Will Shindler

Will Shindler has spent most of his career working as a broadcast journalist for the BBC. He also spent nearly a decade working on a number of British television dramas, working for both the BBC Drama Series Department, and Talkback Thames Television as a writer and script editor. He has been writing novels since 2020, including the five-book critically acclaimed DI Alex Finn series: The Burning Men, The Killing Choice, The Hunting Ground, The Blood Line, and The Cold Case. He currently combines reading news bulletins for BBC Radio London with his novel writing and has previously worked as a presenter for ITV West, a reporter for BBC Radio Five Live, and as one of the stadium presenters at the 2012 London Olympics. He lives in London.

Shindler's new novel is The Bone Queen.

Recently I asked the author about what he was reading. Shindler's reply:

Never Flinch by Stephen King.

Given that I write a mixture of crime and horror, it’s probably no surprise that a new King novel is always an automatic purchase for me. I’ve been particularly drawn to his later work, beginning with Mr Mercedes, which introduced us to Holly Gibney - one of his most quietly fascinating creations.

As someone who’s written a series I can testify that one of the most difficult things to do is moving a character forward, without losing those essential traits that people liked about them first place. It’s an exercise in running on the spot sometimes – giving a sense of more propulsion than sometimes you as, as a writer can allow. King has managed something genuinely impressive with Holly though. All her familiar tics and anxieties remain intact, but they now sit within a character who has clearly lived, learned, and been shaped by her experiences.

The novel itself is a masterclass in weaving disparate characters and storylines into a single narrative. It also has a great deal to say about contemporary America without ever tipping into sermonising. The villain, Trig, is particularly effective: morally compromised, unsettlingly human, and written with enough psychological depth that even when sympathy is impossible, empathy isn’t.

Follow Will Shindler on Facebook, Instagram, and Threads.

My Book, The Movie: The Bone Queen.

Q&A with Will Shindler.

The Page 69 Test: The Bone Queen.

--Marshal Zeringue

Robert Dugoni

Robert Dugoni is a critically acclaimed New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post and #1 Amazon bestselling author, reaching over 9 million readers worldwide. He is best known for his Tracy Crosswhite police series set in Seattle. He is also the author of the Charles Jenkins espionage series, the David Sloane legal thriller series, and several stand-alone novels including The 7th Canon, Damage Control, The World Played Chess, and Her Deadly Game. His novel The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell received Suspense Magazine’s 2018 Book of the Year, and Dugoni’s narration won an AudioFile Earphones Award. The Washington Post named his nonfiction exposé The Cyanide Canary a Best Book of the Year.

Dugoni's new novel is Her Cold Justice.

Recently I asked the author about what he was reading. Dugoni's reply:

I’m often asked what I’m reading.

Can I be honest? When I’m writing, I’m writing 8 hours a day. I write my first draft like I’m running a marathon. I just keep going and going and going. The goal is to reach the end, figure out what the book is about and then rolls up my sleeves, dig in and edit like crazy. Because of this, at the end of the day, the last thing I want to do is read. Sounds terrible for a writer, doesn’t it?

When I’m on vacation, I like something light, good fun and enjoyable. Harry Potter. The Lord of the Rings. But really, put any book in front of me with a good story, no matter the genre, and I’ll read it. The author doesn’t matter to me if they can tell a great story.

Visit Robert Dugoni's website and Facebook page.

The Page 69 Test: Wrongful Death.

The Page 69 Test: Bodily Harm.

My Book, The Movie: Bodily Harm.

The Page 69 Test: Murder One.

My Book, The Movie: Murder One.

My Book, The Movie: The Eighth Sister.

The Page 69 Test: The Eighth Sister.

My Book, The Movie: A Cold Trail.

The Page 69 Test: A Cold Trail.

The Page 69 Test: The Last Agent.

My Book, The Movie: The Last Agent.

Q&A with Robert Dugoni.

The Page 69 Test: In Her Tracks.

Writers Read: Robert Dugoni (March 2024).

