Podcast appearances and mentions of Val McDermid

Taylor Swift, if you're reading this (and you probably are), watch out - Jane is coming for your man! Jane and Jamal also discuss A-Level results, airport security, and p*cky b*ts. Plus, Scottish crime writer Val McDermid discusses her upcoming Karen Pirie novel Silent Bones and shares her thoughts on the addition of that bum bag... You can listen to the playlist here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3qIjhtS9sprg864IXC96he?si=uOzz4UYZRc2nFOP8FV_1jg&pi=BGoacntaS_uki If you want to contact the show to ask a question and get involved in the conversation then please email us: janeandfi@times.radio Follow us on Instagram! @janeandfiPodcast Producer: Eve SalusburyExecutive Producer: Rosie Cutler Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Des and the teams are at the Edinburgh Festivals to break up the week's big news, including deputy first minister Kate Fobes's announcement about stepping down at the next election, calls for Scotland to have a minister for nightlife, Tom Holland filming the latest Spider-Man in Glasgow, Oasis landing in Edinburgh for their comeback tour and more. Lead Writer: Gregor Paton Additional material: Andy Flood, Biba Kang, Jennifer Walker, Nathan Cowley, Gordon Watson, Rebecca Bain & Alex Garrick Wright, Mary-Louise Clipston, Lisa Houston, Ben Moore & Kate SmurthwaiteProducer: Chris Quilietti Series Producer: Lauren Mackay / David Flynn Researcher: Jodie White Script Editor: Keiron NicholsonAn Eco-Audio certified Production

Today's Lake and Shed framed conversation is once again about the fifth Cormoran Strike novel, Troubled Blood. Nick discusses Rowling's history with the Clerkenwell neighborhood. John talks about Troubled Blood as a double re-telling of The Faerie Queene, Book One, with Strike and Margot as the Redcrosse Knight and Oonaugh and Robin as Una.New to the Lake and Shed Kanreki Birthday series? Here's what we're doing:On 31 July 2025, Joanne Murray, aka J. K. Rowling and Robert Galbraith, will be celebrating her 60th birthday. This celebration is considered a ‘second birth' in Japan or Kanreki because it is the completion of the oriental astrological cycle. To mark JKR's Kanreki, Dr John Granger and Nick Jeffery, both Nipponophiles, are reading through Rowling's twenty-one published works and reviewing them in light of the author's writing process, her ‘Lake and Shed' metaphor. The ‘Lake' is the biographical source of her inspiration; the ‘Shed' is the alocal place of her intentional artistry, in which garage she transforms the biographical stuff provided by her subconscious mind into the archetypal stories that have made her the most important author of her age. You can hear Nick and John discuss this process and their birthday project at the first entry in this series of posts: Happy Birthday, JKR! A Lake and Shed Celebration of her Life and Work.Tomorrow? Our first look at Christmas Pig with both Nick and John talking about the Blue Bunny. Stay tuned!Links to posts mentioned in today's Lake and Shed conversation for further reading:* The Clerkenwell/Islington Gate of St John (Twitter Header)Faerie Queene!John Granger:* How Spenser Uses Cupid in Faerie Queen and Its Relevance for Understanding Troubled Blood* Reading Troubled Blood as a Medieval Morality PlayElizabeth Baird-Hardy* Day One, Part One: The Spenserian Epigraphs of the Pre-Released Troubled Blood Chapters* Day Two, Part Two: The Spenserian Epigraphs of Troubled Blood Chapters Eight to Fourteen* Day Three, Part Three: The Spenserian Epigraphs of Troubled Blood Chapters Fifteen to Thirty* Day Four, Part Four: The Spenserian Epigraphs of Troubled Blood Chapters Thirty One to Forty Eight* Day Five, Part Five: The Spenserian Epigraphs of Troubled Blood Chapters Forty Nine to Fifty Nine* Part Six: The Spenserian Epigraphs of Troubled Blood Chapters Sixty to Seventy One* Spenser and Strike Part Seven: Changes for the BetterBeatrice Groves* Trouble in Faerie Land (Part 1): Spenserian Clues in Troubled Blood Epigraphs* Trouble in Faerie Land (Part 2): Shipping Robin and Strike in the Epigraphs of Troubled Blood* Trouble in Faerie Land (Part 3): Searching for Duessa in Troubled BloodThis is a tentative listing by category of the posts at HogwartsProfessor about Troubled Blood. There's much more work to do on this wonderful work!1. Chiastic StructureRowling's fixation on planning in general and with structural patterns specifically in all of her work continues in Troubled Blood. From the first reading, it became apparent that in Strike5 Rowling-Galbraith had taken her game to a new level of sophistication. She continued, as she had in her four previous Strike mysteries, to write a story in parallel with the Harry Potter septology; there are many echoes of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, the fifth and equivalent number in the Hogwarts Saga, in Troubled Blood. Just as Phoenix was in important ways a re-telling of Philosopher's Stone, so Troubled Blood also echoes Cuckoo's Calling — with a few Stone notes thrown in as well. The new heights of Rowling's structural artistry, though, extend beyond her patented intratextuality; they are in each of Strike5's first six parts being ring compositions themselves, the astrological chart embedded in the story chapters, and the six part and two chapters correspondence in structure between Troubled Blood and Spenser's Faerie Queen.* Structure Part One* Structure Part Two, Notes Two to Six* Structure Part Three, Notes One to Three* Structure Part Four, Notes One to Three, Eight, and Ten* Structure Part Five, Notes One to Four, Nine* Structure Part Six, Notes One to Four* Structure Part Seven, Ring Latch, Story Axis* Astrological Clock Structure of Troubled Blood* Career of Evil Echoes* Order of the Phoenix Echoes* Cuckoo's Calling Echoes* Philosopher's Stone Echoes2. Literary AlchemyPer Nabokov, literary artistry and accomplishment are known and experienced through a work's “structure and style.” Rowling's signature structures are evident in Troubled Blood (see above) and her characteristic hermetic artistry, literary alchemy, is as well. Strike5 is the series nigredo and Strike and Robin experience great losses and their reduction to their respective and shared prima materia in the dissolving rain and flood waters of the story.* Strike's Transformation* Robin Ellacott and the Reverse Alchemy of the First Three Strike Novels* Lethal White as the Alchemical Pivot of the Strike Series* The Wet Nigredo: Troubled Blood's Black Names, Holiday Three Step, and Losses3. Psychology/MythologyRowling told Val McDermid that if she had not succeeded as a writer than she would have studied to become a psychologist:V: If it hadn't worked out the way it has. If you'd sat there and written the book in the café and nobody ever published it, what would you have done with your life, what would you have liked to have been?JK: There are two answers. If I could have done anything, I would have been really interested in doing, I would have been a psychologist. Because that's the only thing that's ever really pulled me in any way from all this. But at the time I was teaching, and I was very broke, and I had a daughter and I think I would have kept teaching until we were stable enough that we were stable enough that I could change.Because of her lifelong study and pre-occupation with mythology, it is fitting that in Strike5 readers are confronted with a host of references to psychologist Carl Jung and to a specific Greek myth which Jungian psychologists consider essential in understanding feminine psychology. All of which leads in the end to the Strike series' equivalent of the Hogwarts Saga's soul triptych exteriorization in Harry, Hermione and Ron as Body, Mind, and Spirit, with Robin and Strike as Handless Maiden and Fisher King, the mythological images of anima and animus neglected and working towards integration.* Carl Jung and Troubled Blood* A Mythological Key to Cormoran Strike? The Myth of Eros, Psyche, and Venus* The Anima and Animus: The Psychological Heart and Exteriorization of the Cormoran Strike Novels4. Valentine's DayThe story turn of Troubled Blood takes place on Valentine's Day and the actions, events, and repercussions of this holiday of Cupid and Heart-shaped candies, not to mention chocolates, shape the Robin and Strike relationship drama irrevocably. Chocolates play an outsized portion of that work symbolically, believe it or not; the word ‘chocolate' occurs 34 times in the first four Strike novels combined but 82 times in Troubled Blood. I explore the importance of this confection in two posts before beginning to explain the importance and appropriateness of Valentine's Day being the heart of the story, one that is in large part a re-telling of the Cupid and Psyche myth.* Troubled Blood: Interpreting the Poetry of Cormoran's Five Gifts To Robin* Troubled Blood: Poisoned Chocolates* Troubled Blood: The Secret of Rowntree* A Mythological Key to Cormoran Strike? The Myth of Eros, Psyche, and Venus5. Edmund Spenser's Faerie QueenTroubled Blood features several embedded texts, the most important of which is never mentioned in the book: Edmund Spenser's Faerie Queen. Serious Strikers enjoyed the luxury of not one but two scholars of Edmund Spenser who checked in on the relevance and meaning of Rowling's choice of the greatest English epic poem for her epigraphs, not to mention the host of correspondences between Strike 5 and Queen. Elizabeth Baird-Hardy did a part by part exegesis of the Troubled Blood-Faerie Queen conjunctions and Beatrice Groves shared her first thoughts on the connections as well. Just as Lethal White's meaning and artistry is relatively unappreciated without a close reading of Ibsen's Rosmersholm, so with Strike 5 and Faerie Queen.* Spenser's Faerie Queen (Above)6. The GhostsRowling's core belief is in the immortality of the soul and her favorite writer of the 20th Century is Vladimir Nabokov, whose work is subtly permeated by the otherworldly. No surprise, then, that Troubled Blood is haunted by a host of ghosts, most importantly the shade of Margot Bamborough but to include the women murdered by Dennis Creed and Nicolo Ricci. Their influence is so obvious and so important that it has spurred discussion of the spectres that haunt the first four Strike novels whose presence had not been discussed prior to the revelations of Strike 5.* Troubled Blood: The Dead Among Us* The Ghosts Haunting Troubled Blood* The Ghosts Haunting Cuckoo's Calling, Silkworm, Career of Evil, and Lethal White7. The NamesThe Cryptonyms or Cratylic Names of Troubled Blood are as rich and meaningful, even funny, as those found in Lethal White. From Paul Satchwell's “little package” to Roy Phipps as the Spanish King Phillip, from the nigredo black elements of Bill Talbot and Saul Morris to the Spenserian echoes of Oonaugh Kennedy and Janice Beattie, and the Rokeby-Oakden coincidences, Strike5 is full of name play. Did I mention that the detectives solve the mystery largely through their exploration of names? Douthwaite and Oakden only pop-up after Strike has revelations consequent to serious reflection on their names and pseudonyms. Rowling-Galbraith really wants her real-world readers to be reflecting on the Dickensian names of all her characters.* The Cratylic Names of Troubled Blood: A Top Twenty Round Up8. The Flints and GaffesRowling commented in one of her interview tableaus for Troubled Blood that she had worked extra hard to get the dates right in this most complicated of novels and that her proof reader and continuity editor found a big mistake. Serious Strikers, though, were left crying “Alas!” and laughing aloud at the number of bone-headed gaffes in The Presence's longest work to date. It remains her best as well as her longest book to date, but, really, get the woman the help she needs to comb the book for errors pre-publication. Can you say, “Isla”?* Troubled Blood: Flints, Errors, and Head Scratchers* Troubled Blood Gaffes: A Second Look at Ages and Dates9. The AstrologyThe principal embedded text in Troubled Blood, the one Robin and Cormoran read repeatedly, create keys for, and discuss throughout the book, is Bill Talbot's ‘True Book.' It features an astrological chart for the exact time and place of Margot Bamborough's disappearance in 1974, which map Talbot used to try and solve the case. Strike is profoundly disgusted by this approach but spends, as does Robin, much of his time trying to figure out the chart or at least what Talbot made of it. Troubled Blood, consequently, turns into something of an exploration of astrology and its relevance to understanding ourselves and the world. Unpacking what Rowling means by it, not to mention what the natal charts of Robin and Cormoran tell us about these charactes, their relationship, and Rowling-Galbraith's intentionally hermetic artistry, is a large part of the exegetical work to be done on Troubled Blood.* Nick Jeffery: Troubled Blood — The Acknowledgements* Part Three, Note Five* Troubled Blood: Strike's Natal Chart* Astrological Clock Structure of Troubled Blood* Astrological Allegorical: The Sun Signs of Characters in Troubled Blood* A Second Look at Talbot's Chart: What Does it Reveal to the Unbiased Eye?10. The Tarot Card SpreadsWe know that Rowling has significant skills when it comes to astrology. What is less well appreciated is that almost from childhood she has played with tarot card reading which knowledge has informed her work. This is comic in Trelawney, say, but comes to the fore in Troubled Blood‘s card spreads: the Celtic Cross in Talbot's ‘True Book,' his embedded three card spreads in the illustrations of that tome, and Robin's two readings, one in Laemington Spa and the other in her flat at story's end.* Part Three, Note Six* Part Four, Note Five* Part Five, Note Five* Part Six, Notes Five, Six, Eight* Bill Talbot's Tarot: The Embedded Occult Heart of Troubled Blood* Robin Ellacott's Tarot: The Missed Meanings of Her Twin Three Card Spreads in Troubled Blood11. Who Killed Leda Strike?To Rowling-Galbraith's credit, credible arguments in dedicated posts have been made that every person in the list below was the one who murdered Leda Strike. Who do you think did it?* Jonny Rokeby and the Harringay Crime Syndicate (Heroin Dark Lord 2.0),* Ted Nancarrow (Uncle Ted Did It),* Dave Polworth,* Leda Strike (!),* Lucy Fantoni (Lucy and Joan Did It and here),* Sir Randolph Whittaker,* Nick Herbert,* Peter Gillespie, and* Charlotte Campbell-Ross12. Embedded TextsAll of Rowling's novels feature books and texts, written work as well as metanarratives, with which her characters struggle to figure out in reflective parallel to what her readers are trying to do with the novel in hand. Troubled Blood is exceptionally laden with these embedded texts. Beyond Talbot's True Book and Spenser's Faerie Queen noted above, we are treated to selections from The Demon of Paradise Park, Whatever Happened to Margot Bamborough?, Astrology 14, and The Magus.13. The Murderers: Creed and BeattieA demon-possessed psychopath and the brain-damaged lonely woman… Each is described as “a genius of misdirection” and being without remorse or empathy. The actual murderers in Troubled Blood are distinct, certainly, but paired as well, as one of the many mirrored pairs in this story.14. FeminismTroubled Blood, Rowling has said, is a commentary of sorts on changes in the history of feminism. It is an unvarnished, even brutal exploration of the heroic age of the feminist movement, its front and back, largely through the personalities, circumstances, choices, and experiences of two pairs of women, Margot Bamborough and her plucky Irish side-kick Oonaugh Kennedy and the paired through time couple of Irene Bull-Hickson and Janice Beattie.15. Rokeby 3.0Jonny Rokeby makes his first appearance, albeit only by phone call, in Troubled Blood and yet it has reset thinking about Strike and his biological father considerably. Kurt Schreyer thinks the head Deadbeat is more Snape than Voldemort — and, if this is the case, we need to re-read the series to see how much Strike's emotional injuries from childhood neglect have misshaped his understanding of his dad so he lives in upside-down land.* Guest Post: Rokeby Redux – Is Strike's Father More Snape than Lord Voldemort? Get full access to Hogwarts Professor at hogwartsprofessor.substack.com/subscribe

