The REVIEW SHOW October 2026

Phil Lecomber chats to Paul about his new historical noir THE DEVIL'S BANQUET, George Harley, 1930s London, the Morbid Age, Sherlock Holmes and the Vanishing Girls of West Ham, Golden Age to Noir, films, winning a Shamus!!THE DEVIL'S BANQUET: Four years after bringing the infamous child-killer known as the ‘Nursery Butcher’ to justice – and still haunted by the brutal vengeance exacted by the psychopath’s ruthless allies – Cockney private eye George Harley is finally back in business, operating a new detective agency in the heart of London’s Soho. Harley and his new assistant Bunty are presented with their first case when a distressed father engages them to investigate the disappearance of his daughter, who has run away from home to join a cabaret troupe led by the notorious ‘Queen of Depravity’ Ilse Blau, now in London after being driven out by the Nazis from Weimar-era Berlin. But in Harley’s liminal world, things are never straightforward, and the detective soon finds himself embroiled in another pitch-dark scenario, with London’s decadent, thrill-seeking gentry on one side and West End mobsters and wide-boys in search of easy cash on the other. When he discovers that a six-year-old has been kidnapped from an orphanage, Harley is convinced his old nemesis has somehow broken out of the lunatic asylum and is back on the streets of London, up to his old tricks. Set in 1933 and following on from the events of Midnight Streets, this second instalment in the Piccadilly Noir series sees George Harley return to the frowzy alleyways and sleazy nightclubs of the UK capital in search of answers – no matter how uncomfortable they might turn out to be. But when he becomes ensnared in the mind games of a wily femme fatale, and finds himself up against ruthless Glaswegian gangsters, well-connected occultists, and undercover SS agents, those answers become increasingly hard to find.Recommend: Gerald Kersh, Patrick Hamilton, Agatha Christie, Alan Parks Deception, Strangers on a Train Patricia Highsmith. Film - Rose. Paul Burke is the presenter of Crime Time FM, his first book Spies on Screen is published by Oldcastle now.Produced by Junkyard DogCrime TimeCrime Time FM is the official podcast ofGwyl Crime Cymru Festival 2023 & 2025CrimeFest 2023CWA Daggers 2023-2026 & National Crime Reading Month& Newcastle Noir 2023 and 20242024 Slaughterfest,  

Peter James chats to Paul Burke about his new Roy Grace crime thriller DEAD IN THREE TWO ONE, real police, Brighton crime central, life in a hotel, the indignation poisoner and morning prayers.DEAD IN THREE TWO ONE Brighton is celebrating. A killer is waiting. And Roy Grace is the target . . .Brighton Pride is the biggest date on the city’s calendar with half a million people lost in the party. But behind the opulent façade of the Royal Courteney Hotel, a nightmare is checking in.Dritan Dervishi, the cold-blooded consigliere for Albanian mob boss Roel Albazi, has arrived with a beautiful woman on his arm and a lethal secret in his suitcase. He has specifically requested Room 321 – a room with a perfect view of the sea, and a deadly proximity to a target he’s been dreaming of for years.Detective Superintendent Roy Grace is already pushed to the limit, coordinating the city’s massive security operation amid whispers of a potential terrorist attack. But the threat is more personal than he could ever imagine. Back in a prison cell, his old nemesis Albazi is counting down the seconds to a revenge that will not just take Roy’s life, but erase his entire bloodline.And as Roy and his wife Cleo prepare for a night of celebration at the Royal Courteney, they have no idea that they are stepping into a deadly trap.Peter James Peter James is a UK No.1 bestselling author, best known for his Detective Superintendent Roy Grace series. Much loved by crime and thriller fans for his fast-paced page-turners full of unexpected plot twists, sinister characters, and accurate portrayal of modern day policing. To date, Peter has written an impressive total of 21 Sunday Times No. 1s, sold over 24 million copies worldwide and been translated into 38 languages. ITV’s primetime adaptation of the Grace novels, starring John Simm, continues to delight audiences with significant ratings growth, and series seven is currently in production. In 2026, Peter was awarded an OBE in recognition of his services to literature and to charity. Peter is a supporter of many of charities reflecting his concerns and interests, including as Co-Patron of the Sussex Police Charitable Trust; as a Patron of the RSPCA and the Samaritans; and as an ambassador for The Reading Agency and for the National Year of Reading 2026, among many others.Recommendation/mentions: Graham Greene Brighton Rock, Joseph Heller Catch 22, Elizabeth Buchan, Michael Connelly The Hollow, Greg Iles Cemetery Road, Amor Towels A Gentleman in Moscow, Arnold Bennett The Grand Babylon Hotel &  The Card, William Golding Lord of the Flies, non-fiction: Rutger Bregman Humankind: A Hopeful History.The Reading AgencySussex Police Charitable TrustProduced by Junkyard DogCrime TimeCrime Time FM is the official podcast ofGwyl Crime Cymru Festival 2023 & 2025CrimeFest 2023CWA Daggers 2023-2026 & National Crime Reading Month& Newcastle Noir 2023 and 20242024 Slaughterfest,  

