Bestsellers

This is a very special one off Episode of Bestsellers.

Dan Brown joins us to discuss his first new book in around eight years: The Secret of Secrets. The Da Vinci Code guy has sold over 250 million books..! And now his latest explores the human conscience and whether there's more going on with our brains than we know about.

Dan's very candid here about the heat his books get; why mind altering drugs aren't completely off the menu and what Netflix wants to do with his series of novel adaptations.

This book has so much to offer. It delves into cultures of silence within families, how that affects relationships between mothers and daughters, and draws on Tara's exoticism, as she describes it, being a child of divorce growing up in Kolkata in the 1980s. And we haven't even mentioned the descriptions of food yet, which are many, all deserving of their place here and might make you hungry. A most excellent combination in storytelling.

Our final episode of Season 7 is a cookbook special. But TENDERHEART is so much more than just a cook book. It's Hetty Lui McKinnon's way of processing the loss of her father aged just 15. He was the fruit n veg man, the father who left crates of exciting fresh produce in the hallway for his children to investigate. And now a parent herself to teenage boys, Hetty uses her brand new vegetarian and vegan recipes combined with an autobiographical narrative, to share her love of vegetables with us alongside the legacy of family dishes cooked at home.

This is a labour of love and for once Phil agrees with Natalie: This is a cookbook you can also read as a book!

This week's episode is the multi best selling Irish writer, John Boyne. You will almost certainly have read The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas or The Heart's Invisible Furies and the latest venture for John is a quarter of books which he's been releasing every six months. Next year, he'll release them in one compendium called The Elements. But hot on the heels of Water and Earth, comes Fire: a disturbing novella which looks at child sexual exploitation from the point of view of a female abuser of young boys.

During our conversation, John explains that the idea for this quarter of books came after he himself was inspired to report his own abuse at the hands of one of his teachers to Police, following a high profile trial of a different abuser in Ireland.

He hopes this book - whilst a work of fiction - might help others to come forward and report their abuse.

Trigger Warning: Whilst this episode does not talk in detail about sexual abuse, there is conversation about John's first hand experience of abuse and the reporting process he went through. But there's no description of the abuse that took place and neither is there any description of the abuse depicted in the novel.

Here are Phil and Natalie's Books of the Year for 2024.

This episode has it all - writing yourself into fiction, being inspired by classic literature, the joy and benefits of being a bit spiky, oh, and there is a fair amount of swearing in this. As an added bonus - depending on your point of view - Nat and Phil also divulge their favourite swear words at the end of the ep... This Motherless Land is Nikki May's story inspired by Jane Austen's Mansfield Park, but takes it to a totally different place and time and feeling. It's a joy to read and Nikki is a joy to spend time with!

Find out more about this season and Nikki's recommendations at www.bestsellerspodcast.co

This episode is devoted to Nat and Phil's recommendations of additional books they've been loving, or that are at the top of their to-be-read pile! Choices include a love story, a thriller or two, a decent pick of celebrity memoirs (with valid reasons given!), a cookbook with soul, and a book for adults that happens to be written as if it's a kids picture book. Hope you find something in here to tickle your reading fancy... and if you enjoy this episode please rate, review and subscribe on Apple Podcasts to help other listeners discover their next favourite author too!

*spoiler here's the list*

A Love Song for Ricki Wilde by Tia Williams

Sonny Boy by Al Pacino

My Name is Barbra - the audiobook - read by Barbra Streisand

We Solve Murders by Richard Osman

From Here to the Great Unknown by Lisa Marie Presley and Riley Keough

The Twelve Lives of Samuel Hawley by Hannah Tinti (a double recommendation from Jason Rekulak as well!)

The Man of Her Dreams by Sarra Manning

If Nick Drake Came to My House - Mackenzie Crook

The Waiting by Michael Connelly

Tenderheart by Hetty Lui McKinnon

For more recommendations and book joy, head to www.bestsellerspodcast.com

There's a lot of juiciness to this episode - from how books are marketed, to the amount of research needed for historical fiction, and letting creativity flow where it needs to, which might just lead an author to the stage, or the QE2... Kate Mosse has achieved so much already and we loved being steeped in the history of her Joubert family as their story concludes in The Map of Bones - but - as ever, it doesn't matter if you're new to her stories or a longtime fan, hopefully we've got you covered!