Eight babies have been born in the UK using genetic material from three people to prevent devastating and often fatal conditions. The method, pioneered by UK scientists, combines the egg and sperm from a mum and dad with a second egg from a donor woman. The technique has been legal in the UK for a decade but this is the first proof it is leading to children born free of incurable mitochondrial disease, which is normally passed from mother to child. Anita Rani is joined by Kat Kitto who has two daughters, one of whom has mitochondrial disease, and Louise Hyslop, consultant embryologist at the Newcastle Fertility Centre, to tell us more. Hit ITV crime drama Karen Pirie returns to our screens for a second series this weekend, based on the Val McDermid series of novels about a young Scottish detective. Anita is joined in the studio by showrunner, screenwriter and actor Emer Kenny to talk about bringing a new cold case to life for Karen to solve, juggling series two with a newborn, and how she's managed to combine acting and writing since landing her first big role as Zsa Zsa Carter in EastEnders at the age of 20.A Government review found that porn involving non-fatal strangulation was "rife" and its prevalence online was contributing to choking, filtering into some people's sex lives - particularly among young people. Last month it was announced that choking will be criminalised in an amendment to the Crime and Policing Bill. To discuss, Anita was joined by Professor Clare McGlynn, Professor of Law at Durham University who contributed to the review, and Dr Jane Meyrick, Associate Professor of Health Psychology at the University of the West of England, who specialises in sexual health and sexual violence. This week, throughout our series on women and gaming, we've heard about the influence that games can have in society. We've spoken to women working in the industry, and found out more about the impact gaming can have on women, but we can't shy away from the fact that there are still barriers stopping women from accessing games. Anita is joined by to Marie-Claire Isaaman, CEO of Women in Games, Nick Toole, CEO of Ukie, and Stephanie Ijoma, gamer and founder of NNESAGA, to discuss what still needs to change and how the industry can improve. Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Corinna Jones

