In The St Hilda's Spotlight - Jo Callaghan

 Name:- Jo Callaghan

Job:- Author and senior strategist 

Instagram:- @Jocallaghankat

Introduction:

Jo Callaghan is the author of four books in the Kat and Lock series. Her debut novel In The Blink of an Eye was published in 2023 and won the John Creasey (New Blood) Dagger and the Theakston's Crime Novel of the Year in 2024. It was shortlisted for CrimeFest Debut novel and the Barry Award for Best First Novel. Human Remains the third book in the Kit and Lock series was longlisted for the Theakston's Crime Novel of the Year Award in 2026. Her most recent novel is Body Of Lies which is the final book in the Kat and Lock series.

Current book? (This can either be the current book that you are reading or writing or both) 

I have just finished The Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel (Station Eleven is one of my favourite books) and I have just started Quantum of Menace by Vaseem Khan. I am consuming a lot of non-fiction books and podcasts at the moment to help with the novel I am currently writing, which is taking me into the world of Quantum Physics and elite athletics. I know nothing about either, but both are absolutely fascinating, so I am having a ball!

Why do you think anti-heroes are so interesting to readers? 

To be honest, I don’t accept the term ‘anti-heroes’ as it relies upon a false, binary premise that people are either heroes or anti-heroes, when in reality, we are all both. I think readers and viewers are fascinated by so-called ‘anti-heroes’ as they are more complex, rounded characters that reveal more about humanity and ourselves.

Which two anti-heroes or enemies would you invite to dinner and why? 

Hmm. I think most so-called ‘anti-heroes’ tend to have huge egos and personalities, so if I wanted the evening to be fun and enjoyable I would only invite one, with maybe another quiet, non-assuming person who would listen in awe. I am struggling to choose between Tony Soprano and Tommy Shelby, so I think I will invite them both but on separate days. I think Tony would help with the cooking, and Tommy could help with the washing up.

How do you relax? 

The truth is I don’t. It is something that I really struggle with. I work full-time in a very pressured job and there is usually a lot going on at home too. I think reading a really good book in the sun is the most relaxing thing I do – but it is all too rare. Writing is also a type of relaxation to me, as I can be so completely immersed in the next word, the next sentence that it shuts everything else out – I suspect this is what other people get from running or yoga. But conversely, the plot and characters keep me awake at night!

Which anti hero would you like to be on your side in a difficult situation.

Depends on the situation! If it was physically dangerous, then I’m going for Tommy Shelby again as he could probably prevent any violence with just the sheer force of his barely controlled rage. He is also very clever, so I am sure we could concoct a strategy whereby no one gets hurt, but ultimately, we still win.

If you were to write a book involving an anti-hero where would you set it and why? 

We are all anti-heroes as well as heroes and novels are a way of holding the mirror up to humanity and ourselves. So, they could be set anywhere. But my stories are often high-concept, so I try and ground them in reality, which is why they are set in the Midlands where I am from.

How would you describe your latest published book? 

It is called Body of Lies, and it’s the fourth and FINAL book in the Kat and Lock series, which pairs the lead – DCS Kat Frank with AI Detective, AIDE Lock. It opens on Halloween, with a local MP found murdered on medieval stocks with a taunting message written in binary code that seems to target Kat and Lock: catch me if you can. Like all good crime novels, my series explores what it means to be human, and the question at the heart of my books is, how much can AI learn, and what happens when it does? I hope I provide an answer of sorts in this fourth and final instalment…

With Bad Apples: crime fiction’s enemies and anti-heroes theme at St Hilda's this year, who are you three favourite anti-heroes: 

Walter White (Breaking Bad)

Tommy Shelby (Peaky Blinders)

Villanelle (Killing Eve)

Which 3 films or television series featuring anti-heroes would you rewatch and why.

The best TV series are the ones that get better the more you watch them. I have watched Breaking Bad and Peaky Blinders 3 times, and I am currently re-watching Widow’s Bay – Tom Loftis might be my new favourite ‘anti-hero’!

What are you looking forward to at St Hilda's? 

I have never been before, so don’t quite know what to expect (and I’m a bit nervous about it to be honest). But I am looking forward to seeing other writers who have become friends, and I expect to learn a lot from listening to all the other talks. That is the best thing about crime festivals: most crime writers are intellectually and emotionally curious people and we are constantly trying to learn and improve our craft. I have already learnt a lot just preparing for my own talk, so I am looking forward to an emotionally uplifting and intellectually stimulating weekend – if that doesn’t make me sound too swotty! 