The Page 69 Test: A Killing on the Hill.

My Book, The Movie: A Killing on the Hill.

The Page 69 Test: Beyond Reasonable Doubt.

My Book, The Movie: Beyond Reasonable Doubt.

Writers Read: Robert Dugoni (October 2024).

My Book, The Movie: Her Cold Justice.

The Page 69 Test: Her Cold Justice.

--Marshal Zeringue

Maria Tureaud

Maria Tureaud is an editor and acclaimed author of middle grade and adult fiction. Born and raised in County Clare on the west coast of Ireland, she now lives with her husband and son in New Jersey.

Her new novel is This House Will Feed, which Hester Fox called "both a luscious Gothic, as well a poignant examination of the nature of loss and collective memory in a time of unspeakable horrors," and Paulette Kennedy praised as a "gripping, multilayered tale of vengeance set against the backdrop of one of the worst genocides in human history."

Recently I asked Tureaud about what she was reading. The author's reply:

Since Gothic horror is having a “moment,” I’m delighted to have so many amazing titles to choose from. My current read is The Hunger We Pass Down, by Jen Sookfong Lee. It’s a vivid, raw, and emotional Gothic that weaves the lives of three generations together in a tale bathed in horror — both historical, and supernatural — to create a scathing narrative that deals with the pressure we place on our children, and the generational trauma we pass down. It’s a slow-burn with alternating timelines that culminates in quiet contemplation every time I put it down. Heavy, sad, terrifying, and relatable: sleep with a nightlight.

Visit Maria Tureaud's website.

--Marshal Zeringue

Wendy Walker

Wendy Walker is the author of the psychological suspense novels All Is Not Forgotten, Emma in the Night, The Night Before, Don’t Look for Me, What Remains, and the Audible Originals Hold Your Breath, American Girl, Mad Love, and The Room Next Door. Her work has been translated into twenty-three languages, topping bestseller lists both in the United States and abroad, and featured by the Today show, the Reese Witherspoon Book Club, and the Book of the Month Club. Six of her titles have also been optioned for television and film.

Walker holds degrees from Brown University and Georgetown University Law School. Prior to her writing career, Wendy trained for competitive figure skating, worked as a financial analyst at Goldman Sachs, and practiced both corporate and family law. She resides in Connecticut, where she raised her three sons.

Her new novel is Blade.

Recently I asked Walker about what she was reading. Her reply:

I love reading outside the thriller genre whenever I can. While I adore suspense and psychological thrillers, reading within my own genre can sometimes feel like work I’m always analyzing structure, pacing, and technique. Reading outside of it, by contrast, is pure pleasure.

Right now, I’m listening to the audiobook of Wreck by Catherine Newman, the follow-up to her runaway bestseller Sandwich. Wreck follows a family as they navigate a series of quiet and not-so-quiet crises, told through the voice of a fifty-something wife and mother confronting middle age, empty nesting, and a recent family loss. The writing is witty and sharp, yet deeply emotional - almost every sentence makes me smile yet lands with meaning. I also adore the narrator, Helen Laser, who also performed The Wedding People by Alison Espach - another novel I couldn’t stop listening to. I highly recommend Wreck, Sandwich, and The Wedding People for anyone who wants an immersive, emotionally resonant read about the everyday joys and heartbreaks of life.

Visit Wendy Walker's website.

The Page 69 Test: Four Wives.

The Page 99 Test: Social Lives.

The Page 69 Test: Don't Look for Me.

Q&A with Wendy Walker.

--Marshal Zeringue

S.J. Rozan

SJ Rozan, a native New Yorker, is the author of twenty novels and eight dozen short stories. Her work has won the Edgar, Shamus, Anthony, Nero, and Macavity awards for Best Novel and the Edgar for Best Short Story. She’s also the recipient of the Japanese Maltese Falcon Award and has received Life Achievement Awards from both the Private Eye Writers of America and the Short Mystery Fiction Society.

Rozan's new novel, First Do No Harm, is the latest title in the Lydia Chin and Bill Smith mystery series.

