Join host Victoria Carthew as she speaks with author Ali Lowe about her latest crime thriller, “The Private Island”. New Year's Eve, Loloma Island, Fiji. At one of the most exclusive island resorts in the Pacific Ocean, the champagne is poured, the fireworks are ready and the countdown to new year is just beginning. It's set to be a night that no one will forget. Especially when a body washes up on the shore... But it's impossible to find answers when everyone here has a motive. The billionaire'...
Apr 07, 2025•25 min•Season 5Ep. 9
Welcome to QBD Romance Club! Hosted by Amy Matthews, author and associate professor in Creative Writing at Flinders University , the podcast will dive deep into the world of romance, featuring insightful conversations with some of Australia’s biggest names in the genre. In our next episode, we are joined by New York Times bestselling author, Elsie Silver ( “Wild Love” and “Chestnut Springs 01: Flawless” ). Together, Elsie and Amy talk all things western romance, what makes country boys so appeal...
Apr 04, 2025•30 min•Season 1Ep. 3
Join host Victoria Carthew as she chats with author Geoff Parkes about his debut novel, “When the Deep, Dark Bush Swallows You Whole”, which was QBD’s Fiction Book of the Month in February 2025. It's January 1983. During his university summer break, Ryan Bradley returns to the remote town of Nashville in New Zealand's rugged King Country. It's a bittersweet trip- he's working long, punishing hours as a woolpresser, he needs to sell his late mother's house, and he's increasingly feeling like an o...
Mar 31, 2025•27 min•Season 5Ep. 8
Join host Victoria Carthew as she speaks with crime fiction author Bronwyn Rivers about her debut novel, “The Reunion”. Ten years ago, six teenagers hiked into the Blue Mountains wilderness – and only five came out alive. The survivors have barely seen each other since the tragic bushwalk. Yet when an invitation arrives to attend a 10-year memorial of their friend’s death, Hugh, Charlotte, Alex, Laura and Jack find themselves travelling back into the rugged landscape where it all began. The week...
Mar 28, 2025•25 min•Season 5Ep. 7
Join host Victoria Carthew as she speaks with systemic psychotherapist turned author, Kate Kemp, about her debut crime fiction novel, “The Grapevine” It’s the height of summer in Australia 1979, and on a quiet suburban cul-de-sac in Canberra a housewife is scrubbing the yellow and white chequered tiles of the bathroom floor. But all is not as it seems. For one thing, it’s 3am. For another, she is trying desperately to remove all traces of blood before they stain. Her husband seems remarkably cal...
Mar 24, 2025•30 min•Season 5Ep. 6
Welcome to QBD Romance Club! Hosted by Amy Matthews, author and associate professor in Creative Writing at Flinders University , the podcast will dive deep into the world of romance, featuring insightful conversations with some of Australia’s biggest names in the genre. In episode 2, Amy is joined by authors Bianca Gillam (" Bad Publicity ") and Emma Rae ( "I Knew You Were Trouble" ) for an in-depth conversation about the timeless Enemies To Lovers trope. From the swoon worthy moment when he fal...
Mar 21, 2025•43 min•Season 1Ep. 2
Join host Victoria Carthew as she chats with Andrea Clarke about her brand-new book "Adapt", which was QBD’s Non-Fiction Book of the Month in March 2025. After the global pause in 2020, we returned to a world that feels faster, looser, and less structured – our professional boundaries have been erased, social and cultural norms are shifting rapidly, and at the same time, we're facing profound developments in artificial intelligence. We're facing more change more often, and we're applying a minds...
Mar 17, 2025•24 min
QBD’s host Victoria Carthew chats with crime thriller fiction author John McMahon about his latest novel, “Head Cases”. Gardner Camden is a puzzle and riddle enthusiast, which makes him the perfect fit for Patterns and Recognitions (PAR) unit of the FBI, a team of five brilliant but misfit agents who are too talented, too extraordinary to fire from the Bureau. When a serial killer starts targeting other serial killers from Gardner’s previous cases, and seems to be one step ahead of the FBI at ev...
Mar 14, 2025•27 min•Season 5Ep. 5
Join host Victoria Carthew as she interviews award-winning investigative journalist Quentin McDermott about his latest book, “Meadow’s Law”. “Meadow’s Law” is a gripping and meticulously researched account of one of Australia’s most infamous criminal cases. In 2003, Kathleen Folbigg was found guilty of smothering her four young children to death, one by one. Medical experts told her trial they had never come across a family like hers, where three or more infants had died from natural causes. Ext...