If you like our series, please do rate and review it on Apple Podcasts! And to check out past episodes and author's recommendations of further books to dive into, just go to www.bestsellerspodcast.com

Phil & Natalie were delighted to return to Chiltern Kills this year. The crime festival which raises funds for the homeless is in its second year, organised by writers Tony Kent and Paul Waters. Its a beautiful day out where crime fiction fans get to genuinely mingle with their print heroes.

Some things you need to know before listening:

*At the beginning every time we tried to introduce a guest, Tony Kent walked out onto stage, hence the laughter!

*Whilst we were doing our session, Jeffrey Archer was on the other stage, hence there's some references to him made by our author guests.

Our panel was just fabulous this year: Erin Kelly, Vaseem Khan, Tony Kent and C.L. Taylor (who you'll hear referred to as Callie in the chat)

Phil and Natalie are delighted to welcome Sir Ian Rankin to BestSellers in the week where his new Rebus - the 25th Rebus thriller - goes straight in at No.1 in the Sunday Times Top Ten Hardback Fiction chart. In this ep, Ian talks about how hard this book was to write; why he's a frustrated Rock Star and why he's attracted to the darker side of the human condition.

Can you believe it...? Not only are Phil and Natalie back for season SEVEN (cue Len Goodman impressions) but we have also been double nominated at this year's Independent Podcast Awards in Best Books and Best Arts & Crafts Categories.

Thank You for all of your support, virtual coffees on Ko-Fi and subscribing and downloading our podcast. It means a lot.

Enough Gushing! We're Back with a returning writer. A man whom we both love very much. It's the wonderfully modest Jason Rekulak. His new thriller sees a father receive a phone call from a daughter he hasn't spoken to for a few years, to say she's getting married. What he doesn't realise is that she's marrying the son of a billionaire and this wedding is dripping in wealth and weirdness in equal amounts...! It's such fun, will keep you guessing and you can hear Jason describe how he spent ages writing and re-writing the beginning of this novel so that he got it right; why film and tv rights can be such a laborious process and why he's doing it for the Dads...!

Enjoy. And can you help us by rating us, reviewing us and subscribing if you haven't already please. Thank you SO much.

Tim Booth, yes that Tim Booth, singer with the band James, has a lot to say about writing his first fiction novel. He's well aware of the clichés about rock star books and is here to address them all. Nothing was off limits, so there's talk of sex and drugs and rock'n'roll, but also vulnerability and confidence and truth'n'lies. The genesis for the story came 28 years ago, but the catalyst was an LA writing group that frankly could make up the subject of an entirely different book! It's a thoughtful discussion but does get a bit sweary - goes with the rock band territory - just in case you've got young kids listening nearby.

Find Tim's reading recommendations and all past episodes of Bestsellers at www.bestsellerspodcast.com

Phil first met Chris Whitaker on the radio during lockdown, when Chris published, 'We Begin At The End.'

His extraordinary new book, 'All The Colours of the Dark,' also features a strong teenage lead character, facing some pretty dire circumstances. Chris tells Natalie and Phil he drew on his own early years trauma to create his new hero, Patch. He also opens up about being arrested, accused of a financial crime, just as his last novel was coming out.

And he reveals he's come to love The Muppets' 'Rainbow Connection' song, since writing this book...!

All The Colours of the Dark is a superb book. Read it before you see it on TV, as Universal are currently making it as a three season event.

Trigger Warning: Chris speaks candidly about his own abuse as a child in this episode. This may be triggering for survivors of physical abuse, child abuse or domestic violence.

Abir Mukherjee is the hugely successful writer of five historical crime novels. He created the Wyndham and Banerjee series of thrillers, starting in 1919 India, each book progressing towards Partition.

His brand new novel - Hunted - is a stand alone contemporary edge of the seat thriller which took Abir over three years to write and resulted in him forming a mentoring group with luminaries such as Val McDermid, Lee Child, Mick Herron and Ruth Ware who all gave different advice on how to craft a contemporary thriller.