DAVID MCCLOSKEY chats to Paul Burke about his new spy thriller London Station, Artemis Procter, TV and film development, The Rest is Classified, avoiding the polemic but hitting the geopolitical, the 'special relationship', narcissism and humour.David McCloskey is a former CIA analyst who worked in field stations across the Middle East and briefed senior White House officials and Arab royalty. His first novel, Damascus Station, was called ‘one of the best spy thrillers in years’ by The Times; his second, Moscow X, was a Sunday Times Thriller of the Year. His third, The Seventh Floor, was a Sunday Times bestseller, as was his fourth, The Persian. He is the co-host of the podcast The Rest is Classified, and lives in Texas.Mentions: Rafik Schami The Dark Side of Love, The Wager David Grann, Samar Yazbek Where the Wind Calls Home, Elmore Leonard Swag, Stick, Paul Vidich The Poet's Game.Paul Burke is the presenter of Crime Time FM, the fiction editor of Spybrary and his first book Spies on Screen is out now.Produced by Junkyard DogCrime TimeCrime Time FM is the official podcast ofGwyl Crime Cymru Festival 2023 & 2025CrimeFest 2023CWA Daggers 2023-2026 & National Crime Reading Month& Newcastle Noir 2023 and 20242024 Slaughterfest,  

MARTIN EDWARDS chats to Paul Burke about his new novel and anthologies:Miss Winter in the Library with a Knife (Head of Zeus)Guilty Secrets: Beyond and Within (Flame Tree Press, CWA anthology)The Classic Crime Companion (British Library)Agatha Christie: A World of Mystery (with Lucy Rowland, British Library)Eat, Drink and Be Murdered: A Feast of Fatal Fare (British Library)Topics: humour, Golden Age, freshness, what makes a great short story, Rachel Savanake.Mentioned: Edward D Hoch, John Bude, Mavis Doriel Hay, ECR Loric, Agatha Christie, Anthony Barclay, John Bingham, Henry Wade, Dorothy L Sayers, Shelley Smith, Julian Symonds. DM Devine, Freeman Wills Croft.Martin Edwards is a multi award winning, bestselling author of novels and anthologies. He is the editor of the CWA short story collections and a consultant to the British Library Classic Crime books. He is a CWA Diamond Dagger Winner for a life time contribution to Crime Writing.Paul Burke is the presenter of Crime Time FM and his first book Spies on Screen is a aoble now.Produced by Junkyard DogCrime TimeCrime Time FM is the official podcast ofGwyl Crime Cymru Festival 2023 & 2025CrimeFest 2023CWA Daggers 2023-2026 & National Crime Reading Month& Newcastle Noir 2023 and 20242024 Slaughterfest,  

The Review Show - new releases October 2026Bad Company Sara Paretsky Chain Reaction Lee & Andrew Child Galway Edge Ken Bruen The Rouse China Mieville Murder in London Matt Avery Rear Window and Other Stories Cornell WoolrichThink of a Number Anderson BodelsenThe Killing Yards Jason Allison Murder at the Grand Alpine HotelPaul Burke is the presenter of Crime Time FM. His first book Spies on Screen will be published this month.Produced by Junkyard DogCrime TimeCrime Time FM is the official podcast ofGwyl Crime Cymru Festival 2023 & 2025CrimeFest 2023CWA Daggers 2023-2026 & National Crime Reading Month& Newcastle Noir 2023 and 20242024 Slaughterfest,  