Mar 10, 2025•25 min•Season 5Ep. 4
Welcome to QBD Romance Club! Hosted by Amy Matthews, author and associate professor in Creative Writing at Flinders University , the podcast will dive deep into the world of romance, featuring insightful conversations with some of Australia’s biggest names in the genre. In our debut episode, Amy is joined by authors Rachael Johns (" The Bad Bridesmaid" ) and Tess Woods ( "The Venice Hotel" ). The trio delves into their favourite tropes, dream fancasts, emotional support romance novels, and more—...
Mar 07, 2025•36 min•Season 1Ep. 1
Join host Victoria Carthew as she chats with author Ashley Kalagian Blunt about her latest psychological thriller, “Cold Truth”. Harlow Close has made a career as an influencer uncovering the secrets of Winnipeg, dubbed ‘North America’s Strangest City’. When Harlow’s father mysteriously disappears amid a brutal cold snap, suspicions of foul play arise. Unhappy with the pace of the police investigation, Harlow launches her own search, enlisting her sister’s reluctant help. As Harlow struggles to ...
Mar 05, 2025•25 min•Season 5Ep. 3
Host Victoria Carthew speaks to author Hannah Richell about her latest crime fiction novel, “One Dark Night”. Everyone in the small town of Thorncombe knows the tales of the haunted woods where birds don’t sing and a ghost in a white dress roams, luring people to their deaths. But when a girl in white is found dead the morning after Halloween, her body carefully arranged at the bottom of an old stone folly, the community is thrown into turmoil. A tense, clever and claustrophobic thriller where n...
Mar 04, 2025•23 min•Season 5Ep. 2
Join host Victoria Carthew as she chats to Mark Smith about his debut crime fiction novel, “Three Boys Gone”. The first rule of rescue: Don’t create another casualty. Grace Disher is about to face every teacher’s worst nightmare. On a high school camping trip, three boys slip away for an ocean swim. By the time Grace catches up, the perilous surf conditions are overwhelming the teenagers. If she goes in, she will die trying to save them. Should she have given her life? Order “Three Boys Gone” at...
Mar 03, 2025•27 min•Season 5Ep. 1
Here at QBD Books, we are so excited to launch our Romance Club , a new series celebrating the art of romance writing and love stories. Hosted by Amy Matthews, author and associate professor in Creative Writing at Flinders University , the podcast will dive deep into the world of romance, featuring insightful conversations with some of Australia’s biggest names in the genre. Set to launch on 7th March with episodes released fortnightly, we are your go-to source for behind-the-scenes insights and...
Feb 14, 2025•44 sec
In this week’s episode, our host Victoria Carthew sits down with Natalie Conyer to talk about her latest book, “Shadow City”. In Sydney, a young woman’s body is found – beaten, tortured and tattooed with the image of a sun. In Cape Town, a young woman recruited to study in Sydney has gone missing. Sergeant Jackie Rose and suspended Detective Schalk Lourens join forces, exposing a trail of corruption and crime stretching from the foreshore of Sydney’s iconic harbour back to South Africa and acros...
Nov 03, 2024•28 min•Season 4Ep. 37
In this week’s episode, our host Victoria Carthew sits down with Ann Cleeves to talk about her latest book, “The Dark Wives”. This chilling mystery novel opens as staff member Josh is found dead outside his place of work, Rosebank, a care home for troubled teens, in the early hours of the morning. Detective Investigator Vera Stanhope’s only clue is the disappearance of fourteen-year-old resident Chloe, and Vera struggles to believe a teenager could be responsible for the murder. But when a secon...
Nov 03, 2024•27 min•Season 4Ep. 38
In this week’s episode, our host Victoria Carthew sits down with Jeffrey Archer to talk about his latest book, “An Eye For An Eye”. In one of the most luxurious cities on earth, a billion-dollar deal is about to go badly wrong. A lavish night out is about to end in murder. And the British government is about to be plunged into crisis. In the heart of the British establishment, Lord Hartley lies dying, and his will triggers an inheritance with explosive consequences. Two deaths. Continents apart....