Bodies of Lies by Jo Callaghan (Simon & Schuster)

Human suspicion. AI manipulation. When truth can be rewritten, who can you trust? DCS Kat Frank is back at the Future Policing Unit after a devastating loss - and straight into her most disturbing case yet. On Halloween night, a local MP is found murdered. Beside the body is a taunting message in binary code, aimed directly at Kat: Catch me if you can. The victim was a vocal opponent of AI. The motive looks political. But as Kat investigates with her partner, AIDE Lock - the world’s first AI detective - the case spirals into something far more dangerous. Then a cyberattack takes down the National Grid. With the country in chaos and lives on the line, Kat and Lock must track a killer who is always one step ahead. But in a world of deepfakes, deception and digital ghosts, instinct is no longer enough. Kat must decide whether to trust the one thing she still fears most: her AI partner. Because this time, Lock may not just be solving the case. He may be changing what it means to be human. Can Kat stop a killer before the lights go out for good?

Information about programme and ticket sales including on line tickets can be found here.

#HCFW26

In The St Hilda's Spotlight - Sarah Vaughan

Name: - Sarah Vaughan

Job: - Author

Website: - https://www.sarahvaughanauthor.com

Instagram: - @svaughanauthor

Facebook: - @Sarah Vaughan Author

Introduction: -

Sarah Vaughan is a former journalist turned author.  Her first two novels are women’s fiction. Her first political thriller Anatomy of a Scandal was published in 2018 and was a Sunday Times bestseller and is now a global Netflix limited series. Her second crime book Little Disasters was published in 2020 and was shown in May 2025 on Paramount Plus. Reputation has been optioned by the team behind Anatomy of a Scandal. Her most recent book is entitled Based on a True Story.

Current book? (This can either be the current book that you are reading or writing or both)

I’ve just read Sabine Durrant’s superb Dead Heat which features an unreliable narrator anti-hero and has really Ripley and Gatsby vibes.  As with her Lie With Me, she is excellent at capturing the precariousness of being an outsider and the oppressiveness of Greek heat.

Why do you think anti-heroes are so interesting to readers?

I think we love a psychological puzzle. No one wants to read about an anodyne character: we want to know what motivates deeply flawed, even villainous, characters. And when they’re extreme – and criminal – they make us feel better about ourselves.

Which two anti-heroes or enemies would you invite to dinner and why?

Tom Ripley and Iago. Think of their waspishness. Thankfully I don’t smoke, so I don’t possess an ash tray.

How do you relax?

A bit of a cliché but “getting out in nature”. In an ideal world, that means walking on a Cornish cliff. Day to day, it’s walking my dog Olive in the fields near my home. Sitting at a desk all day is terrible for one’s posture and I feel scratchy if I don’t get out first thing. Swimming – which I don’t do enough of; holidays; meals with family and friends; reading in bed. Having said that, I’m currently finishing a book so feel a constant low thrum of anxiety.

Which anti-hero would you like to be on your side in a difficult situation.

The one with the least scruples.

If you were to write a book involving an anti-hero, where would you set it and why?

I love London and think it lends itself brilliantly to anti-heroes: think of the potential for deception, for getting deliberately lost, and to reinvention. But my son’s about to go off to university in the north-east and I’m looking forward to exploring Northumberland (I can’t keep setting books in north Cornwall.) It feels remote and beautiful.

How would you describe your latest published book?

Based on a True Story is a feminised King Lear about power lies and family narratives which starts with a body found on a storm-lashed north Cornwall beach. Famed children’s author Dame Eleanor Kingman has gathered family and friends to celebrate her 70^th birthday and her latest number one bestseller. But someone’s been sending emails threatening to expose a secret she’s kept for half a century. With a TV documentary crew arriving to film a retrospective, can she unearth her nemesis and maintain the fiction on which her multi-million-pound career depends?

With Bad Apples: crime fiction’s enemies and anti-hero’s theme at St Hilda's this year, who are you three favourite anti-heroes?

At the risk of being horribly unoriginal: Ripley, Iago, Moriarty.

Which 3 films or television series featuring anti-heroes would you rewatch and why?

I adore Succession. How many anti-heroes does it have? Not just Logan Roy and his kids but the like of Lukas Matsson (played by Alexander Skarsgard) who sends frozen bricks of his blood to an employee with whom he’d been involved.

I’ve just watched The Beast in Me. Matthew Rhys’ Nile Jarvis is not so much an anti-hero as a psychopath and is horribly compelling.