Sara Paretsky chats to Paul Burke about her new spy thriller Bad Company, Lily, CIA = bad dog, being a Chicago Pitbull and falling out of bed in Paris as inspiration for a novel.Bad Company The CIA forced Lily to retire before she was ready. She'd spent forty years as a field agent. She'd been skilled, resourceful, dedicated – everything that makes a good agent, but she'd rubbed too many of her bosses the wrong way. They jumped on a botched op as an excuse to fire her. Now in her seventies, waiting in a doctor's office, she reads a magazine article that startles her out of retirement. The story casts doubt on everything she believed about her first – and happiest – posting in Hayalistan, one of the old Soviet republics. Lily's angry, and she decides to find out what really happened when she was stationed there. As word of her investigation gets back to the CIA, the Company knows they must silence her. But Lily's aging body can't perform the feats it managed in her forties and fifties, and escaping their attempts on her life will test her physical and mental skills at a whole new level.Mentions: Sally Carson, Ian McEwan, Saul Bellow, Ross Thomas, Dasheill Hammett, Raymond Chandler, The Sisterhood Liza MundySara Paretsky Called a "genius" by Lee Child and "one of the all time greats" by Karin Slaughter, Sara Paretsky transformed the role of women in the mystery world with her detective, V.I. Warshawski. V.I. is tough, feminine and vulnerable, but above all loyal to her friends and clients. Paretsky and Warshawski share a love of singing, Golden Retrievers and Italian reds. V.I. has escaped many near-death experiences, including drowning in Chicago's swamps (Blood Shot), falling down an elevator shaft (Burn Marks), and multiple attempts to shoot her down (Dead Land). Paretsky would have retired to the Umbrian Hills after one such event, but V.I. keeps coming back for more. Paretsky's passion for social justice is reflected in her novels but also in her support for reproductive health and the welfare of women and children. She founded Sisters in Crime, an international organization that advocates for women in the mystery/thriller field. She is one of four living writers to earn both the Cartier Diamond Dagger from the British Crime Writers and Grand Master from the Mystery Writers of America.Paul Burke's first book Spies on Screen will be published in October.Produced by Junkyard DogCrime TimeCrime Time FM is the official podcast ofGwyl Crime Cymru Festival 2023 & 2025CrimeFest 2023CWA Daggers 2023-2026 & National Crime Reading Month& Newcastle Noir 2023 and 20242024 Slaughterfest,  

Tariq Ashkanani (Hollow Boys), Emma Styles (The Shark) and Essie Fox (Catherine/Dangerous) chat to Paul Burke about Underground fires, Byron and Vampires and Sharks in the mind and Capital Crime Festival. Paul Burke is the presenter of Crime Time FM. His first book Spies on Screen will be published in October. Apologies for mispronouncing Tariq Ashkanani names in the introduction. Produced by Junkyard DogCrime TimeCrime Time FM is the official podcast ofGwyl Crime Cymru Festival 2023 & 2025CrimeFest 2023CWA Daggers 2023-2026 & National Crime Reading Month& Newcastle Noir 2023 and 20242024 Slaughterfest,  

David Fennell chats to Paul Burke about his new crime thriller/comedy novel All Killers Aboard, crime and comedy, Martha andAgatha Christie and Roger Ackroyd, Wuthering Heights ALL KILLERS ABOARD: On a luxury cruise from Southampton to New York, the annual gathering of the mysterious Midnight Chorus Society is in full swing. Unbeknownst to the rest of the innocent passengers, the deadly convention is made up entirely of serial killers, wannabes and their fans.Travelling on board is Hollywood royalty Jacqui Dulac, star of the television show Lady Detective, and her latest ghost-writer, Martha Hammond. Yet when Martha witnesses a shocking murder on deck, with a single red button found near the crime scene, the quarrelling duo must put aside their differences to become real-life detectives...But with a cruise liner full of the world's most notorious serial killers, they both know that when there's been one murder, another is sure to follow. And as a storm rocks the ship, can Martha and Jacqui identify the killer before it's too late?DAVID FENNELL: was born and raised in Belfast during the Troubles. He left for London at the tender age of eighteen and jobbed as a chef, waiter and bartender for several years before starting a career as a writer in the software industry. He is now a full time novelist. David is the author of the multi award nominated SLEEPER series and the popular GRACE ARCHER crime series. His sixth novel, A VIOLENT HEART, won the 2025 Capital Crime Thriller of the Year award.Recommend: Buckeye Patrick Ryan, The Devils Joe Abercrombie.Paul Burke is the presenter of Crime Time FM. His first book Spies on Screen will be published later this year.Produced by Junkyard DogCrime TimeCrime Time FM is the official podcast ofGwyl Crime Cymru Festival 2023 & 2025CrimeFest 2023CWA Daggers 2023-2026 & National Crime Reading Month& Newcastle Noir 2023 and 20242024 Slaughterfest,  