Today's Lake and Shed framed conversation is about the fifth Cormoran Strike novel, Troubled Blood. Nick discusses Rowling's history with the divinatory art of astrology and the occult resources and reference works she brought into play in writing a novel whose primary embedded text is a murder scene's astrological chart. John talks about the astrological clock structure of twelve houses in which Galbraith tells this remarkable story.New to the Lake and Shed Kanreki Birthday series? Here's what we're doing:On 31 July 2025, Joanne Murray, aka J. K. Rowling and Robert Galbraith, will be celebrating her 60th birthday. This celebration is considered a ‘second birth' in Japan or Kanreki because it is the completion of the oriental astrological cycle. To mark JKR's Kanreki, Dr John Granger and Nick Jeffery, both Nipponophiles, are reading through Rowling's twenty-one published works and reviewing them in light of the author's writing process, her ‘Lake and Shed' metaphor. The ‘Lake' is the biographical source of her inspiration; the ‘Shed' is the alocal place of her intentional artistry, in which garage she transforms the biographical stuff provided by her subconscious mind into the archetypal stories that have made her the most important author of her age. You can hear Nick and John discuss this process and their birthday project at the first entry in this series of posts: Happy Birthday, JKR! A Lake and Shed Celebration of her Life and Work.Tomorrow? Another look at Troubled Blood, this time with an introduction to Rowling's ties to Clerkenwell from Nick and with John making a case for reading Troubled Blood as a re-telling of Spenser's Faerie Queene, Book One, with Strike and Margot as the Redcrosse Knight and Robin and Oonaugh as Una. Stay tuned!Links to posts mentioned in today's Lake and Shed conversation for further reading:* Nick Jeffery: Troubled Blood — The Astrologers in the Acknowledgements* J. K. Rowling, Author-Astrologer, Pt 1: How Did We Not Know About This?* Troubled Blood: Strike's Natal Chart* Astrological Clock Structure of Troubled BloodThis is a tentative listing by category of the posts at HogwartsProfessor about Troubled Blood. There's much more work to do on this wonderful work!1. Chiastic StructureRowling's fixation on planning in general and with structural patterns specifically in all of her work continues in Troubled Blood. From the first reading, it became apparent that in Strike5 Rowling-Galbraith had taken her game to a new level of sophistication. She continued, as she had in her four previous Strike mysteries, to write a story in parallel with the Harry Potter septology; there are many echoes of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, the fifth and equivalent number in the Hogwarts Saga, in Troubled Blood. Just as Phoenix was in important ways a re-telling of Philosopher's Stone, so Troubled Blood also echoes Cuckoo's Calling — with a few Stone notes thrown in as well. The new heights of Rowling's structural artistry, though, extend beyond her patented intratextuality; they are in each of Strike5's first six parts being ring compositions themselves, the astrological chart embedded in the story chapters, and the six part and two chapters correspondence in structure between Troubled Blood and Spenser's Faerie Queen.* Structure Part One* Structure Part Two, Notes Two to Six* Structure Part Three, Notes One to Three* Structure Part Four, Notes One to Three, Eight, and Ten* Structure Part Five, Notes One to Four, Nine* Structure Part Six, Notes One to Four* Structure Part Seven, Ring Latch, Story Axis* Astrological Clock Structure of Troubled Blood* Career of Evil Echoes* Order of the Phoenix Echoes* Cuckoo's Calling Echoes* Philosopher's Stone Echoes2. Literary AlchemyPer Nabokov, literary artistry and accomplishment are known and experienced through a work's “structure and style.” Rowling's signature structures are evident in Troubled Blood (see above) and her characteristic hermetic artistry, literary alchemy, is as well. Strike5 is the series nigredo and Strike and Robin experience great losses and their reduction to their respective and shared prima materia in the dissolving rain and flood waters of the story.* Strike's Transformation* Robin Ellacott and the Reverse Alchemy of the First Three Strike Novels* Lethal White as the Alchemical Pivot of the Strike Series* The Wet Nigredo: Troubled Blood's Black Names, Holiday Three Step, and Losses3. Psychology/MythologyRowling told Val McDermid that if she had not succeeded as a writer than she would have studied to become a psychologist:V: If it hadn't worked out the way it has. If you'd sat there and written the book in the café and nobody ever published it, what would you have done with your life, what would you have liked to have been?JK: There are two answers. If I could have done anything, I would have been really interested in doing, I would have been a psychologist. Because that's the only thing that's ever really pulled me in any way from all this. But at the time I was teaching, and I was very broke, and I had a daughter and I think I would have kept teaching until we were stable enough that we were stable enough that I could change.Because of her lifelong study and pre-occupation with mythology, it is fitting that in Strike5 readers are confronted with a host of references to psychologist Carl Jung and to a specific Greek myth which Jungian psychologists consider essential in understanding feminine psychology. All of which leads in the end to the Strike series' equivalent of the Hogwarts Saga's soul triptych exteriorization in Harry, Hermione and Ron as Body, Mind, and Spirit, with Robin and Strike as Handless Maiden and Fisher King, the mythological images of anima and animus neglected and working towards integration.* Carl Jung and Troubled Blood* A Mythological Key to Cormoran Strike? The Myth of Eros, Psyche, and Venus* The Anima and Animus: The Psychological Heart and Exteriorization of the Cormoran Strike Novels4. Valentine's DayThe story turn of Troubled Blood takes place on Valentine's Day and the actions, events, and repercussions of this holiday of Cupid and Heart-shaped candies, not to mention chocolates, shape the Robin and Strike relationship drama irrevocably. Chocolates play an outsized portion of that work symbolically, believe it or not; the word ‘chocolate' occurs 34 times in the first four Strike novels combined but 82 times in Troubled Blood. I explore the importance of this confection in two posts before beginning to explain the importance and appropriateness of Valentine's Day being the heart of the story, one that is in large part a re-telling of the Cupid and Psyche myth.* Troubled Blood: Interpreting the Poetry of Cormoran's Five Gifts To Robin* Troubled Blood: Poisoned Chocolates* Troubled Blood: The Secret of Rowntree* A Mythological Key to Cormoran Strike? The Myth of Eros, Psyche, and Venus5. Edmund Spenser's Faerie QueenTroubled Blood features several embedded texts, the most important of which is never mentioned in the book: Edmund Spenser's Faerie Queen. Serious Strikers enjoyed the luxury of not one but two scholars of Edmund Spenser who checked in on the relevance and meaning of Rowling's choice of the greatest English epic poem for her epigraphs, not to mention the host of correspondences between Strike 5 and Queen. Elizabeth Baird-Hardy did a part by part exegesis of the Troubled Blood-Faerie Queen conjunctions and Beatrice Groves shared her first thoughts on the connections as well. Just as Lethal White's meaning and artistry is relatively unappreciated without a close reading of Ibsen's Rosmersholm, so with Strike 5 and Faerie Queen.Elizabeth Baird-Hardy* Day One, Part One: The Spenserian Epigraphs of the Pre-Released Troubled Blood Chapters* Day Two, Part Two: The Spenserian Epigraphs of Troubled Blood Chapters Eight to Fourteen* Day Three, Part Three: The Spenserian Epigraphs of Troubled Blood Chapters Fifteen to Thirty* Day Four, Part Four: The Spenserian Epigraphs of Troubled Blood Chapters Thirty One to Forty Eight* Day Five, Part Five: The Spenserian Epigraphs of Troubled Blood Chapters Forty Nine to Fifty Nine* Part Six: The Spenserian Epigraphs of Troubled Blood Chapters Sixty to Seventy One* Spenser and Strike Part Seven: Changes for the BetterBeatrice Groves* Trouble in Faerie Land (Part 1): Spenserian Clues in Troubled Blood Epigraphs* Trouble in Faerie Land (Part 2): Shipping Robin and Strike in the Epigraphs of Troubled Blood* Trouble in Faerie Land (Part 3): Searching for Duessa in Troubled BloodJohn Granger:* How Spenser Uses Cupid in Faerie Queen and Its Relevance for Understanding Troubled Blood* Reading Troubled Blood as a Medieval Morality Play6. The GhostsRowling's core belief is in the immortality of the soul and her favorite writer of the 20th Century is Vladimir Nabokov, whose work is subtly permeated by the otherworldly. No surprise, then, that Troubled Blood is haunted by a host of ghosts, most importantly the shade of Margot Bamborough but to include the women murdered by Dennis Creed and Nicolo Ricci. Their influence is so obvious and so important that it has spurred discussion of the spectres that haunt the first four Strike novels whose presence had not been discussed prior to the revelations of Strike 5.* Troubled Blood: The Dead Among Us* The Ghosts Haunting Troubled Blood* The Ghosts Haunting Cuckoo's Calling, Silkworm, Career of Evil, and Lethal White7. The NamesThe Cryptonyms or Cratylic Names of Troubled Blood are as rich and meaningful, even funny, as those found in Lethal White. From Paul Satchwell's “little package” to Roy Phipps as the Spanish King Phillip, from the nigredo black elements of Bill Talbot and Saul Morris to the Spenserian echoes of Oonaugh Kennedy and Janice Beattie, and the Rokeby-Oakden coincidences, Strike5 is full of name play. Did I mention that the detectives solve the mystery largely through their exploration of names? Douthwaite and Oakden only pop-up after Strike has revelations consequent to serious reflection on their names and pseudonyms. Rowling-Galbraith really wants her real-world readers to be reflecting on the Dickensian names of all her characters.* The Cratylic Names of Troubled Blood: A Top Twenty Round Up8. The Flints and GaffesRowling commented in one of her interview tableaus for Troubled Blood that she had worked extra hard to get the dates right in this most complicated of novels and that her proof reader and continuity editor found a big mistake. Serious Strikers, though, were left crying “Alas!” and laughing aloud at the number of bone-headed gaffes in The Presence's longest work to date. It remains her best as well as her longest book to date, but, really, get the woman the help she needs to comb the book for errors pre-publication. Can you say, “Isla”?* Troubled Blood: Flints, Errors, and Head Scratchers* Troubled Blood Gaffes: A Second Look at Ages and Dates9. The AstrologyThe principal embedded text in Troubled Blood, the one Robin and Cormoran read repeatedly, create keys for, and discuss throughout the book, is Bill Talbot's ‘True Book.' It features an astrological chart for the exact time and place of Margot Bamborough's disappearance in 1974, which map Talbot used to try and solve the case. Strike is profoundly disgusted by this approach but spends, as does Robin, much of his time trying to figure out the chart or at least what Talbot made of it. Troubled Blood, consequently, turns into something of an exploration of astrology and its relevance to understanding ourselves and the world. Unpacking what Rowling means by it, not to mention what the natal charts of Robin and Cormoran tell us about these charactes, their relationship, and Rowling-Galbraith's intentionally hermetic artistry, is a large part of the exegetical work to be done on Troubled Blood.* Nick Jeffery: Troubled Blood — The Acknowledgements* Part Three, Note Five* Troubled Blood: Strike's Natal Chart* Astrological Clock Structure of Troubled Blood* Astrological Allegorical: The Sun Signs of Characters in Troubled Blood* A Second Look at Talbot's Chart: What Does it Reveal to the Unbiased Eye?10. The Tarot Card SpreadsWe know that Rowling has significant skills when it comes to astrology. What is less well appreciated is that almost from childhood she has played with tarot card reading which knowledge has informed her work. This is comic in Trelawney, say, but comes to the fore in Troubled Blood‘s card spreads: the Celtic Cross in Talbot's ‘True Book,' his embedded three card spreads in the illustrations of that tome, and Robin's two readings, one in Laemington Spa and the other in her flat at story's end.* Part Three, Note Six* Part Four, Note Five* Part Five, Note Five* Part Six, Notes Five, Six, Eight* Bill Talbot's Tarot: The Embedded Occult Heart of Troubled Blood* Robin Ellacott's Tarot: The Missed Meanings of Her Twin Three Card Spreads in Troubled Blood11. Who Killed Leda Strike?To Rowling-Galbraith's credit, credible arguments in dedicated posts have been made that every person in the list below was the one who murdered Leda Strike. Who do you think did it?* Jonny Rokeby and the Harringay Crime Syndicate (Heroin Dark Lord 2.0),* Ted Nancarrow (Uncle Ted Did It),* Dave Polworth,* Leda Strike (!),* Lucy Fantoni (Lucy and Joan Did It and here),* Sir Randolph Whittaker,* Nick Herbert,* Peter Gillespie, and* Charlotte Campbell-Ross12. Embedded TextsAll of Rowling's novels feature books and texts, written work as well as metanarratives, with which her characters struggle to figure out in reflective parallel to what her readers are trying to do with the novel in hand. Troubled Blood is exceptionally laden with these embedded texts. Beyond Talbot's True Book and Spenser's Faerie Queen noted above, we are treated to selections from The Demon of Paradise Park, Whatever Happened to Margot Bamborough?, Astrology 14, and The Magus.13. The Murderers: Creed and BeattieA demon-possessed psychopath and the brain-damaged lonely woman… Each is described as “a genius of misdirection” and being without remorse or empathy. The actual murderers in Troubled Blood are distinct, certainly, but paired as well, as one of the many mirrored pairs in this story.14. FeminismTroubled Blood, Rowling has said, is a commentary of sorts on changes in the history of feminism. It is an unvarnished, even brutal exploration of the heroic age of the feminist movement, its front and back, largely through the personalities, circumstances, choices, and experiences of two pairs of women, Margot Bamborough and her plucky Irish side-kick Oonaugh Kennedy and the paired through time couple of Irene Bull-Hickson and Janice Beattie.15. Rokeby 3.0Jonny Rokeby makes his first appearance, albeit only by phone call, in Troubled Blood and yet it has reset thinking about Strike and his biological father considerably. Kurt Schreyer thinks the head Deadbeat is more Snape than Voldemort — and, if this is the case, we need to re-read the series to see how much Strike's emotional injuries from childhood neglect have misshaped his understanding of his dad so he lives in upside-down land.* Guest Post: Rokeby Redux – Is Strike's Father More Snape than Lord Voldemort? Get full access to Hogwarts Professor at hogwartsprofessor.substack.com/subscribe