Talking of Alexander Skarsgard, he also excelled at being charming and then toxic in Big Little Lies (where he is not so much anti-hero as outright villain.)

What are you looking forward to at St Hilda's?

Writing’s such a solitary job and I thrived best, career-wise, when I worked in a cramped lobby room: I miss the banter of fellow journalists, so I’m giddy about being with other writers for a weekend. And, having spent three gorgeous years at Oxford, I’m looking forward to pretending I live there again. I used to plod round Christ Church meadow so might even manage that.

Based on a True Story by Sarah Vaughan (Simon & Schuster Ltd)

All families have secrets. But it's the lies that can kill. A lavish 70th birthday party. A body found on a storm-lashed beach. And a secret that someone is dying to tell...  Famed children’s author Dame Eleanor Kingman has summoned her family and friends to her exquisite manor house on the cliffs. They're celebrating her birthday – and her latest number one bestseller in her series of books based on a mother fox and her cubs. But the night before the party, Eleanor receives an email: an email that threatens to expose the lie she’s kept up for over half a century. Someone knows her secret. Is it her estranged literary agent? Is it her ex-husband, to whom she no longer speaks? Is it the nanny she fired all those years ago, who always did have a knack for storytelling? Or is it one of her three daughters, all of whom have a stake in the publishing empire she has built... With a TV crew arriving to film a documentary of her life, Eleanor needs to find out who sent the email – and preserve her multimillion-pound career. But when push comes to shove, and it's time to tell the truth - will anyone actually believe her?

 More information about St Hilda's and how to purchase online tickets can be found here.

#HCFW26

Bad Apples: Crime Fiction's Enemies and Anti-Heroes

 

The theme for the 33rd St Hilda's Crime Fiction Weekend has been announced

Tickets are now on sale to the general public from 5th January 2026 and the link can be found here.

This is always a wonderful weekend do join us!

In The St Hilda's Spotlight Olivia Isaac-Henry

Name:- Olivia Isaac Henry

Job:- Author

Instagram: @OliviaIsaacHenryAuthor

Facebook: @oisaachenry

X: @oisaachenry

Introduction: 

Olivia Isaac-Henry is the author of 4 books. Her most recent book due out in September is Hallow Hill. She is also the occasional keyboard player in experimental electronic band.

Current book? 

The Changeling, Victor LaValle. Apollo Kagwa believes his wife is suffering from post-natal depression when she declares their son is ‘not a baby’. Tragedy ensues, and in his quest to find the truth, Apollo discovers places and people no one knew existed in New York. Partly a musing on fatherhood, this novel also delves into ancient lore and fairytale, in a world where witches and changelings definitely do exist. 

Has any gothic book spooked you and if so which one and why?

The Woman in Black by Susan Hill. The whole atmosphere of Eel Marsh House leaves you shivering and checking for The Woman in Black out of the corner of your eye. 

Which two gothic writers would you invite to dinner and why?

Mary Shelley and Edgar Allan Poe. Not only were they fabulous writers, but they led fascinating, if tragic, lives. 

How do you relax?

I’m addicted to streaming dramas, especially anything crime or horror related. Currently I’m watching Finnish detective series Arctic Circle, the scenery is stunning and the plot goes off in a completely unexpected direction. 

Which gothic book do you wish you had written and why?

Jamaica Inn by Daphne du Maurier. I read this when I was about eleven or twelve. At the time I was down in Cornwall on a camping holiday with my family. We bought the book at the actual Jamaica Inn. I read it in a day and I thought it was the most exciting novel ever. The final reveal stunned me. One day I’d love one of my books to have the same effect on a reader as that one had on me. 

If you were to write a gothic book where would you set it and why?

Two of my novels lean toward the gothic: Sorrow Spring, which is already published, and Hallows Hill, which comes out in September. Both are set in Worcestershire, where I grew up. It’s a beautiful county with plenty of legends and folklore to use as inspiration. Also, because it’s not as well known as counties like Cornwell and Yorkshire, people come to it with fewer expectations. 

How would you describe your latest published book?

Sorrow Spring is a folk horror novel with a crime-mystery element. In the present day a woman attempts to discover what happened to her aunt, last seen in the village of Sorrow Spring in 1978. The novel goes back and forth in time to unravel her fate, which is linked to the ancient customs and beliefs of the village. 

