The Richard and Judy Book Club, exclusive to WHSmith – Details, episodes & analysis

Edi and Ash have been best friends for over 40 years, so when Edi is diagnosed with cancer, Ash has to reshape her world around the rhythm of Edi’s hospice care. This week’s Book Club novel is We All Want Impossible Things, an extraordinary story of devotion and sadness.

Author Catherine Newman joins Richard and Judy to talk about why she writes so sensuously about food and the desire for good food in the hospice. They also wonder why humour is such a powerful survival method for people in difficult situations. Plus, we know not to judge a book by its cover, but what about its title? Catherine explains how her team came up with ‘We All Want Impossible Things’.

Simply head online to whsmith.co.uk to browse the Autumn Book Club collection, and use the code autumn10 for a 10% discount.

When a body is found in a padlocked suitcase, Investigator Emma Makepeace knows it’s murder, and that it’s personal. In The Traitor, Emma’s investigation sees her shadowing two oligarchs procuring illegal weapons in the UK, and it’s looking increasingly likely that someone deep inside the British government is helping them.

Author Ava Glass joins Richard and Judy to talk about her own experience of working with – and being followed by – spies when she worked for the British government. Often in fiction women seem to tumble into becoming spies by accident, but Ava’s first-hand experience is that women actually make a very deliberate career choice. Ava, who used to be a crime reporter in the USA, also explains how different the job is there compared to in the UK.

Simply head online to whsmith.co.uk to browse the Autumn Book Club collection, and use the code autumn10 for a 10% discount.

The Brandt family faces ruin; 18 year old Thea’s aunt Nella is convinced the only solution is to find Thea a wealthy husband among Amsterdam’s elite. The House of Fortune follows Nella and Thea as they clash over the demands of duty and the heart, old secrets overwhelming them along the way.

Returning Book Club author Jessie Burton joins Richard and Judy to explain why it took her so long to write this, the sequel to bestseller The Miniaturist, including why she had found the idea of touching the character of Nella again so emotional.

They also discuss the Amsterdam of Jessie’s books – an embellished impression of the real city – as well as exploring increasing modern acknowledgement of the Dutch empire and slave trade. Plus, does having your book made into TV show financially set you up for life? Jessie gives an honest answer.

Simply head online to whsmith.co.uk to browse the Summer Book Club collection, and use the code summer10 for a 10% discount.

Dawn O’Porter is this week’s featured author in the Richard and Judy Book Club. So Lucky is a bold, confident, and very funny book examining how social media can make women’s lives look far more perfect than they really are.

Dawn discusses her own relationship with social media, why she’s so confident writing about sex, and how her friend’s experience of polycystic ovaries inspired one of the characters.

Head to your local WHSmith or www.whsmith.co.uk to buy your special edition copy of So Lucky, and browse the entire seasonal Book Club collection.

Oh – and join the conversation and let us know what Book Club novels you’ve been reading recently by emailing richardandjudypodcast@whsmith.co.uk

Erin Kelly returns to The Richard And Judy Book Club with her latest novel We Know You Know, a thriller set in and around a converted Victorian psychiatric hospital in Suffolk.

Our heroine Marianne is a history of art lecturer, but the building itself is the true central character. Erin reveals what she learnt about the history of psychiatric medicine while doing research for this novel – her first foray into historical fiction – as well as how a friend’s Tinder date inspired the story.

Simply pop in to your local WHSmith or head to www.whsmith.co.uk to buy your special edition copy of We Know You Know, and browse the entire seasonal Book Club collection.

Oh – and join the conversation and let us know what Book Club novels you’ve been reading recently by emailing richardandjudypodcast@whsmith.co.uk

Jane Fallon joins Richard and Judy in this week’s episode to discuss her return to the Book Club with her latest novel Queen Bee. The story follows residents of The Close, a beautiful street of mansions, where gorgeous Stella is the indisputable 'Queen Bee'!

In this exclusive interview, Jane shares with Richard and Judy how she came up with the ideas for a novel about neighbours, how her writing process has developed over time, and what it is that makes a ‘Queen Bee’.

Head to whsmith.co.uk to buy your special edition copy of Queen Bee, or pop in to your local WHSmith to browse the entire seasonal Book Club collection.

And join the conversation and let us know what Book Club novels you’ve been reading recently by emailing richardandjudypodcast@whsmith.co.uk.

Robert Harris joins Richard and Judy to discuss his latest novel, The Second Sleep. It’s 1,468 years after the catastrophic collapse of our current civilization, and humankind has had to start again from ground zero.

Robert explores why he feels the Church would almost certainly survive an apocalypse, shares his thoughts on the fragility of modern digital society and reveals how his experience writing historical novels has informed this story.

Simply pop in to your local WHSmith or head to www.whsmith.co.uk to buy your special edition copy of The Second Sleep, and browse the entire seasonal Book Club collection.

Oh – and join the conversation and let us know what Book Club novels you’ve been reading recently by emailing richardandjudypodcast@whsmith.co.uk