Abir explains the writing process and 'turning things up to eleven,' with the action; why his starting point for his books is always his personal anger and he and Natalie bond over living in Surrey and share their fears about just how posh their kids are turning out..!

Want even more book recommendations? We got 'em for you! There are 8 books to discover from Nat and Phil's reading stacks - ranging from an action thriller to a drama stepped in the '68 music scene, to short stories and a collaborative book featuring dozens of writers. These are all stories that have grabbed our attention, some we've read, some we're mid-read and some we've yet to start, but all sound fascinating and we hope might make choosing that summer read a little bit easier. Have a listen to discover more about:

Fourteen Days edited by Margaret Atwood and Douglas Preston

Eruption by Michael Crichton and James Patterson

The Memo by Lauren Mechling and Rachel Dodes

Colton Gentry's Third Act by Jeff Zentner

They Dream in Gold by Mai Sennaar

The Princess of Las Vegas by Chris Bohjalian

I Love You, I Love You, I Love You by Laura Dockrill

You Like it Darker by Stephen King

Full details on where to get these books and support the podcast at www.bestsellerspodcast.com

Mark Billingham makes a welcome return to BestSellers. This is his second book in his brand new tragic-comic series of DS Declan Miller books. Book Two - The Wrong Hands - starts with a botched briefcase robbery inside of which is a pair of severed human hands!

In this edition Mark speaks candidly about how nervous he is of putting book two out there; he reveals when Tom Thorne will return and Natalie gives him the ultimate back cover blurb!

We Love Mark Billingham and we think after this episode, you will too... if you don't already. Which you probably do.

Mid-career as a screenwriter, adapting other people's stories, Yulin Kuang swerved to write her own book and yes, it's likely to be adapted for the screen too when she finds the time! How to End a Love Story is about Helen, who has a very good reason to detest Grant after what happened when they were at high school, but then they are put in the same writers' room. He's adapting her very successful book series for television. It's not about the destination, it's all about the journey here, and Yulin has the best journey too, starting in fan fiction, then creating her own comedy series and manifesting a brilliant career. In return, we explain what a bonkbuster is/was. Hmm, our trajectory needs work, but hope you love this conversation as much as we did!

Please note - this episode is more sweary than usual!

How do you adapt a much-loved, bestselling book into a film, and keep fans happy? Nat and Phil spoke to Robinne Lee about her gorgeous book, The Idea of You, back in 2021. Around that time producer Cathy Schulman also read that story and set about turning it into a movie, with Michael Showalter directing and co-writing. And this, is the story of how that happened, the changes that were made, and whether it's been successful. The Idea of You, starring Anne Hathaway and Nicholas Galitzine, is now streaming on Amazon Prime Video.

Bestsellers news! We have a website! So find all your book recs and past episodes one click away at www.bestsellerspodcast.com

Also, if you're able to, please do give a review of the podcast on your preferred listening platform to help others discover their next favourite read!

You know those books that catch a moment? Jennie Godfrey’s The List of Suspicious Things is one of those happening right now. It’s a heart-warming tale of friendship immersed in late 1970s Yorkshire, where everyday life is overshadowed and ever-changed by the news of a serial killer at large. Jennie shares how there were early questions about writing the Yorkshire accent into her characters’ speech, but that her agent and publisher championed the ‘localness’ of the story. Depending on your age, you’ll either be heartened by the references to Kerplunk and swarfega, or fascinated by this as a piece of historical fiction (we won’t judge either way!). Plus Jennie shares her remarkable and well-earned tale behind the scenes to getting published, and having the confidence to follow a writerly dream. 

Thanks so much for listening - Bestsellers is an independent podcast so if you are able to support the production by buying a metaphorical cuppa on ko-fi, support is always appreciated!

Imran Mahmood is a Barrister by day; A Sunday Times Top 10 Bestselling Writer by night! He's back with his fourth book, Finding Sophie and in this chat with Natalie and Phil, Imran talks about the challenges of writing a thriller about a missing teenager as a parent himself; where to draw the line on gruesome outcomes for Entertainment, and he sprinkles in some hilarious stories about being in Court on big murder trials.

Imran is an exceptional writer, a gentleman and great company so settle in for an hour in his esteemed company.