With Detecting the Gothic: tales from the Dark Heart of Crime Fiction the theme at St Hilda's this year, which are you three favourite gothic authors or books

Melmoth - Sarah Perry

We Have Always Lived in the Castle - Shirley Jackson

The Night Film - Marisha Pessl

Which 3 gothic films would you rewatch and why?

Let the Right One In – This Swedish film is disturbing on multiple levels, not least because it reminds you that humans far exceed vampires in their vice and savagery.

Angel Heart – Just mesmerizing. It has fantastic performances by Mickey Rourke and Robert de Niro and one of the all time greatest twists. A couple of watches are required to spot all the clues. 

Sinners – I’ve only just seen this one at the cinema, and I haven’t had a chance for a rewatch, but this film definitely requires one, as there’s so much to unpack. Again, it’s not just about vampires but the society that spawns them. It’s visually stunning with great performances and a stomping soundtrack. 

What are you looking forward to at St Hilda's?

I’m looking forward to chatting with the other authors. Some I know already. Others I’m keen to meet. 

Hallows Hill by Olivia Isaac-Henry (Harper Collins Publishers) Out in September.

Have they stirred an ancient evil…or is there a killer in their midst? Twenty years ago, on Halloween night, a group of teenagers performed a summoning ritual on Hallows Hill. The next day, one of them was dead. Mia has never forgotten the chilling vision she saw that night, and which she believes foretold the death. Now the remaining friends gather for Halloween again. But when another death occurs, Mia starts to doubt everything around her. Is there a malevolent supernatural force that means them harm, or is human evil at play? Mia must take a long, hard look at her friends, herself and the folklore of Hallows Hill. Can she find the answers before all of them are dead?

Information on how to buy online tickets can be found here. The programme can be found here.

In The St Hilda's Spotlight - Ruth Ware

 Name:- Ruth Ware

Job: Author

Website: https://ruthware.com

Facebook: @Ruthwarewriter

Instagram: @Ruthwarewriter

Introduction

Ruth Ware has written 10 psychological thrillers and is an award nominated author. Her novel One by One was shortlisted for the Ian Fleming Steel Dagger in 2020. Her novel The Woman in Cabin 10 is to become a Netflix film later on this year. Her novels in A Dark Dark Wood and The Lying Game are in development and her writing style being compared to that of Agatha Christie. Her most recent novel is The Woman in Suite 11

Current book? 

I never like talking about the book I’m working on, but I will say it has some very strong gothic elements!

Has any gothic book spooked you and if so which one and why? 

The book that I remain most haunted by is probably The Yellow Wallpaper, which I think qualifies as Gothic with a twist, in that the madwoman in the attic is the protagonist of the story, and we see her unravelling in front of us. It’s short (it’s really a longish short story) but truly terrifying.

But I also find myself thinking very often about Wide Sargasso Sea, Jean Rhys’s extraordinary prequel to / rebuttal of Jane Eyre. You need a huge amount of chutzpah to reimagine a book like Jane Eyre, but Rhys does it with huge anger and confidence, and the result is mesmerising. It is haunting in a very different way to The Yellow Wallpaper but in some ways equally chilling, not least because you read it knowing where poor Antoinette will end up.

Which two gothic writers would you invite to dinner and why? 

Bram Stoker and Daphne du Maurier. Daphne du Maurier because she’s one of my favourite novelists and I would love to have heard her speak in person. Bram Stoker because I adore Dracula but he also sounds like a very interesting person. He was a theatre agent for most of his life and met a huge number of the great and good of his day.

How do you relax? 

I wish I had a fancy hobby to put here, but the truth is I read, watch TV, walk and cook. If I am feeling particularly stressed for some reason, my greatest treat is a spa massage. There’s something about being cared for and pummelled that helps my brain switch off! 

Which gothic book do you wish you had written and why? 

My Cousin Rachel. I think it’s a masterpiece. 

If you were to write a gothic book where would you set it and why? 

I have actually written a couple so I guess, I have to answer about those! The Death of Mrs Westaway is set in a Mandalay-ish crumbling country house in Cornwall, and The Turn of the Key (which, as you can probably guess, is a riff on Henry James) is set in a smart house in Scotland with an eerie poison garden. I love an evocative setting – one that’s just as much a character as the people in the book. 

How would you describe your latest published book? 

It’s a follow up / companion volume to The Woman in Cabin 10 and has some very Gothic themes – sinister, controlling husbands, terrified women, and a fight to be believed. It was great fun to write!

With Detecting the Gothic: tales from the Dark Heart of Crime Fiction the theme at St Hilda's this year, which are you three favourite gothic authors or books? 

