconds
Anna Hope - Expectation
Anna Hope returns to the Book Club for the second time, this year with her novel Expectation. Hannah, Cate and Lissa live together in East London, their worlds connected by activism, art, romance, and their high hopes for their futures. However, ten years on, their careers, marriages and friendships aren’t what they expected. Anna tells Richard and Judy why having a baby made her reassess what kind of books she wanted to write, and how she drew upon her own bizarre experiences of acting auditions to flesh out one of her characters. Head to your local WHSmith or www.whsmith.co.uk to buy your special edition copy of Expectation, and browse the entire seasonal Book Club collection. Oh – and join the conversation and let us know what Book Club novels you’ve been reading recently by emailing [email protected]
8/13/2020 • 25 minutes, 24 seconds
Nicci French - The Lying Room
Married couple Nicci Gerrard and Sean French write together under the pseudonym Nicci French. They join Richard and Judy to discuss writing their latest novel The Lying Room. This book tells the story of a woman having an affair with her boss; on turning up at his house she finds him murdered. Afraid her family will discover her infidelity, she works to remove all traces of her presence from his home. Nicci and Sean explain how they alternate writing chapters, how writing together helps them explore subjects they wouldn’t alone, and why they have protagonist Neve cycle everywhere. Head to your local WHSmith or www.whsmith.co.uk to buy your special edition copy of The Lying Room, and browse the entire seasonal Book Club collection. Oh – and join the conversation and let us know what Book Club novels you’ve been reading recently by emailing [email protected].
8/6/2020 • 24 minutes, 47 seconds
Dawn O'Porter - So Lucky
Dawn O’Porter is this week’s featured author in the Richard and Judy Book Club. So Lucky is a bold, confident, and very funny book examining how social media can make women’s lives look far more perfect than they really are. Dawn discusses her own relationship with social media, why she’s so confident writing about sex, and how her friend’s experience of polycystic ovaries inspired one of the characters. Head to your local WHSmith or www.whsmith.co.uk to buy your special edition copy of So Lucky, and browse the entire seasonal Book Club collection. Oh – and join the conversation and let us know what Book Club novels you’ve been reading recently by emailing [email protected]
7/30/2020 • 26 minutes, 45 seconds
Erin Kelly – We Know You Know
Erin Kelly returns to The Richard And Judy Book Club with her latest novel We Know You Know, a thriller set in and around a converted Victorian psychiatric hospital in Suffolk. Our heroine Marianne is a history of art lecturer, but the building itself is the true central character. Erin reveals what she learnt about the history of psychiatric medicine while doing research for this novel – her first foray into historical fiction – as well as how a friend’s Tinder date inspired the story. Simply pop in to your local WHSmith or head to www.whsmith.co.uk to buy your special edition copy of We Know You Know, and browse the entire seasonal Book Club collection. Oh – and join the conversation and let us know what Book Club novels you’ve been reading recently by emailing [email protected]
7/23/2020 • 32 minutes, 8 seconds
Jane Fallon - Queen Bee
Jane Fallon joins Richard and Judy in this week’s episode to discuss her return to the Book Club with her latest novel Queen Bee. The story follows residents of The Close, a beautiful street of mansions, where gorgeous Stella is the indisputable 'Queen Bee'! In this exclusive interview, Jane shares with Richard and Judy how she came up with the ideas for a novel about neighbours, how her writing process has developed over time, and what it is that makes a ‘Queen Bee’. Head to whsmith.co.uk to buy your special edition copy of Queen Bee, or pop in to your local WHSmith to browse the entire seasonal Book Club collection. And join the conversation and let us know what Book Club novels you’ve been reading recently by emailing [email protected].
7/16/2020 • 29 minutes, 46 seconds
Robert Harris - The Second Sleep
Robert Harris joins Richard and Judy to discuss his latest novel, The Second Sleep. It’s 1,468 years after the catastrophic collapse of our current civilization, and humankind has had to start again from ground zero. Robert explores why he feels the Church would almost certainly survive an apocalypse, shares his thoughts on the fragility of modern digital society and reveals how his experience writing historical novels has informed this story. Simply pop in to your local WHSmith or head to www.whsmith.co.uk to buy your special edition copy of The Second Sleep, and browse the entire seasonal Book Club collection. Oh – and join the conversation and let us know what Book Club novels you’ve been reading recently by emailing [email protected]
7/9/2020 • 23 minutes, 22 seconds
The Book Club returns!
The UK’s biggest book club is back with a new, improved podcast hosted by television royalty; Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan. Each week, Richard and Judy will be discussing a brand-new book with its author, delving into the novel’s origins, themes inspirations and much, much more. And with each title available in your nearest WHSmith store as part of their exclusive Richard and Judy Book Club collection, it’s never been easier to join Britain’s biggest book club! Simply pop in to your local WHSmith or head to www.whsmith.co.uk to browse the entire seasonal collection, get reading and tune in each week as Richard and Judy take a deep-dive into a different, riveting title. So, grab a cuppa and join Richard and Judy on the sofa for this brand-new podcast, and welcome to the Richard and Judy Book Club, exclusive to WHSmith! Oh – and join the conversation and let us know what Book Club novels you’ve been reading recently by emailing [email protected]