This Week, both Phil and Natalie received an infux of new books in the post. They're all worthy of being mentioned, but neither of them have had a chance to read any of these books yet. So that's why this episode is called Books We've Been Sent (but are yet to read)

They are:

Don Winslow - City in Ruins

Yulin Kuang - How to end a Love Story

David Nicholls - You Are Here

Andrew Hunter Murray - A Beginner's Guide to Breaking and Entering

Tony Kent - The Shadow Network

Kaliane Bradley - The Ministry of Time

What's the difference between a love story and a romance novel? Why are some people so anti-romance in books but definitely not in life? All this and oh so much more gets discussed on this episode as author Milly Johnson joins Nat and Phil to share the process and the inspiration behind her latest bestseller, The Happiest Ever After. Starting out as a joke writer, Milly has kept that humor throughout all her writing, and it's no wonder why Hairy Biker Dave Myers was one of her biggest fans.

Thanks so much for choosing to listen! Bestsellers is an independent podcast created by, and edited by, Phil Williams and Natalie Jamieson.

If you like what we do and are able to help support the production you can say thanks with a metaphorical cuppa here:

Nicci French are husband and wife writing team Nicci Gerrard and Sean French. They've been together 33 years and have co-authored novels for 27 of those years. Their latest is a stand alone about a mother who fails to turn up to her husband's 50th birthday party back in 1990. Set across two timelines, the book follows the search for Charlotte Salter and features a true crime podcast trying to outpace a failing Police investigation, to discover where she might be.

In this Ep we talk about writing with your spouse: How are ideas generated, characters fully formed and plot devices decided upon when there's two of you working on the same book. And why Sean can see twists coming a mile off....! It's a lot of fun and we loved chatting with Nicci and Sean. They're a delight.

It's the return of WWBR! Will the acronym catch on? Let's see... Anyway, this is what Phil and Nat have been reading, or have bought and haven't had the chance to read yet, but still a delicious teetering pile of books to recommend. From the upcoming Anthony Horowitz whodunnit, to a sun-drench cinematic epic story, and Nat's gone rogue with a cookbook again. Hopefully there's something here to tempt you too...

As an independent podcast, made from a love of reading (instead of cash), if you enjoy this and are in a position to help support the production costs, you can do so here, by buying a metaphorical cuppa - with thanks, always!

Cate Quinn precedes her brand new novel by telling us: "This is the first book I've written sober." From her brilliant mind comes THE CLINIC - a novel about a high end rehab center with dark secrets inside. It's told from the perspective of Meg, a casino security guard, who thinks her sister has died in the rehab and Cara, who's poached to run the centre. It's terrific.

In this Episode, Cate tells Phil and Natalie about utilising her own experiences in rehab for this novel; why the people that run rehabs are way scarier to Cate than the addicts in treatment and why she's a World Champion at Thumb Wars...!

If you enjoy this Ep, please rate, review and subscribe. It'll help us up the charts. And you can donate to keep us going via: https://ko-fi.com/bestsellerspodcast

Two writers for the (free) price of one, as author Charmaine Wilkerson talks about adapting her book, Black Cake, into a TV series with show runner Marissa Jo Cerar. It's a thriller and a family drama, straddling the past and the present, and yep, the black cake of the title - a Caribbean rum cake - features heavily too! Charmaine and Marissa talk about the key things to think about, and get right, when changing it up for 8 episodes for Disney Plus.

Thank you so much for listening and if you'd like to buy Nat and Phil a metaphorical cuppa to help support the production costs you totally can!

If you're new to SA Cosby's writing, have a listen to what to expect from All The Sinners Bleed, and then race to get the book at your local library or book store! It's that good. This is a thriller, a southern noir, about the first Black sheriff to preside in a small southern town, investigating a murder. But that's the tip of the iceberg... SA Cosby writes with such lyricism and empathy about this community, both Natalie and Phil found the story irresistible, and hope you do too.

If you're able to support the production of this series by buying Phil and Nat a metaphorical cuppa you can do so here - new website coming soon, with full back catalogue of episodes and all the author recommendations to inspire even more reading:

For our first Ep of 2024, Natalie and Phil speak to Screenwriter turned Novelist, TERRY HAYES. You may've read I Am Pilgrim: It sold over five million copies. But the realisation of a dream for the Mad Max writer to become a published author took it's toll. Over a decade followed before Terry was able to deliver his second novel.