Recently I asked the author about what she was reading. Rozan's reply:

I've just finished one book and am starting another. Both are non-fiction, which I read a lot.

The first is Kate Fox's Watching the English. Fox, a British anthropologist, decided to turn the participant-observer techniques she uses on foreign societies back onto her own people, to see if she could find the essential nature of "Englishness." It's sharply observed and in places very funny. I'm writing a new series set in London so I thought I'd try to increase my understanding of my characters and their milieu. I did, too.

The book I've just started is Steven Blier's From Ear to Ear. Blier's a pianist, co-founder of the New York Festival of Song, and this is his memoir of his life in music. It's remarkably well-written, by turns gossipy and profound. I'm a music lover but also an ignoramus, and in this book I never feel talked down to or dismissed. As I read I'm comprehending some elements of music-making that I wasn't able to follow before this.

Both books highly recommended!

Visit S.J. Rozan's website.

The Page 69 Test: Paper Son.

The Page 69 Test: The Art of Violence.

Q&A with S. J. Rozan.

Writers Read: S.J. Rozan (February 2022).

The Page 69 Test: Family Business.

Writers Read: S. J. Rozan (November 2023).

The Page 69 Test: The Mayors of New York.

The Page 69 Test: First Do No Harm.

--Marshal Zeringue

Mara Williams

Mara Williams drafted her first novel in third grade on a spiral notebook—a love story about a golden retriever and the stray dog who admired her from beyond the picket fence. Now she writes about strong, messy women finding their way in the world. Williams is the author of The Truth Is in the Detours and The Epicenter of Forever. When not writing or reading, she can be found enjoying California’s beaches, redwoods, and trails with her husband, three kids, and disobedient dog.

Recenty I asked Williams about what she was reading. Her reply:

Most Eligible by Isabelle Engel.

The Bachelor meets Miss Congeniality in this hilarious romcom about a reporter who goes undercover as a contestant on a dating show and finds out the host is her one-night-stand from a year ago, and whoops…she might be falling for the wrong person. The hijinks and shenanigans in this one are unmatched. I caught myself laughing out loud and swooning in equal measure. It’s perfect for fans of reality television and classic romcoms, and for anyone looking for an infusion of joy in their fiction.

The Best Worst Thing by Lauren Okie.

This romance tackles divorce, infidelity, and infertility, and does so with unparalleled wit and warmth. It has a deep emotional range and prose so beautiful it will win over even the most hardened romance skeptic. At one point, I couldn’t read the page through my tears, and at another, my family asked me why I was laughing so hard. It breaks the writing rules in all the best ways to produce a book that’s both startlingly fresh and comfortingly familiar.

Wreck by Catherine Newman.

I was so excited when Catherine Newman released this follow-up to Sandwich, one of my all-time favorites. We join the anxious, big-hearted protagonist Rocky again—this time back home—and follow her as she navigates aging, grief, and the complexities of accepting all the imperfect versions of her loved ones and herself.

How About Now by Kate Baer.

I read this book of poetry in one sitting, with tears in my eyes and warmth in my heart. The slim volume grapples with the demands of motherhood, womanhood, and midlife in poems that are often sharp and always tender. Her poems depict struggles that are both timeless and uniquely of the moment: the unequal division of labor in modern marriage, the ephemerality of watching our children grow, and the vulnerability of being human.

August Lane by Regina Black.

This is a perfectly crafted second-chance, multi-point-of-view, dual timeline romance where each plot point and perspective is critical to the hard-won happily ever after. It’s set within the high-stakes world of country music and follows three Black country western musicians trying to break in or hang on to transient success in an industry that has forcibly excluded them. It’s heart-wrenching and soul-healing.

Visit Mara Williams's website.

Q&A with Mara Williams.

The Page 69 Test: The Truth Is in the Detours.

My Book, The Movie: The Truth Is in the Detours.

Writers Read: Mara Williams (August 2025).

My Book, The Movie: The Epicenter of Forever.

--Marshal Zeringue