Watching the Detectives authors In Person With Paul talking about their short story contributions to the anthologyJulie Anderson Party TimePaul Durston A Place Like ThisCaroline England I Always WinFiona Forsyth AncillaDavid Jarvis Dutch CourageRoger RN Morris Take All Necessary MeasuresTalk about the Watching the Detectives crime fiction anthology. From ancient Rome to modern day northern England, from spy to police procedural to golden age caper. What you can do with a short story as opposed to the novel. Is character still king?Paul Burke is the editor of Aspects of Crime and the presenter of Crime Time FM. His first book Spies on Screen will be published later this year.Produced by Junkyard DogCrime TimeCrime Time FM is the official podcast ofGwyl Crime Cymru Festival 2023 & 2025CrimeFest 2023CWA Daggers 2023-2026 & National Crime Reading Month& Newcastle Noir 2023 and 20242024 Slaughterfest,  

Michael Amos Cody chats to Paul Burke about Avalon Moon, cultural mythology, education and young people, Walnut, North Carolina, the Appalachian mountains, saw mills and repurposing town, outsider/insider. In Avalon Moon, a local man has gone missing and then is soon found dead in a highland meadow, side-by-side with an unknown woman. When another man and woman go missing and a female deputy is found murdered, Gabriel Tanner, editor of Runion’s weekly newspaper, and Plumer Reeves, a reclusive local hawkshaw working for the niece of the first dead man, suspect a monster is hunting in their western North Carolina mountains. Two extraordinary young women, the Avalon community’s Ariel Anderson and Lonesome Mountain’s Livvy Goforth, join Tanner and Reeves to lead the attempt to discover and stop the killer.MICHAEL AMOS CODY was born in Sumter, South Carolina, and grew up in the village of Walnut, jewel of Madison County, North Carolina, not far from the ruins of Runion, a place he has reimagined for stories appearing in Tampa Review, Yemassee, The Chaffin Journal, Still: The Journal, and other publications. He spent his formative twenties living and working as a songwriter in Nashville, Tennessee, where his songs were recorded by Glen Campbell, Gary Morris, and others, including himself. He is the author of Charles Brockden Brown and the Literary Magazine: Cultural Journalism in the Early American Republic (McFarland, 2004) and the novel Gabriel’s Songbook (Pisgah Press, 2017). He is co-editor of The Literary Magazine and Other Writings, 1803-1807, volume three of The Collected Writings of Charles Brockden Brown (Bucknell UP, 2019). His collection of short stories, A Twilight Reel, was published in May 2021 by Pisgah Press and won the Short Story / Anthology category in the Feathered Quill Book Awards 2022. His new novel, Streets of Nashville, is scheduled for publication in April 2025 by Madville Publishing. Cody lives with his wife Leesa in Jonesborough, Tennessee, and teaches American literature before 1900, Native American literature, and mythology in the Department of Literature & Language at East Tennessee State University.Mentions: Leslie Marmon Silko Ceremony, Salman Rushdie Two Years Eight Months and Twenty Eight Nights, Peter James, Mark Billingham, Michael Connelly.recommend: Murderland Caroline Fraser Paul Burke is the editor of Crime Time FM. His first book, Spies on Screen, will be available later this year.Produced by Junkyard DogCrime TimeCrime Time FM is the official podcast ofGwyl Crime Cymru Festival 2023 & 2025CrimeFest 2023CWA Daggers 2023-2026 & National Crime Reading Month& Newcastle Noir 2023 and 20242024 Slaughterfest,