The Book Alchemist – Details, episodes & analysis

Sunday Times Best Seller, million copy and twice long-listed for the McIllvanney Scottish Crime Book of the Year and an author whose books have been translated across the globe, Helen Fields consistently produces high impact, compelling novels that readers love.

A former criminal and family law barrister, Helen has the expertise and experience to make the characters and plots scorch with authenticity. 

With a background as both a prosecutor and defence counsel, Helen Fields has a depth of knowledge about crime that lends a fierceness to her writing. From Courts Martials to care proceedings, the Coroner Courts to the Crown Court, Fields draws on her professional years for the extraordinary colour and texture that makes her writing jump off the page.

The 'Perfect' series, set in Edinburgh, introduced the world to DI Luc Callanach. This year saw the release of Degrees of Guilt, her first psychological thriller in the name HS Chandler, a book as shockingly realistic as it is darkly entertaining. 

​Helens' latest character creation is Dr Connie Woolwine, an American forensic psychologist and profiler, based on a real FBI Agent who consulted on the first book. You can find Connie in The Shadow Man, One For Sorrow and The Institution.

And look out for her latest propulsive thriller Profile K.

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57 year-old author Helen Fitzgerald has written more than a dozen best selling novels. She has worked as a criminal justice social worker for over ten years. Helen grew up in Victoria, Australia and now lives in Glasgow with her screenwriter husband and family.

We discuss her own books including Dead Lovely, The Cry and its BAFTA winning screen adaptation plus the inspiration for her latest novel Halfway House.

Author BC Harris talks about being re-born in your late 40s, her love of Africa, writing two novels and the books which she's loved of late.

The books and authors we discuss include:

• The Bad Seed by William March
• The Fair Botanists by Sara Sheridan
• American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins
• Conspiracy of Cats by BC Harris
• Making Sacrifices by BC Harris
• Rivers of London by Ben Aaronovitch

If you've enjoyed this episode, please rate, review and subscribe and to contact me, please email heather@thebookalchemist.com

The Fair Botanist

Madeline Black is a psychotherapist and is also known as the Courage Cultivator. An activist, author and TEDx speaker, Madeleine has an unusual personal story and has experienced more trauma in her life than most ever will.

In her memoir, Unbroken, Madeleine tells her deeply moving and empowering story, as she discovers that life is about how a person chooses to recover from adversity.

We discuss her love of books and audiobooks, including:

• The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle
• Super Survivors by Feldman and Kravetz
• Bonnie Garmus's novel Lessons in Chemistry
• Racing in the Rain: My Life as a Dog by Garth Stein
• The Seven Sisters by Lucina Riley

Bestselling author of The Fair Botanists and The Secrets of Blythswood Square, Sara Sheridan talks about the books which have shaped her life, libraries she loves and more.

Truth or Dare, her first novel received a Scottish Library Award and was shortlisted for the Saltire. In 2022, her novel The Fair Botanists was chosen as Waterstones’ Scottish Book of the Year.

Sara is also an activist, interested particularly in female history. She's written more than 20 books and we discuss a wide range of books including:

• Agatha Christie's Death on the Nile
• Her latest novel, The Secrets of Blythswood Square
• Water Music by TC Boyle
• The Collected by Lorna Moon
• Damon Runyon's short stories
• The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay by Michael Chabon
• Valerie Perrin's Fresh Water for Flowers

One Love One Life is Billy Sloan's memoir. We discuss Scottish bands, his passion for music memorabilia, anecdotes about The Beatles, Phil Spector, David Bowie, Wet Wet Wet, Prince and his love of Muhammed Ali.

The books and authors we discuss include:

• Taschen books
• The Longest Cocktail Party by Richard DiLello
• Ken McNab's The Beatles in Scotland
• Shake it up Baby by Ken McNab
• David Bowie, A Life by Dylan Jones
• Tearing Down the Walls of Sound by Mick Brown
• The Black Lights: Inside the World of Professional Boxing by Thomas Hauser
• McIlvanney on Boxing Hugh McIlvanney

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Psychotherapist and author Angela Trainer is the guest on this episode of The Book Alchemist.

Angela has self-published two books, Love Never Dies and The Beauty of Broken. Both raise money for charities.

She talks about the therapeutic power of writing and reading, soul friends, grief and living with illness.

Angela Trainer is one inspiring woman.

Anna Campbell Jones is an interior designer who found fame in her 50's as one of the hosts of BBC Scotland's Home of the Year.

We discuss the joy of a charity shop rumble, the work of Norman Wilkinson, organising bookshelves and her new brand.

Plus Anna shares the authors and books which have shaped her life. This includes:

• Friendaholic by Elizabeth Day
• Max Porter's Lanny
• The Comfort of Things by Daniel Miller

Colin McCredie is an acclaimed actor, big music lover and recent wearer of spectacles.

We discuss growing up in Perth, landing dream film roles, his work on the iconic TV show Taggart and the books he loves. This includes:

• Mayflies by Andrew O'Hagen
• Sunset Song by Lewis Grassic Gibbon
• The Crow Road by Iain Banks
• Forensics by Val McDermid
• Billy Sloan's One Love One Life
• Memoirs by Thomas Dolby, Brett Anderson, Johnny Marr
• O'Brother by John Niven
• The Secret History by Donna Tartt
• A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

Gregor Hollerin is the cofounder of Story Shop an award winning PR and marketing agency.

Dad to two young children, he does a lot of bedtime stories. We discuss Alan Partridge, supporting Doddie Aid, his love of memoirs and more.

The books and authors we discuss include:

• Nick Hornby's High Fidelity
• Stillness and Speed by Dennis Bergkamp
• Norm Macdonald's Based on a True Story
• Dave Chang's Eat a Peach
• F*ck it I'll Start Tomorrow, A True Story by Action Bronson
• Surprisingly Down to Earth, and Very Funny by Limmy
• The Ride of a Lifetime by Robert Iger
• David C Baker and Seth Godin
• Win Without Pitching by Blair Enns
• A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara
• Deep Work by Cal Newport
• Pachinko by Min Jin Lee