Probably… Rebecca, My Cousin Rachel and Dracula. If I can count Daphne du Maurier as one, then I’d add in The Secret History which stretches the definition a little, but probably counts as modern Gothic.

Which 3 gothic films would you rewatch and why? 

Probably… Rebecca, the Laurence Olivier version, even though it completely changes the key revelation of the book, and makes it much less daring than the novel. It’s so stylishly filmed, you forgive the transgressions. Gaslight, for obvious reasons – I actually drew on that film for The Turn of the Key and it’s so cleverly done. And I’ve actually never seen it, but I’ve always wanted to watch Rosemary’s Baby. I’ve read the book, but never seen the film. I was on the fence about whether to count that as Gothic, since it’s more usually categorised as horror, but the novel has some strong Gothic elements so I think it qualifies. 

What are you looking forward to at St Hilda's? 

Well obviously the other speakers – it’s a stunning line up and the talks sound fascinating. But I am particularly looking forward to the play which I apparently get to act in. I love a murder mystery!

The Woman in Suite 11 by Ruth Ware (Simon and Schuster)

Lo Blacklock returns to attend the opening of a luxury hotel, only to find herself in a white-knuckled race across Europe. When the invitation to attend the press opening of a luxury Swiss hotel – owned by reclusive billionaire Marcus Leidmann – arrives, it’s like the answer to a prayer. Three years after the birth of her youngest child, Lo Blacklock is ready to re-establish her journalism career, but post-pandemic travel journalism is a very different landscape from the one she left ten years ago. The chateau on the shores of Lake Geneva is everything Lo’s ever dreamed of, and she hopes she can snag an interview with Marcus. Unfortunately, he proves to be even more difficult to pin down than his reputation suggests. When Lo gets a late-night call asking her to come to Marcus’s hotel room, she agrees despite her own misgivings. She’s greeted, however, by a woman claiming to be Marcus’s mistress, and in life-or-death jeopardy. What follows is a thrilling cat-and-mouse pursuit across Europe, forcing Lo to ask herself just how much she’s willing to sacrifice to save this woman…and if she can even trust her?

Information on how to buy online tickets can be found here. The programme can be found here.

In The St Hilda's Spotlight - Anna Mazzola

 Name:- Anna Mazzola (aka Anna Sharpe)

Job:- Author and Consultant Solicitor

Website:- https://annamazzola.com

Facebook:- AnnaMazzolaWriter

X @anna_mazz

Instagram:- @annamazzolawriter

Introduction

Anna Mazzola is the author of as well as being a human rights and criminal justice Solicitor. Her debut novel, The Unseeing, won an Edgar Allan Poe award. Her fourth novel, The House of Whispers, set in 1930s Rome, won a Fingerprint Award for Best Historical Crime novel. Her bestselling third novel, The Clockwork Girl, was shortlisted for the Gold Dagger and the Historical Dagger for the 2023 awards. It was also nominated for the Dublin Literary award. Her fifth novel, The Book of Secrets, is based on a real case from 17th century Rome and was a Times Historical Novel of the Month and has been shortlisted for the 2025 Gold Dagger and Historical Dagger. Her first legal thriller under the name of Anna Sharpe Notes on a Drowning, was published earlier this year.

Current book? (This can either be the current book that you are reading or writing or both)

Reading: I’m on a Tana French binge. I’m reading The Wych Elm at the moment. Her writing is pin-sharp and her characters are so flawed, complex and plausible. Her most Gothic novel is probably Broken Harbour, which, unsurprisingly, is my favourite.

Writing: I’ve just handed in my second Anna Sharpe book, a courtroom thriller called Lie For Your Life, and am now waiting for my editor to give me the verdict.

Has any gothic book spooked you and if so which one and why?

Little Sister Death by William Gay. It’s in the Southern Gothic tradition and inspired by the 19th Century Bell Witch haunting of Tennessee. I’m not easily scared by books, but this one sure got me. I dare you all to read it.

Which two gothic writers would you invite to dinner and why?

Shirley Jackson, because she was sharp, witty and imposing, and Mary Shelley, as she was rebellious and super-smart. I think they’d make for an interesting evening, though they might of course have a fight.

How do you relax?

Running, writing, reading, swimming, listening to music, ritual sacrifice.

Which gothic book do you wish you had written and why?

Rebecca by Du Maurier. A Gothic classic and a huge bestseller which very much gave the finger to the critics who said that Du Maurier was just a mediocre romance writer.

If you were to write a gothic book where would you set it and why?

