Simon Mayo's Books of the Year

Bestselling author Adele Parks chats about her writing process, her characters, her reading habits and who she'd invite to her fantasy dinner party!

Bestselling novelist Adele Parks joins Simon Mayo and Matt Williams to talk about her latest novel, 'Just Between Us'. This book is, like all her novels, a stand-alone...but also a sequel. Confused? Well, luckily Adele explains all! She also tells us about the exciting new film adaptation of an earlier book, which she is involved in producing. Here comes the science bit... Lost. Missing. Murdered? And both her husbands are suspects. Kylie Gillingham's disappearance has gripped the nation: the woman with a shocking secret - married to two men at the same time - is missing, presumed dead. And both her husbands are suspects. DC Clements knows the dark side of human nature and that love can make people do treacherous things; you can't presume anything when it comes to crimes of the heart. While Kylie's two husbands remain prime suspects, her sons won't accept that she is dead. Until a body is found, this scandalous and sad case remains wide open. Stacie Jones lives a quiet life in a small village, nursed by her father as she recovers from illness, shielded from any disquieting news of the outside world. But their reclusive life is about to be shattered. How are these families linked, and can any of them ever rebuild their lives in the wake of tragedy? You can buy Adele's new novel now from all good independent bookshops, Waterstones, Daunt and many more. It's also available here:

Sebastian Faulks tells Simon and Matt about the books and authors he loves to read, the London Library and the worst piece of advice he ever received about writing.

Bestselling author, Sebastian Faulks, joins Simon and Matt for a chinwag about his latest novel, 'The Seventh Son'. The book is set in a not-too-distant future, which is a departure for Sebastian who we know mainly for his historical fiction. In this episode we discuss this brilliant new novel (without spoilers, we think) and where his inspiration for it came from. We learn about the incredible amount of research he had to undertake to be able to write the book, and see if we can guess who some of his characters are based on! Here comes the science bit: A child will be born who will change everything. When a young woman named Talissa answers an advert to carry a child, she cannot begin to imagine the consequences. Behind the doors of the Parn Institute, a billionaire entrepreneur plans to stretch the boundaries of ethics as never before. Through a series of IVF treatments, one they hope no one ever discovers, they set in motion an experiment that is set to upend the human race as we know it. Seth, a baby, is delivered to hopeful parents Mary and Alaric, but when his differences start to mark him out from his peers, he begins to attract unwanted attention. The Seventh Son is a spectacular examination of what it is to be human. Sweeping between New York, London, and the Scottish Highlands, this is an extraordinary novel about unrequited love and unearned power. It asks the question: just because you can do something, does it mean you should?

Bestselling crime author Steve Cavanagh shares his writing processes, favorite books, and sage advice in a Q&A with Simon and Matt. They discuss writer Robert Kreis and literary pilgrimages, the origins of 'The Lincoln Lawyer' character, the impact of cinema chains and the importance of discovering characters as you write, and book organization and reading habits.

Ex-Barrister turned bestselling crime writer, Steve Cavanagh, discusses his new thriller 'Kill For Me Kill For You', his love of James Lee Burke, and how the book was inspired by Hysmith and Hitchcock. They also explore the importance of cover design for thriller novels, the use of facts and New York City as a setting in storytelling, cultural references in the book, and their approach to writing and casting.

Bestselling author Lisa Jewell discusses her processes, reading habits, favourite authors and - thanks to a surprise question from Adele Parks - her favourite karaoke songs!

Simon and Matt are joined in the studio by multi-million selling author, Lisa Jewell. They discuss why her new novel, 'None Of This Is True', was the quickest book she has ever written, and how she leaves her readers guessing until the very end. They also talk a little about her process, how the book was influenced by an academic and author who followed Lisa's writing journey for a year - and - why she prefers instant coffee to something, well, decent.

In our bonus Q&A episode, journalist and author Daniel Finkelstein answers questions about his research, writing processes and authors that he loves to read.

Journalist, author and political commentator, Daniel Finkelstein, joins Simon and Matt to discuss his brilliant new book; 'Hitler, Stalin, Mum and Dad' He talks about his fascinating family history, the stories he was told growing up, how he researched the book and what it means now it's finally out in the world. This is the book Daniel has always wanted to write and hopes one day it might even make it on to the screen. Here comes the science bit... From longstanding political columnist and commentator Daniel Finkelstein, a powerful memoir exploring both his mother and his father's devastating experiences of persecution, resistance and survival during the Second World War. Danny's mother Mirjam Wiener was the youngest of three daughters born in Germany to Alfred and Margarete Wiener. Alfred, a decorated hero from the Great War, is now widely acknowledged to have been the first person to recognise the existential danger Hitler posed to the Jews and began, in 1933, to catalogue in detail Nazi crimes. After moving his family to Amsterdam, he relocated his library to London and was preparing to bring over his wife and children when Germany invaded Holland. Before long, the family was rounded up, robbed, humiliated, and sent to Bergen-Belsen. Danny's father Ludwik was born in Lwow, the only child of a prosperous Jewish family. In 1939, after Hitler and Stalin carved up Poland, the family was rounded up by the communists and sent to do hard labour in a Siberian gulag. Working as slave labourers on a collective farm, his father survived the freezing winters in a tiny house they built from cow dung. Hitler, Stalin, Mum and Dad is a deeply moving, personal and at times horrifying memoir about his parents' experiences at the hands of the two genocidal dictators of the 20th century. It is a story of persecution and survival; and the consequences of totalitarianism told with the almost unimaginable bravery of two ordinary families shining through.