The Detection Club, established in 1930, is the world's first social network for crime writers. It's founder fathers and mothers included Agatha Christie, Dorothy L Sayers and Anthony Berkeley.Its current membership includes Ian Rankin, Val McDermid and Richard Osman.The current (and only the eighth) President, Martin Edwards, has released an updated edition of his book ‘The Golden Age of Murder' in which he talks about the true cases which inspired the literary greats of the Inter-War years.And he describes how many of our classic crime novels riff around the subject of a ‘justified murder.'To WATCH this interview, click here: https://open.substack.com/pub/robertmurphy/p/video-interview-martin-edwards-president?r=1lsdh7&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=trueMore about Martin Edwards : https://martinedwardsbooks.com/ and https://substack.com/@martinedwardsbooks/This podcast mentions an earlier episode about the Thompson-Bywaters with laura thompson case. You can hear that here: This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit robertmurphy.substack.com

David Shelley is Chief Executive Officer of the Hachette Book Group, which is home to seven publishing divisions – Basic Books Group; Grand Central Publishing; Hachette Audio; Little, Brown and Company; Little, Brown Books for Young Readers; Orbit; and Workman Running Press Group. He also serves as CEO of Hachette UK, the second largest UK publisher, with 12 autonomous divisions and over 50 imprints.  During his tenure, he published bestselling authors including Mitch Albom, Mark Billingham, Patricia Cornwell, Carl Hiaasen, Dennis Lehane, Val McDermid, and J.K Rowling. In 2015, he was named CEO of Orion and Little, Brown, and later appointed Group CEO of Hachette UK in 2018. In 2024, Lagardère tapped David to also oversee Hachette Book Group in the US as part of a new English-language management structure. He has since transformed the New York-based company, ushering in new imprints, high-profile hires, and boosting revenue and profit – HBG sales were up 7% over 2023—the biggest jump posted by any of the groups in Lagardère's publishing business.  David's leadership is defined by the company's four strategic business pillars: Understanding Consumers, Changing the Story, Owner Mentality and Growth Mindset. He fosters open communication with the 3,500 employees he leads across both sides of the Atlantic, cultivating a sense of community while aligning all business teams. David is an Officer and past President of the Publishers Association, a trustee of The Reading Agency, and a director of Tate Enterprises.

Prijswinnend thrillerdebuut voor de lezers van Val McDermid en Helen Fields. Lovende ?????-recensies op Goodreads voor deel 1 van deze originele nieuwe thrillerserie. Uitgegeven door Ambo|Anthos Spreker: Miryanna van Reeden

Award-winning poet, long and short fiction author, performer and vocalist with the March Violets, Rosie Garland talks to Dr Rachel Knightley about curiosity, creative confidence – and taking on the world eyebrows first! She is the author of The Palace of Curiosities (which won the Mslexia Novel Competition and was longlisted for the Desmond Elliott Prize), Vixen and The Night Brother, which was described by The Times as “a delight…with shades of Angela Carter.” Her new novel, The Fates (Quercus) is a retelling of the Greek myth of the Fates. Her latest poetry collection, What Girls do in the Dark (Nine Arches Press), was shortlisted for the 2021 Polari Prize. Val McDermid has named her one of the most compelling LGBT+ writers in the UK today. In 2018-2019 she was inaugural Writer-in-Residence at The John Rylands Library, Manchester, and in 2023 was made a Fellow of The Royal Society of Literature.     For a writing workout based on Rosie's interview with Rachel, scroll down or visit WritersGym.com to download every Writing Workout in the series.   Find out more about Rosie at http://www.rosiegarland.com   Join our mailing list at drrachelknightley.substack.com or get in touch at thewritersgym@rachelknightley.com     Writing Workout based on Rosie's interview   Warm-up: Rachel's ‘Excuses Bingo' Grid   Make a massive noughts and crosses board on your page. Each square just needs to be to be big enough to write a sentence in. Throw all of the phrases that come up: ‘What if it's too boring?' ‘What if it's too weird?' ‘I'm not that kind of writer.” ‘X is better than me.' Whatever your brain might throw at you.   Go through them all, and use ‘What if' to find the positive opposite (spoiler alert: it's going to be true!). For example, ‘What if it's too weird?' might have as its positive opposite ‘What if this is the book that saved somebody's life?'   Exercise 1: The Craft of Gentleness   “I strive to do is show myself the gentleness that I show to other writers. I mean one thing I absolutely love and which feeds and nourishes me is being a mentor for other writers. I come to mentoring with an attitude of acceptance and warm encouragement and cheerleading and something I try to do for myself. It's sometimes a struggle because of that classic one of like the hardest, the person who's hardest in the world is you on yourself.” Rosie Garland   Listening Choose to listen to when the voices of self-criticism come:   If there is a fear, what would it be? If the thing it's criticising represents a step forward, what if that voice needs your reassurance instead of obeying it?   Choosing   Now you know it isn't a fact, put the what the voice on your Excuses Bingo grid. Note the time reference (you might just find it flies past the window the same time tomorrow!).   Exercise 2: The Art of Randomness   “Go and pick up three random books, four if you're feeling particularly adventurous. They could be recipe books, How to Fix Your Chainsaw or the novels of Jane Austen. Take the three books, open them up at a random page. Pick a random line: close your eyes, stick a finger in and basically with all three books pick out about between three and five random phrases, write them down and then use them as springboards for writing anything and try to get all five in.” Rosie Garland     Cool-down Exercise: Be Surprised “The thing about giving yourself permission to, you know, throw it all away when you've done it. was literally just, was exercising the writing muscles. Again, one of the reasons I do writing in the morning, apart from the fact I'm a morning person and I know not everyone else is, is it is like going to the gym. A… writer's gym? I see what I did there. Who would have thought?” Rosie Garland   If there was one new creative habit you could bring into this week, what would it be?

Des Clarke hosts Scotland's award-winning satirical news quiz.