I’d like to set a story on Poveglia Island, located near Venice. It’s supposedly one of the most haunted places in the world, with a very dark history involving plague quarantines and a lunatic asylum. You’re not officially allowed to go to the island, but that just makes it more appealing.

How would you describe your latest published book?

My most recently published novel, Notes on a Drowning, isn’t a Gothic one – it’s a legal/political thriller about two determined women on the trail of a scandal involving death, corruption and misogyny. But it has jokes. My most recent historical novel is The Book of Secrets, which is a tale of sorcery and survival based on a real ring of women accused of making and selling poison in 17th century Rome.

With Detecting the Gothic: Tales from the Dark Heart of Crime Fiction the theme at St Hilda's this year, which are you three favourite gothic authors or books

My top three Gothic gems are:

We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson

Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier (or is My Cousin Rachel better??)

Perfume by Patrick Süskind

Which 3 gothic films would you rewatch and why.

Pan’s Labyrinth, my favourite Guillermo Del Torro film – I love its dark, fairytale-like quality. Picnic at Hanging Rock, as it had a strong impression on me and I think is part of the reason I ended up writing Gothic fiction. The bigger reason, though, was David Lynch’s Twin Peaks, the series as well as the film. Bob continues to stalk my dreams.

What are you looking forward to at St Hilda's?

The play! I’m not sure what my role is yet, but I hope it will require me to wear a wig.

Notes on a Drowning by Anna Sharpe (Orion) Out Now

Alex knows she risks getting fired from her law firm if she takes on another unpaid case, but when she hears Rosa's desperate voice at the other end of the phone, she knows she has to help: the body of Rosa's shy teenage sister, Natalia, has been dragged, lifeless, from the Thames. Alex can't help but think of her own missing little sister. She knows how a lack of answers can eat you alive. Kat has worked hard to become Special Adviser to the Home Secretary, and is eager to finally put the dark and tragic part of her past behind her. But when she discovers a series of cover-ups, she begins to wonder whether her seemingly perfect new boss could be involved. Then she's shocked to discover a letter that raises worrying questions about a girl found drowned in London... Natalia. There are complex and painful reasons for Alex and Kat not to work together, but when it becomes clear that there are powerful people involved in Natalia's death, and that other girls are at risk, Alex and Kat must overcome their differences to find answers. Will they save the girls and discover the truth? Or will the high-powered players in this game stop Alex and Kat for good?

Information on how to buy online tickets can be found here. The programme can be found here.

In The St Hilda's Spotlight - Stuart Neville

Name:- Stuart Neville

Job:- Author

Website:- https://www.stuartneville.com  

Facebook:- https://www.facebook.com/stuartneville

X @stuartneville

Introduction:-

Stuart Neville is a Northern Irish author whose novel The Twelve (aka The Ghosts of Belfast) won the Mystery/Thriller category of the Los Angeles Times Book Prize in 2010. It also won the 2010 Spinetingler New Voice Category Award. It was also nominated for the 2010 Dilys, Anthony, Barry and Macavity awards.  It was also on the list of best novels in 2009 by both The New York and Los Angeles Times. He has also been shortlisted for an Edgar Award, CWA Dagger, Theakstons Old Peculier Novel of the Year as well as the Irish Book Awards Crime Novel of the Year.

He has published eleven novels (two under the pen name Haylen Beck) and a collection of short stories. The French-edition of The Twelve or The Ghosts-of-Belfast- Les Fantômes-de Belfast, won L- Prix Mystère de-la Critique du Meilleur Roman Étranger and The Grand Prix du Roman Noir Étranger. His first standalone novel Ratlines was shortlisted for the CWA Ian Fleming Steel Dagger.  His novel Blood Like Mine has been shortlisted for the CWA Ian Fleming Steel Dagger. Blood Like Ours which is the sequel, is due out in August 2025. Stuart Neville is also a member of the Fun Lovin’ Crime Writers where he plays the guitar as well as being a vocalist.

Current book? (This can either be the current book that you are reading or writing or both)

Blood Like Mine out now in paperback, Blood Like Ours coming late August.

Has any gothic book spooked you and if so which one and why

More modern horror than gothic, but Stephen King’s Pet Sematary scared me when I read it around the age of thirteen or fourteen.

Which two gothic writers would you invite to dinner and why?

Bram Stoker and J S Le Fanu so they could fight over who invented the vampire novel.

How do you relax?

Playing and making guitars. I’m just about to build a Telecaster for myself.