In this hugely entertaining episode Terry talks about delivering a million words to his publisher; why his love of cricket inspired one of the characters in this book and the BEST story of a Hollywood party involving Jim Carrey riding a camel in Beverly Hills, EVER....!

Once you've heard this and if you want to discover more about the book's ending, then check out the additional SPOILERS Ep, BUT DON'T LISTEN TO THAT BEFORE YOU'VE READ THE BOOK! That one contains spoilers. This one does not: It's perfectly safe!

We all need a Danyah Miller in our lives - that's the conclusion after spending an hour in her company which is why Phil and Natalie are thrilled to introduce you to her debut book. It's fiction and non-fiction in one neat package - Seven Secrets of Spontaneous Storytelling - stuffed with helpful ways to navigate how we share stories and the connections we make in telling them. Danyah's lived many creative lives already in many guises, and shares how vital graphic novels have been to her reading life. She also *may* have inspired a certain Bubble character on Ab Fab... With added Whizzer & Chips comics appreciation if you stick around to the end as well...

We love to hear from you and are grateful for any production support - so if you are in a position to buy us a metaphorical cuppa to say thanks, you can do so here!

It's the 2023 edition of Phil and Natalie's books of the year! These are the stories they've enjoyed reading the most over the year, simple as that; the books that have been un-put-downable, the ones that made them smile, or gasp, or want to share with you. It's a mix of thrillers, dramas, comedies, and hopefully some surprises to inspire your reading lists as well!

There are lots more episodes to come, but in the meantime, if you are in a position to offer some support towards the production costs then you can buy a metaphorical cuppa here:

On the 7th October 2023, Phil and Natalie recorded their first EVER live Episode at the first EVER Chiltern Kills Crime Festival. Chiltern Kills was created by ace crime writer, Tony Kent, with all proceeds going to the homeless charity, Centrepoint.

Sharing the stage with Phil & Natalie are:

IMRAN MAHMOOD

MARK BILLINGHAM

TONY KENT

CLARE MACKINTOSH

In this live recording, they discuss everything from writing series versus stand alones; the peril of the end Acknowledgements and whether crime writers would in fact make good criminals. We had a lot of fun at Chiltern Kills and can't wait for it to return next year.

We're back, BABY!

And who better to ring in Season 5 of BestSellers than MICHAEL CONNELLY - the multi award winning writer and creator of the Harry Bosch, Lincoln Lawyer, Renée Ballard series of books. Michael is back with book 38: Resurrection Walk. A brilliant new Lincoln Lawyer story in which Mickey Haller must overturn a wrongful conviction, but in doing so he faces the opposite of the usual legal maxim, innocent till proven guilty.

Michael tells Phil and Natalie how becoming a lawyer was way closer to happening for him, than becoming a cop; the challenges of keeping a series fresh and where he's at with his enormous TV roster which includes Bosch Legacy for Amazon and Lincoln Lawyer for Netflix. He spoke to us, shortly before returning to the TV writers' room.

Steve Cavanagh is King of the Hook. His previous taglines include, "The serial killer isn't on trial. He's ON THE JURY," and, "His client is innocent. His wife is guilty." His brand new ninth novel is a stand alone called, "Kill for Me Kill for You." It pays homage to Strangers on a Train and explores what would happen if two strangers meet by chance and agree to murder the other one's nemesis, leaving no clues to a likely suspect as to all intents and purposes it appears to be a random killing.

Steve's famed for his twisty thrillers which keep you guessing right till the end. And in this episode he also confirms to Phil & Natalie when his much loved recurring conman Eddie Flynn will return to the written page and an exclusive preview of what the next Flynn book is about.

You know we love books, but do you also have that pile just waiting to be read, always?! The TBR pile can be a glorious thing, a teetering stack of books, full of ideas and stories that made us pick them, awaiting our full attention when the mood is right. Phil & Natalie run through their summer TBR stacks - 3 each - in the hope that a story will jump out at you and demand to be added to your pile. Happy reading!

If you enjoy this podcast, you can buy us a metaphorical cuppa here and tell us what's on your TBR pile!