This week on The News Quiz, Andy Zaltzman is joined by Andrew Maxwell, Val McDermid, Jay Lafferty and Stuart Mitchell to unpack the week's new stories. Recorded from the Gardyne Theatre in Dundee, the panel look into Donald Trump's first week of his second term, Prince Harry's legal victories, Scottish Health Minister Neil Gray's sporting excursions, and the honour of the Glaswegian accent.Written by Andy Zaltzman.With additional material by: Rebecca Bain, Cody Dahler, Alexandra Haddow and Peter Tellouche. Producer: Rajiv Karia Executive Producer: Richard Morris Production Coordinator: Jodie Charman Sound Manager: Sean Kerwin Sound Editor: Marc WillcoxA BBC Studios Audio Production for Radio 4 An Eco-Audio certified Production.

Reading the mysteries of the past 100 years. Books mentioned in this episode: — 1925: The Paddington Mystery by John Rhode — 1935: Gaudy Night by Dorothy L Sayers — 1945: Coroner's Pidgin by Margery Allingham (also published as: Pearls Before Swine) — 1955: Tour de Force by Christianna Brand — 1965: At Bertram's Hotel by Agatha Christie — 1975: Crocodile on the Sandbank by Elizabeth Peters — 1985: B is for Burglar by Sue Grafton — 1995: The Mermaids Singing by Val McDermid — 2005: Still Life by Louise Penny — 2015: The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins — 4.50 from Paddington by Agatha Christie Related Shedunnit episodes: — Whodunnit Centenary: 1924 — The Shedunnit Centenary — A Century of Whodunnits — A Second Century of Whodunnits Support the podcast by joining the Shedunnit Book Club and get extra Shedunnit episodes every month plus access to the monthly reading discussions and community: shedunnitbookclub.com/join. NB: Links to Blackwell's are affiliate links, meaning that the podcast receives a small commission when you purchase a book there (the price remains the same for you). Blackwell's is a UK bookselling chain that ships internationally at no extra charge. To be the first to know about future developments with the podcast, sign up for the newsletter at shedunnitshow.com/newsletter. The podcast is on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram as @ShedunnitShow, and you can find it in all major podcast apps. Make sure you're subscribed so you don't miss the next episode. Click here to do that now in your app of choice. Find a full transcript of this episode at shedunnitshow.com/whodunnitcentenary1925transcript. Music by Audioblocks and Blue Dot Sessions. See shedunnitshow.com/musiccredits for more details. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Lady Macbeth is best known to us as Shakespeare's scheming, sleepwalking villain. But, as with most of his so-called history plays, Shakespeare's version of the Macbeths is largely fictional.  Dr. Eleanor Janega talks to the best-selling crime writer - and Gone Medieval fan - Val McDermid who has dragged the truth about the real Queen Macbeth out of the shadows to reveal a woman caught up in the patriarchal prejudices and vicious political intrigues of her time.  Gone Medieval is presented by Dr. Eleanor Janega. The audio editor and producer is Rob Weinberg. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.All music courtesy of Epidemic Sounds.Gone Medieval is a History Hit podcast.Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe. You can take part in our listener survey here: https://uk.surveymonkey.com/r/6FFT7MK

Des Clarke hosts Scotland's award-winning satirical news quiz.

Join us for the fourth Karen Pirie in an Edinburgh investigation with plenty of DNA. It's Out of Bounds by Val McDermid. NB! This episode has all kinds of fun swearing. No spoilers- we do not reveal whodunnit. However, there is a reveal about The Skeleton Road (previous Karen Pirie). Mystery Business is live from Richmond Theatre as we watch Murder on the Orient Express. For TV Tattle, we give our verdict on Episode 1 of BBC's Rebus. We also discuss flock wallpaper, horny Poirot and Mrs Sausages. Next book for 2nd December: The Rambutan Tree Mystery by Ovidia Yu TV Tattle: Serangoon Road In the mood for more mystery? Check out our other episodes on Val McDermid Follow us on Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠@missingsalmoncase⁠⁠⁠ Share with a friend: ⁠⁠⁠The Unsolved Case of the Missing Salmon⁠⁠⁠ Send us a message: ⁠⁠⁠missingsalmoncase@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠ This podcast is created, produced and edited by Maddy Berry and Hannah Knight. Our music is sourced from Melody Loops and composed by Geoff Harvey.

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..! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Titan of Tartan Noir, crime writer Val McDermid, who grew up playing in the ruins of Macduff's castle, shines a new light on Lady Macbeth in her new book, and tells us show she became addicted to video games.Nicola Nuttall has written a beautiful memoir about helping her daughter Laura make the most of her final days living with brain cancer…Laura had an extraordinary bucket list to complete in the last 12 months of her life; from going on Safari and flying a helicopter to meeting Michelle Obama and Malala Yousafzai.In the run up to her first world title fight, Olympic gold-medal-winning boxer Lauren Price reveals the powerful story behind her nickname ‘the lucky one'. All that, plus we have the Inheritance Tracks of former Made in Chelsea star turned entrepreneur, presenter, podcaster and so much more - Jamie Laing. Presenters: Nikki Bedi and Huw Stephens Producer: Ben Mitchell

Episode 139 April 25, 2024 On the Needles  ALL KNITTING LINKS GO TO RAVELRY UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED.  Please visit our Instagram page @craftcookreadrepeat for non-Rav photos and info     Avenue Yarns raffle winner! Juniper Moon Farm cumulus Dappled    Gnome News is Good News by Sarah Schria, Woolens and Nosh Targee Sock in Tulip   Sockhead slouch by kelly mcclure, super glo super sock in hulu hulu   Knitted Knockers in Cascade Ultra Pima in rose dust and sandstone   Weather or Knot Scarf by Scott Rohr, HolstGarn Coast in Butterfly, Black, Charcoal, Silver Grey, Wisteria, Freesia, Passion Flower   Sun Salutation by Celia McAdams, Neighborhood Fiber Co Studio DK in 1600 Pennsylvania Ave   ADVENTuresome Wrap by Ambah O'Brien, Canon Hand Dyes Victorian Gothic Advent set   Cortney's yarn find: Round Mountain Fibers, colorways inspired by nature Also: more pocket drama      On the Easel 14:07 Secret 100 Day project “Open to Suggestion” some pieces can be found here. PleinAirpril next year, for sure. On the Table 17:04 Julia Turshen sticky chicken using hot honey   https://alislagle.substack.com/p/hetty-lui-mckinnons-40-forever-ingredients Any-curry, any-lentil stew Gochujang ragu   Cheesy Lentil Bake On the Nightstand 24:14 We are now a Bookshop.org affiliate!  You can visit our shop to find books we've talked about or click on the links below.  The books are supplied by local independent bookstores and a percentage goes to us at no cost to you!   The Phoenix Crown by Kate Quinn and Janie Chang Excavations by Kate Myers  Past Lying by Val McDermid (audio) The Woman on the Ledge by Ruth Mancini (audio) The Hunter by Tana French Wandering Stars by Tommy Orange    Kilt Trip by Alexandra Kiley The Silent Sister by Diane Chamberlain One Woman Show by Christine Coulson

Val McDermid – Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel Of The Year Award 2024 Longlist Interview by Harrogate International Festival

‘I had thought I was going to be like Harper Lee. I was going to write one book, it was going to be a massive global success, and then I would go into hiding.'  Hear from award-winning Irish author Liz Nugent, whose novel Strange Sally Diamond may have turned Ashley into a total fangirl.  Liz discusses her journey from a childhood accident leading to dystonia, to finding success and self-confidence through writing, and to her recent brain surgery. Liz also dives into her latest novel, sharing insights into the creation of its unique protagonist and her writing process.  Plus, Liz makes a call on the greatest crime novel of the past ten years! Before becoming a full-time writer, Liz Nugent worked in film, theatre and television. Her five novels – Unravelling Oliver, Lying in Wait, Skin Deep, Our Little Cruelties and Strange Sally Diamond – have each been number one bestsellers. She has won four Irish Book Awards, as well as the James Joyce Medal for Literature. She lives in Dublin. Books and authors discussed in this episode The Lost Man by Jane Harper; Val McDermid; Ian Rankin; Graham Norton; Dervla McTiernan; To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee; Lisa Jewell;  The Prophet Song by Paul Lynch; In the Woods by Tana French; The Hunter by Tana French; The Search by Tana French; Tender is the Flesh by Agustina Bazterrica; Time Shelter by Georgi Gospodinov; Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro; A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara Get your copy of Strange Sally Diamond from Booktopia or your local bookshop. Upcoming events  Ashley is teaching Crafting Narrative Drive as part of the Newcastle Writers Festival on Friday 5 April, 10am-4pm  See Ashley in conversation with Mirandi Riwoe at Newcastle Writers Festival, Saturday 6 April Ashley is teaching Writing Crime Fiction, a six-week online course with Faber starting 15 May 2024  Ashley is teaching Pathways to Publication for Writing NSW on Saturday 15 June, 10am-4pm Learn more about Ashley's psychological thriller Dark Mode and get your copy here or from your local bookshop.  Learn more about James' award-winning novel Denizen and get your copy here or from your local bookshop. Get in touch! ashleykalagianblunt.com jamesmckenziewatson.com Instagram: @akalagianblunt + @jamesmcwatson