Which gothic book do you wish you had written and why?

We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson is so thick with atmosphere and character, and it’s written with such a singular voice. It’s the kind of writing that makes me want to try harder.

If you were to write a gothic book where would you set it and why?

I have an unfinished book that I want to return to. It’s set in rural Northern Ireland at the end of the Second World War and it’s about a soldier who returns from the front having been severely wounded and finds his home village has transformed into something rather sinister.

How would you describe your latest published book?

Blood Like Mine is a slightly different take on the vampire novel. It asks the question, if vampirism was a real thing in our world, what would that be like? There are no magical powers, no fangs, just a mother and daughter caught in a horrific situation.

With Detecting the Gothic: tales from the Dark Heart of Crime Fiction the theme at St Hilda's this year, which are you three favourite gothic authors or books

The aforementioned We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson. The Private Memoir and Confessions of a Justified Sinner by James Hogg is an extraordinary work for its time. I’ll always have a soft spot for Stoker’s Dracula because I read it over and over as a kid.

Which 3 gothic films would you rewatch and why.

I saw David Eggers’ Nosferatu in the cinema and thought it was brilliantly fresh take on a story that’s been told so often. Freaks, directed by Tod Browning, is nearly a century old but is still a disturbing watch. Guillermo del Toro’s The Devil’s Backbone is a wonderful ghost story set against the Spanish Civil War whose most grotesque horrors are the living adults.

What are you looking forward to at St Hilda's?

I’m looking forward to seeing some of my writer friends, and visiting Oxford for the first time.

Blood Like Ours by Stuart Neville (Simon & Schuster) Published August 2025

You would do anything for your family . . . even if they are monsters. Rebecca Carter is back from the dead. Lost and terrified, she is gripped by two desperate urges ''' to find her daughter, and to sate her ravenous hunger. Alone in the wild, Monica Carter survives on whatever small prey she can hunt down. But she needs more. One night, drawn by the maddening scent of human blood, she encounters two young brothers, who call to her as Moonflower and tell her that if she comes with them, they will keep her safe. But Jacob and Willard Hendry are not what they seem. They know all about dying and disappearing – after all, it’s been almost three decades since they did the same. Rebecca’s hope for a reunion with her daughter turns to terror when she realizes that the brothers aren’t like Moonflower – they chose to be what they are, relishing the slaughter, and they are leaving an increasingly bloody trail in their wake. But as she chases them west, she isn’t alone on the road. FBI agent Sarah McGrath, haunted by the death of her partner Marc Donner moments after he killed Rebecca, is hot on her tail. McGrath wants answers, and she will stop at nothing to get them. But she never expected them to come from a shadowy figure within the Bureau . . .

Blood Like Mine by Stuart Neville (Simon & Schuster) Out now

You'd do anything to protect your child. Even if she's a monster... On a snowy December night, single mother Rebecca Carter drives her van into a snowbank to avoid hitting an elk on a desolate mountain highway. She is at the end of her rope, out of money and food. Still, she refuses help from a man in a pickup truck—Rebecca’s adolescent daughter, Moonflower, is on the run from a grisly secret, and the last thing they can afford is to be remembered by anyone they meet. Meanwhile, Special Agent Marc Donner of the FBI has spent the better part of two years hunting down a gruesome serial killer who drains victims of blood before severing their spinal cords, leaving a trail of bodies across the country. As Agent Donner’s investigation brings him closer and closer to where Rebecca and Moonflower are hiding out, in the foothills of Colorado, the life that Rebecca has fought so hard to hold together for her daughter becomes increasingly imperiled.

 

Information on how to buy online tickets can be found here. The programme can be found here.

In The St Hilda's Spotlight - Catherine Ryan Howard

Name:- Catherine Ryan Howard

Job:- Author

Website:- https://catherineryanhoward.com

Instagram:- @cathryanhoward

Introduction:-

Catherine Ryan Howard is an award wining author who has been shortlisted for the Mystery Writers of America Edgar Award for Best Novel, the UK Crime Writers Association John Creasey/New Blood and Ian Fleming Steel Dagger Awards, and the An Post Irish Crime Fiction Book of the Year multiple times. 

Her novels have been included in the New York Times Best Thrillers of the Year, the Washington Post’s Best Mysteries and Thrillers of the Year and the Sunday Times Best Thrillers of the Year. A screen adaptation of her fifth novel 56 Days is due to debut exclusively on Amazon Prime in early 2026. 

Current book? (This can either be the current book that you are reading or writing or both)

I’m currently reading Author Unknown: Tales of a Literary Detective by Don Foster and writing what will be my ninth thriller. It’s about ‘stigmatized properties’, i.e. houses with horrible pasts. 

Has any gothic book spooked you and if so which one and why

Despite writing about serial killers for a living, I am a complete coward and so they all do. But I remember very clearly being genuinely disturbed by Gargoyle by Andrew Davidson. To quote Joey from Friends, I had to put the book in the freezer. 

Which two gothic writers would you invite to dinner and why?

Shirley Jackson and Mary Shelley, because I think they’d have a fascinating conversation with each other and I could just sit there and listen. 

How do you relax?

Like many of my crime-writing colleagues, I watch, listen to or read a bit of true crime.

Which gothic book do you wish you had written and why?

I wish I had the brains and imagination to produce something like House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski. 

If you were to write a gothic book where would you set it and why?

Full disclosure: I had a great answer to this question. I started typing it. I went online to check a few details – and fell down a rabbit hole and discovered loads of new things about the place I had in mind that made me think, hmm, maybe I should set a thriller there. So now I can’t tell you about it, sorry! But it’s amazing place… (I tease, I know.) Let’s say instead a big house out in the middle of nowhere that seems to be made completely of glass. I don’t understand how people live in those kinds of houses. Great during the day, yes, but I wouldn’t be able to stand it at night. 

How would you describe your latest published book?

 It’s a thriller about an inexperienced ghostwriter who’s tasked with helping a man accused of murder tell his story of the story, which according to him is that he’s innocent.

With Detecting the Gothic: tales from the Dark Heart of Crime Fiction the theme at St Hilda's this year, which are you three favourite gothic authors or books

Flowers in the Attic by Virginia Andrews, The Shining by Stephen King and Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier aka the classic trio of age-inappropriate childhood reads. 

Which 3 gothic films would you rewatch and why.

The Others (loosely inspired by The Turn of the Screw) and Shutter Island (adapted from Dennis Lehane’s novel) because they both have truly superb twists, and then something lighter like Beetlejuice to calm me down after the trauma of the first two.

What are you looking forward to at St Hilda's?

Me reading the last sentence of my paper, because I’m so nervous about it! But honestly, the whole thing. So many crime writers have told me about their incredible experiences at past weekends and the programme looks absolutely fascinating. I just know it’s going to be a joy. 

Burn After Reading by Catherine Ryan Howard (Transworld Publication) 

A ghostwriter is tasked with capturing the memoirs of a man who might be a murderer and he's ready to confess...The night Jack Smyth ran into flames in a desperate attempt to save his wife from their burning home, he was, tragically, too late - but hailed a hero. Until it emerged that Kate was dead long before the fire began. Suspicion has stalked him ever since. After all, there's no smoke without fire. A year on, he's signed a book deal. He wants to tell his side of the story, to prove his own innocence in print. He just needs someone to help him write it.Emily has never ghostwritten anything before, but she knows what it’s like to live with a guilty secret. And she's about to learn that some stories should never be told .

Information on how to buy online tickets can be found here. The programme can be found here.

#HCFW25

Photograph ©Bríd O’Donovan

 

32nd St Hilda's Crime Fiction Weekend - Detecting the Gothic:- Tales from the Dark Heart of Crime Fiction

 

Those who have been attending St Hilda’s College Crime Fiction Weekend over the many years of its existence know that it is a weekend with a difference. Launched at St Hilda's College in 1994, it offers the crime fiction fans the unique experience of hearing their favourite authors exploring the genre, their own work and the writers who inspired them.

This year the theme is ‘Detecting the Gothic: Tales from the Dark Heart of Crime Fiction and will take place from 8^th to 10^th August 2025.

Guest of Honour is Val McDermid and featured speakers include Mick Herron, Olivia Isaac-Henry, Anna Mazzola, Stuart Neville, Ambrose Parry, William Ryan, Catherine Ryan Howard, Stuart Turton, Ruth Ware, Catriona Ward and Louise Welsh.

Taking place in the heart of Oxford in a glorious riverside location the St Hilda’s Weekend includes not only the speaker sessions, but a massive Blackwell's shop open on site every day, author signings, prizes and a brimming goodie bag all enjoyed in a relaxed, intimate College atmosphere. Beginning on Friday evening with a dinner and drinks reception, the packed weekend finishes with a traditional lunch on Sunday.

Look out for some mini interviews in the run up to the weekend from the authors taking part.

Ticket information can be found here.