Val McDermid tells Gyles her remarkable story. An only child from Kirkcaldy in Fife, the daughter of a welder and a shop assistant, Val became obsessed with books after being read to by her mother as a young child and, when the family moved opposite the town's Central Library, she read every book on the shelves. It was her favourite books - The Chalet School series - that inspired her to become a writer and to apply to Oxford University, despite the fact that she'd only ever been to England once, on a family holiday to Blackpool. Val also tells Gyles about the 3 months she spent in an isolation hospital when she was first born, forever effecting her relationship with her mum; about discovering her sexuality at university; and about her first career as a journalist. Val is now one of the best-selling crime writers in the world, and her latest book 'Past Lying', the latest in the Karen Pirie series, is out now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Val McDermid tells Gyles her remarkable story. An only child from Kirkcaldy in Fife, the daughter of a welder and a shop assistant, Val became obsessed with books after being read to by her mother as a young child and, when the family moved opposite the town's Central Library, she read every book on the shelves. It was her favourite books - The Chalet School series - that inspired her to become a writer and to apply to Oxford University, despite the fact that she'd only ever been to England once, on a family holiday to Blackpool. Val also tells Gyles about the 3 months she spent in an isolation hospital when she was first born, forever effecting her relationship with her mum; about discovering her sexuality at university; and about her first career as a journalist. Val is now one of the best-selling crime writers in the world, and her latest book 'Past Lying', the latest in the Karen Pirie series, is out now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

My guest today is a Scottish crime writer. Born into a working-class family in Fife, she studied English at St Hilda's College Oxford, where she was the first student to be admitted from a Scottish state school. She first worked as a journalist, then a dramatist and, in 1987, published her first novel, Report for Murder. Since then, my guest has released dozens of books, many of which have been adapted for television. She has sold more than 19 million books, and won numerous awards too, including the L.A. Times Book of the Year, and the Diamond Dagger, awarded by the Crime Writers' Association for her lifetime contribution to crime writing in the English language. She has also performed at Glastonbury, in a band composed of authors called ‘The Fun Lovin' Crime Writers'. Welcome Val McDermid. Be attitude for gains. https://plus.acast.com/s/my-perfect-console. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On Breaking the News this week Des and the teams take a look at the Spring Budget, Super Tuesday in the US, money to move to a Scottish island, a proposed Scottish spy agency, George Galloway's by-election win and a film about the 1971 Women's World Cup.

Regular listeners have probably noticed that I'm trying a few different things with this series. I wanted to hear more women's voices, with more varied experiences and today's guest is one of those! I first met Karyn McCluskey 12 years ago when I was editor of Red magazine and we gave her a woman of the year award for her role in reducing gang violence by 50% in Glasgow, formerly known as the murder capital of Europe. In large part, thanks to Karyn, Glasgow became one of the safest cities in the UK. Karyn has been advocating for a more enlightened and empathetic approach to violent crime for most of her career. She became a nurse at 17 before training as forensic psychologist, and then joined the police where she has worked - extremely successfully - to bring a public health approach to violence reduction. All this while being a single parent. I met Karyn at her office, off a busy road on the outskirts of Edinburgh, as you'll hear!, where she is now Chief Executive of Community Justice Scotland to talk about constantly being the only woman in the room, breastfeeding in the police car park, and how she's avoided vicarious trauma. We also discussed why she was “slightly terrified of the menopause” (no not Glasgow knife gangs, menopause…), why parenting is just an exercise guilt, high heels, HRT and why her mantra is “feel bad move on”CW there is discussion of violence, sexual abuse and domestic violence• If you enjoyed this episode, you might also like my chats with Nicola Sturgeon and Val McDermid.* You can buy all the books mentioned in this podcast at The Shift bookshop on Bookshop.org, including Annie's new book, The Mess We're In and the book that inspired this podcast, The Shift: how I lost and found myself after 40 - and you can too, by me.* If you enjoyed this episode and you fancy buying me a coffee, pop over to my page on buymeacoffee.com• And if you'd like to support the work that goes into making this podcast and get a weekly newsletter plus loads more content including exclusive transcripts of the podcast, why not join The Shift community, come and have a look around at www.theshiftwithsambaker.substack.com• The Shift (on life after 40) with Sam Baker is created and hosted by Sam Baker and edited by Juliette Nicholls @ Pineapple Audio Production. If you enjoyed this podcast, please rate/review/follow as it really does help other people find us. And let me know what you think on twitter @sambaker or instagram @theothersambaker. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Excellent drama - Our Scottish Author at her best.

Recorded on Saturday, December 23, 2023 Book Talk starts at 28:11   Our annual Fall Sweater KAL has started!  Knit or crochet a sweater for yourself or another adult.     Here are the rules: Dates - 9/1/2023 - 1/15/24. That's 4 months…plenty of time to knit or crochet an adult-size sweater…or two! We have bundles for inspiration! Beginner sweaters are here. Adventurous Beginners to Advanced sweaters are here Crocheters! Your sweaters are here ANYONE can add sweaters to the bundles! There will be prizes - just post a picture of your lovely finished sweater in our FOs thread. Do you have some sweaters in progress? WIPs count as long as the sweater is less than 50% done on September 1st. Less than 50% done is your call. We don't have to “approve” your project. It must be an adult-sized sweater, and it must have sleeves. Short sleeves are fine. You must be a member of our Ravelry group to win a prize. Virtual Knitting Group via Zoom EVENTS Tracie and Barb will be at: New Year Fiber Retreat - January 4-7 at the St. Francis Retreat Center in San Juan Bautista, CA KNITTING   Barb Finished: Vanilla Socks for Will, using Paton's Kroy Socks in the Route 66 colorway South Shore Cardigan by Kay Hopkins, using Madelinetosh Tosh DK in the Tart colorway Bankhead Hat #24   Tracie finished: Bankhead Hat #6 by Susie Gourlay in Universal Yarns Uptown Worsted in grey Simply Garter Stitch Hat by Caron Design Team (free) in Alexandra: The Art of Yarn Pendleton DK Cumulus Blouse by Petite Knit in Countrywide Yarns Windsor 8-ply Frog and Toad by Christina Ingrid McGowan     Barb working on: Donner by Elizabeth Doherty. Using Knit Picks Lindy Chain in the Sage Brush colorway Colourwheel DK 1 Ball Scarf by Sirdar, using a Sirdar Colourwheel in the Follow the Rainbow Colorway   Barb has cast on: Bankhead Hat #25 by Susie Gourley, using Berroco Vintage in the Forest colorway   Cast on: Jen by Josée Paquin in Marianated Yarns Scrumptious HT in Sea of Glass and Indigo Bunting, Laneras Barefoot in Coral and Invictus Yarns Unconquerable Sole BFL in the Powerful colorway   Working On: Socks to match my Archer in Dizzy Blonde Studios Dizzy Color in Delete and Lisa Souza Dyeworks Deluxe Sock! in Cornflower   BOOKS   Barb is currently reading 4 books, but didn't finish any since our last episode.  Instead, she recommends:   Believable: The Coco Berthmann Story (podcast) Already Gone (podcast) Betrayal: The Perfect Husband on Hulu Love has Won: Cult of the Mother God on Max   Tracie Read: Prom Mom by Laura Lipman - 4.5 stars Carrie Fisher: A Life on the Edge by Sheila Weller - 5 stars The Best Awful by Carrie Fisher - 4 stars Out of Bounds by Val McDermid - 4 stars Deadly Mistress: A True Story of Marriage, Betrayal and Murder by Michael Freeman - 4 stars My Word Against His by Lauren North - 4.5 stars

Recorded live at the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival 2023. A living legend, a national treasure, and quite simply, one of the greatest writers the crime fiction genre has ever known. Val McDermid is the author of 38 outstanding novels, a body of work unrivalled in the modern age. She is the creator of several unforgettable protagonists including Lindsay Gordon, Tony Hill and Carol Jordan, Kate Brannigan, and most recently, Allie Burns. Several have leapt from page to screen, including the brilliant Karen Pirie who was brought to life in a major ITV series last autumn. Val's most recent novel, the spellbinding 1989, is the second in an ambitious series of five books chronicling both the career of Allie Burns and the ever-changing world in which she fights to survive and uncover the truth. Val McDermid is interviewed by Mark Billingham. Podcast music by Joseph McDade.

In Past Lying, the seventh novel in Val McDermid’s series featuring Karen Pirie, the action—or restriction thereof—is in and about Edinburgh during lockdown in Spring 2020, as Karen and her team investigate whether or not a partial manuscript found in the papers of a recently deceased crime fiction writer is a roadmap to the the... Read more »

This week, host June Thomas talks to Val McDermid, a prolific crime novelist whose books have sold millions of copies worldwide. Val has even been dubbed the “Quine of Crime,” a Scottish alternative to the title “Queen of Crime,” which the Agatha Christie estate objected to. In the interview, Val explains where her ideas come from and how she decides which of her on-going series to pick up next. She also talks about incorporating Scottish slang into her books, including her latest one, Past Lying: A Karen Pirie Novel.  After the interview, June and co-host TK Dutes talk about the problem of having too many creative ideas.  In the exclusive Slate Plus segment, Val discusses some of her side gigs. Then she talks about the practice of incorporating real-life events into her novels.  Send your questions about creativity and any other feedback to working@slate.com or give us a call at (304) 933-9675. Podcast production by Cameron Drews. If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and exclusive content on many shows—you'll also be supporting the work we do here on Working. Sign up now at slate.com/workingplus to help support our work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, host June Thomas talks to Val McDermid, a prolific crime novelist whose books have sold millions of copies worldwide. Val has even been dubbed the “Quine of Crime,” a Scottish alternative to the title “Queen of Crime,” which the Agatha Christie estate objected to. In the interview, Val explains where her ideas come from and how she decides which of her on-going series to pick up next. She also talks about incorporating Scottish slang into her books, including her latest one, Past Lying: A Karen Pirie Novel.  After the interview, June and co-host TK Dutes talk about the problem of having too many creative ideas.  In the exclusive Slate Plus segment, Val discusses some of her side gigs. Then she talks about the practice of incorporating real-life events into her novels.  Send your questions about creativity and any other feedback to working@slate.com or give us a call at (304) 933-9675. Podcast production by Cameron Drews. If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and exclusive content on many shows—you'll also be supporting the work we do here on Working. Sign up now at slate.com/workingplus to help support our work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, host June Thomas talks to Val McDermid, a prolific crime novelist whose books have sold millions of copies worldwide. Val has even been dubbed the “Quine of Crime,” a Scottish alternative to the title “Queen of Crime,” which the Agatha Christie estate objected to. In the interview, Val explains where her ideas come from and how she decides which of her on-going series to pick up next. She also talks about incorporating Scottish slang into her books, including her latest one, Past Lying: A Karen Pirie Novel.  After the interview, June and co-host TK Dutes talk about the problem of having too many creative ideas.  In the exclusive Slate Plus segment, Val discusses some of her side gigs. Then she talks about the practice of incorporating real-life events into her novels.  Send your questions about creativity and any other feedback to working@slate.com or give us a call at (304) 933-9675. Podcast production by Cameron Drews. If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and exclusive content on many shows—you'll also be supporting the work we do here on Working. Sign up now at slate.com/workingplus to help support our work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, host June Thomas talks to Val McDermid, a prolific crime novelist whose books have sold millions of copies worldwide. Val has even been dubbed the “Quine of Crime,” a Scottish alternative to the title “Queen of Crime,” which the Agatha Christie estate objected to. In the interview, Val explains where her ideas come from and how she decides which of her on-going series to pick up next. She also talks about incorporating Scottish slang into her books, including her latest one, Past Lying: A Karen Pirie Novel.  After the interview, June and co-host TK Dutes talk about the problem of having too many creative ideas.  In the exclusive Slate Plus segment, Val discusses some of her side gigs. Then she talks about the practice of incorporating real-life events into her novels.  Send your questions about creativity and any other feedback to working@slate.com or give us a call at (304) 933-9675. Podcast production by Cameron Drews. If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and exclusive content on many shows—you'll also be supporting the work we do here on Working. Sign up now at slate.com/workingplus to help support our work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, host June Thomas talks to Val McDermid, a prolific crime novelist whose books have sold millions of copies worldwide. Val has even been dubbed the “Quine of Crime,” a Scottish alternative to the title “Queen of Crime,” which the Agatha Christie estate objected to. In the interview, Val explains where her ideas come from and how she decides which of her on-going series to pick up next. She also talks about incorporating Scottish slang into her books, including her latest one, Past Lying: A Karen Pirie Novel.  After the interview, June and co-host TK Dutes talk about the problem of having too many creative ideas.  In the exclusive Slate Plus segment, Val discusses some of her side gigs. Then she talks about the practice of incorporating real-life events into her novels.  Send your questions about creativity and any other feedback to working@slate.com or give us a call at (304) 933-9675. Podcast production by Cameron Drews. If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and exclusive content on many shows—you'll also be supporting the work we do here on Working. Sign up now at slate.com/workingplus to help support our work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, host June Thomas talks to Val McDermid, a prolific crime novelist whose books have sold millions of copies worldwide. Val has even been dubbed the “Quine of Crime,” a Scottish alternative to the title “Queen of Crime,” which the Agatha Christie estate objected to. In the interview, Val explains where her ideas come from and how she decides which of her on-going series to pick up next. She also talks about incorporating Scottish slang into her books, including her latest one, Past Lying: A Karen Pirie Novel.  After the interview, June and co-host TK Dutes talk about the problem of having too many creative ideas.  In the exclusive Slate Plus segment, Val discusses some of her side gigs. Then she talks about the practice of incorporating real-life events into her novels.  Send your questions about creativity and any other feedback to working@slate.com or give us a call at (304) 933-9675. Podcast production by Cameron Drews. If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and exclusive content on many shows—you'll also be supporting the work we do here on Working. Sign up now at slate.com/workingplus to help support our work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Barbara Peters in conversation with Val McDermid

My guest this week is the crime writing legend, Patricia Cornwell. Patricia wrote her first novel about forensic pathologist kay scarpetta in 1990. Called Postmortem, it was such a hit it became the first book ever to win all four major crime awards on both sides of the Atlantic in the same year. (It also scared the bejesus out of me.) But Kay Scarpetta was more than a hit, she was a breakthrough. Because mad as it might sound now, if you were looking for a crime novel where the female characters were actually alive in the late 1980s, you weren't exactly spoilt for choice.Now 39 books and 100 million copies later, Patricia's 27th Kay Scarpetta novel, Unnatural Death, is about to hit bookshops and the one and only Jamie Lee Curtis is bringing her to our screens.Patricia zoomed from her home in Boston, where she lives with her wife Staci to talk about, well, everything. We ran the full gamut from gun crime and serial killers to how writing books enabled her to take back control after a difficult childhood, feeling like a failure and the danger of self-loathing. We also discussed how she narrowly escaped being a minister's wife, marriage second time around and the enormous debt she owes Jamie Lee Curtis. If you loved this episode, you might also like my conversations with Val McDermid and Barbara Kingsolver.* You can buy all the books mentioned in this podcast at The Shift bookshop on Bookshop.org, including Unnatural Death by Patricia Cornwell and the book that inspired this podcast, The Shift: how I lost and found myself after 40 - and you can too, by me.* And if you'd like to support the work that goes into making this podcast and get a weekly newsletter plus loads more content including exclusive transcripts of the podcast, why not join The Shift community, come and have a look around at www.theshiftwithsambaker.substack.com• The Shift (on life after 40) with Sam Baker is created and hosted by Sam Baker and edited by Juliette Nicholls @ Pineapple Audio Production. If you enjoyed this podcast, please rate/review/follow as it really does help other people find us. And let me know what you think on twitter @sambaker or instagram @theothersambaker. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“A book is the most interactive form of entertainment there is”. Crime writer Val McDermid chats to Colin Murray about keeping her characters authentic, time management techniques, TV adaptations, imposter syndrome, using Scottish colloquialisms in her writing (her American publishers asked for a glossary!), judging the Booker Prize, and advice for budding writers. Oh, and getting a kiss from Blondie's Debbie Harry!

Danny Wallace and Janey Godley are joined by Val McDermid, Chris Brookmyre, Abir Mukherjee and Jenny Colgan for an eclectic mix of conversation, music and comedy. With music from Blue Rose Code and Sophie Penman.

The Plot Thickens is a podcast that takes you behind the scenes of crime writing, for anyone who loves good murder mysteries. In the final episode of season 1, Elly is joined by Val McDermid, the award-winning and multi-million copy bestselling author of the Wire in the Blood series, featuring Dr Tony Hill and DCI Carol Jordan, which was adapted for TV. In this episode Val and Elly talk about how they go about writing a long-standing series, as well as starting a new one, and what's in store for them both in the future. Follow Elly Griffiths on Facebook and Twitter @Ellygriffiths Follow Val McDermid on Facebook and Twitter @LBBG Val.McDermid (UK) Elly's latest book, The Last Remains, is out now here, and her upcoming book The Great Deceiver is available to pre-order . If you've loved listening to this podcast you might enjoy the Elly Griffiths newsletter, wihch is where you'll find all the latest updates on Elly's books, exclusive content, offers and competitions. Sign up here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Crime writer and whisky enthusiast Val has been a fan of The Scotch Malt Whisky Society since its early days, after receiving an educational journey across the whisky regions from a friend's father who was something of an aficionado. Whisky Talk caught up with Val in an Edinburgh coffee shop to find out more about her whisky passion, her writing career and who would be her fantasy whisky-drinking companion.

This week from the Edinburgh Festival, Des and the team take a look at the new charges being faced by former President Trump, Keir Starmer's visit to Scotland, low cost airlines, our attitudes towards maths education, remakes of classic films and American star Zooey Deschanel getting engaged in Edinburgh.

We discuss Wire in The Blood and Wallander.Wire in The Blood is available on Acorn TV in the US.Wallander is available on Britbox in the US Discussion of Wire in The Blood begins at :10:28Discussion of Wallander begins at 52:32Amanda's art can be seen at https://www.instagram.com/amandagloverart/ Kevin's short story collection can be found at Sleight of MindAnd his children's book, written with Matt Lake and illustrated by Tessa Mills can be found at From Albatwitch to ZaratanMurder Most English now has a shop where you can purchase merchandise with our logo. You can find it at https://www.cafepress.com/murdermostenglish The music for our podcast is Grand Dark Waltz Trio Allegro by Kevin MacLeodLink: https://filmmusic.io/song/7922-grand-dark-waltz-trio-allegroLicense: https://filmmusic.io/standard-licenseOur artwork is by Ilan Sheady of https://www.unclefrankproductions.comSupport the show

Johny Pitts speaks to Megan Nolan about her new novel, Ordinary Human Failings. The book explores the demonization of an Irish family and tabloid journalism in nineties London following a shocking tragedy. Plus what is the best crime fiction out there this summer? Vaseem Khan, incoming chair of the Crime Writers Association, and critic Laura Wilson give their tips, from hot new psychological thrillers to reissued classics. And Val McDermid chooses a very modern-feeling 1940s whodunit for her Book I'd Never Lend. Book List – Sunday 16 July and Thursday 20 July Ordinary Human Failing by Megan Nolan Acts of Desperation by Megan Nolan Grave Expectations by Alice Bell The Square of Sevens by Laura Shepherd-Robinson Kill For Me Kill For You by Steve Cavanagh The Wheel of Doll by Jonathan Ames Alchemy by SJ Parris The Bandit Queens by Parini Shroff Uncle Paul by Celia Fremlin The Drowning Pool by Ross Macdonald Death of a Lesser God by Vaseem Khan Miss Pym Disposes by Josephine Tey

In this latest episode, writer Rosie Garland talks to us about the poem that has been a friend to her: 'My Dark Horses' by Jodie Hollander.Writer and singer with post-punk band The March Violets, Rosie Garland has a passion for language nurtured by public libraries. Her poetry collection ‘What Girls do the Dark' (Nine Arches Press) was shortlisted for the Polari Prize 2021, & her novel The Night Brother was described by The Times as “a delight...with shades of Angela Carter.” Val McDermid has named her one of the UK's most compelling LGBT writers. http://www.rosiegarland.comJodie Hollander, originally from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, was raised in a family of classical musicians. She studied poetry in England, and her poems have appeared in journals such as The Poetry Review, The Yale Review and The Dark Horse. Her debut full-length collection, My Dark Horses, was published with Liverpool University Press (Pavilion Poetry) in 2017. Her second collection, Nocturne, was published with Liverpool & Oxford University Press in the spring of 2023. https://www.jodiehollander.comRosie Garland is in conversation with The Poetry Exchange team members Sally Anglesea and John Prebble.In the introduction, Fiona also mentions Glyn Maxwell's extraordinary new collection, 'The Big Calls', which was published by Live Canon in March 2023.We hope you enjoy being with all the poems featured in this episode!*********My Dark Horsesby Jodie HollanderIf only I were more like my dark horses, I wouldn't have to worry all the time that I was running too little and resting too much. I'd spend my hours grazing in the sunlight, taking long naps in the vast pastures. And when it was time to move along I'd know; I'd spend some time with all those that I'd loved, then disappear into a gathering of trees.If only I were more like my dark horses, I wouldn't be so frightened of the storms; instead, when the clouds began to gather and fill I'd make my way calmly to the shed, and stand close to all the other horses. Together, we'd let the rain fall round us, knowing as darkness passes overhead that above all, this is the time to be still.From 'My Dark Horses' by Jodie Hollander, Liverpool University Press, 2017. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For 44 years, the third page of what was the most widely sold newspaper in the UK was dominated by a topless young woman. Depending on who you asked, Page 3 of The Sun was either a great British institution or a sexist time-warp. And then, in 2012, Jo Cheetham and a group of fellow campaigners took on The Sun and called for No More Page 3. They won. In this week's podzine, Jo chats to our Hannah about her role in No More Page 3, her new book Killjoy, and why she hates fun.Clearly having the whale of her life is actor, screenwriter and showrunner Emer Kenny, whose adaptation of Val McDermid's bestseller The Distant Echo smashed it on our screens as ITV series Karen Pirie. Mick has an excellent natter with Emer about when you shouldn't listen to true crime podcasts, asking for chairs, and playing Tash in Channel 4's period crime caper The Curse, which returns for its second series on April 27.In BT, there's bad maths, convenient T-shirts and a freezer full of poo, while in Jenny Off The Blocks, Jen's noticing it's one step forward and a few more back. And there's more fancy footwork in Rated or Dated, as the team have a total blast watching 1983 smash hit, Flashdance, with and without their bras on. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Des and the teams take a look at Humza Yousaf the new First Minister of Scotland, the soaring cost of living, airships, Brian Cox seeing ghosts and Scott McTominay seeing Scottish football success.

An exploration for Valentine's week of queer love poetry across the millennia, presented by renowned crime writer and proud lesbian Val McDermid. With the help of actor and writer Stephen Fry, the Makar (National Poet of Scotland) Jackie Kay and theatre director and author Neil Bartlett, they all choose their favourite poems that explore same-sex love. We discover that some of the most famous love poems in history from some of our most famous writers are actually about same-sex love. Of course, many of the poems are coloured by the struggles to be open or express love for your same-sex partner, the consequences of being caught in a queer relationship and the hostility shown to same-sex relationships over the centuries. But universal aspects of being in love and the unstoppability of LGBTQ+ people to continue having and celebrating loving relationships shines through. Val and her guests take us from the ancient Greeks to today, presenting from various symbolic locations including Shakespeare's Globe Theatre, taking listeners on a moving and witty poetry tour through time and place of secret and openly celebrated LGBTQ+ love. From Sappho to AE Housman, Aphra Behn to Carol Ann Duffy and Frank O'Hara to Edwin Morgan, the diversity of queer relationships and manifestations of same-sex love are painted in huge variety through the selected poems. With only a minority of countries and cultures in the world today actually protecting and celebrating same-sex relationships, this is a bittersweet exploration of the history of LGBTQ+ love poetry that shows how far we have come and how far we still have to go for queer love to be truly, freely expressed everywhere. Producer: Turan Ali A Bona Broadcasting production for BBC Radio 4

Our Hannah might not seem like the most likely candidate for a chat about Valentine's Day, but when she found out Standard Issue fave Val McDermid was presenting Cupid Loves Eros, a Radio 4 programme exploring queer love poetry, she was on the Zoom like a ferret up a (too long) trouser leg. They talk about representations of love in literature, the interest in queer love, and the return of Karen Pirie, among other things.Presenters, former DJs, gut health aficionados and hosts of Know Your Sh!t, Lisa Macfarlane and Alana Macfarlane-Kempner, aka The Mac Twins, are breaking taboos with the new Channel 4 show. They join Mick to chat about all things gut health, and how they ended up as ‘chief guinea pigs' for King's College London's British Gut Project.In Jenny Off The Blocks, Jen's full of good news from the world of women's sport – and some Tory ambition. Speaking of which, Liz Truss is back, and Mick's all for it. Find out why in the Bush Telegraph.The full series of Know Your Sh!t is available to watch now on All 4, and Cupid Loves Eros airs on Radio 4 from February 9th.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode 103 November 11, 2022 On the Needles 1:13 ALL KNITTING LINKS GO TO RAVELRY UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED.  Please visit our Instagram page @craftcookreadrepeat for non-Rav photos and info     Quartzonite by Yvette Noel, The Lemonade Shop Simple Sock in Fricken Bats– DONE!!   Tii Pullover by Joji Locatelli, Machete Shoppe Dirty DK in Eucalyptus   Easy Stripes Blanket by Joan of Dark aka Toni Carr, Knit Picks Brava Worsted in Currant and Dove Heather, Caron Simply Soft in Bone   Shawlography by Stephen West Lisa Souza SAWK in "green jay" Louie & Lola fingering in "pacific" Oink Targhee Sock in "eye of the tiger" Oink Targhee Sock in "in the navy" Oink Targhee Sock in "random carp"   On the Easel 12:30 Birds + Breakables with egg cups & feathers! Keep an eye on my IG account for sneak peeks. Gouachevember– the community-driven, gouache-focused challenge hosted by Daria, and co-sponsored by us both. On the Table 16:17 Pumpkin cheesecake bars from 100 cookies    Julia Turshen cooking class A Happens-to-be-Vegan Halloween Meal [Pumpkin Spice Espresso Martini / Rice Pilaf with Carrots + Turmeric / Black Bean + Tomato Stew / Roasted Squash Agrodolce / Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread]   Street Fair Stuffed mushrooms from Simply Julia    Spatchcocked chicken with garlic, lemon & parsley sauce. Beef Barley stew Lots of cookies from 100 Cookies   Polenteria new gluten free Italian restaurant in the SF Bay Area   On the Nightstand 32:06 We are now a Bookshop.org affiliate!  You can visit our shop to find books we've talked about or click on the links below.  The books are supplied by local independent bookstores and a percentage goes to us at no cost to you!   Wrong Place Wrong Time by Gillian McAllister (audio)  Marple: Twelve New Mysteries by Naomi Alderman, Leigh Bardugo, Alyssa Cole, Lucy Foley, Elly Griffiths, Natalie Haynes, Jean Kwok, Val McDermid, Karen M. McManus, Dreda Say Mitchell, Kate Mosse, Ruth Ware, Agatha Christie (Creator)  The Kiss Curse by Erin Sterling Wife of the Gods by Kwei Quartey (audio) Darko Dawson #1  Memory of Souls by Jen Lyons  On the Rooftop by Margaret Wilkerson Sexton The Lovers by Paolo Cognetti, trans. Stash Luczkiw Songbirds by Christy Lefteri The Crane Wife by CJ Hauser We are the Light by Matthew Quick