Nov 03, 2024•20 min•Season 4Ep. 43
In this week’s episode, our host Victoria Carthew sits down with Patricia Cornwell to talk about her latest book, “Identity Unknown”. Dr Kay Scarpetta is back and devastated to learn that the murder victim is a man she once loved. Summoned to a theme park to collect the body, Scarpetta finds a bizarre scene with a crop circle of petals, his skin strangely red and is shocked to discover her friend seems to have deliberately left her a clue. As the investigators are torn between suspicions of othe...
Nov 03, 2024•26 min•Season 4Ep. 42
In this week’s episode, our host Victoria Carthew sits down with James Phelps to talk about his latest book, “Australian Ghost Stories”. Discover haunting true crime stories of the supernatural and paranormal. In his award-winning narrative style, James Phelps has re-created the thrilling histories of some of Australia’s most haunted places and famous buildings, including Aradale Mental Hospital and its horrifying 126-year history. To order “Australian Ghost Stories”, you can visit QBD Books in-...
Nov 03, 2024•26 min•Season 4Ep. 41
In this week’s episode, our host Victoria Carthew sits down with JD Kirk to talk about his latest book, “A Killer of Influence”. Following a convention in the Scottish Highlands, eight social media influencers vanish without a trace, leaving their followers and families in shock. And then, the livestreams begin. Broadcast live from their squalid underground cells, the young influencers are forced into a sadistic battle for survival. With each livestream, their captor pits them against each other...
Nov 03, 2024•26 min•Season 4Ep. 40
In this week’s episode, our host Victoria Carthew sits down with Brooke Hardwick to talk about her latest book, “The Fog”. Plagued my memories she can’t unravel and desperate to understand the breakdown of her marriage, Kate attends a 10-day writers retreat on a remote island in the Irish Channel determined to leave with answers. As the retreat’s director taps into the eerie mythology of the island, Kate becomes increasingly fascinated by him and her surrounds. But when the temperature plummets ...
Nov 03, 2024•25 min•Season 4Ep. 39
In this week’s episode, our host Victoria Carthew sits down with Michael Robotham to talk about his brand-new book, “Storm Child”. This fantastic story follows Evie Cormac and Cyrus Haven. The most painful of Evie’s memories have been locked away, ever since she was held prisoner as a child - a child whose rescue captured hearts and headlines. Now, Cyrus – a forensic psychologist – is on a mission to guide her to something near normality. When seventeen bodies wash up in front of them on the bea...
Nov 03, 2024•28 min•Season 4Ep. 29
In this week’s episode, our host Victoria Carthew sits down with Lucy Foley to talk about her brand-new book “The Midnight Feast”. Starting this story, guests gather for the opening of The Manor hotel - the new jewel on the Dorset coastline. But under the cloak of celebration, something dark is stirring. The Manor has a secret history; built in the shadows of an ancient wood. Now old friends and enemies are creeping out of the shadows. And they'll soon discover what other deadly secrets come out...
Nov 03, 2024•28 min•Season 4Ep. 28
In this week’s episode, our host Victoria Carthew sits down with Louise Candlish to talk about her twisty new thriller, “Our Holiday”. Charlotte and Perry have owned their clifftop holiday home in Pine Ridge for years. Now city friends Amy and Linus have bought a second home nearby and when the two families descend, they plan lazy days at the beach and evenings sipping rosé. But this summer is different. A group of locals – headed by the charismatic Robbie – will stop at nothing to make the seco...
Nov 03, 2024•29 min•Season 4Ep. 27
In this week’s episode, our host Victoria Carthew sits down with Nicola Moriarty to talk about her unputdownable new thriller, “Every Last Suspect”. Whether you love or hate her, Harriet Osman is impossible to say no to. But someone in her life has finally snapped, and as Harriet lies dying, she is determined to figure out who her killer is. Was it her devoted husband, Malek? Her best friend and sometimes lover, Victoria? Or the new woman in her life, fellow school mum Karen? The one with an imp...
Nov 03, 2024•27 min•Season 4Ep. 26
In this week’s episode, our host Victoria Carthew sits down with the lovely Diane Armstrong to talk about her brand-new book “The Wild Date Palm”. While on a train journey across Turkey's Anatolian Plain during World War I, Shoshana Adelstein witnesses the slaughter of the Armenians and knows she has just come face to face with her destiny. Convinced that her Jewish community in a small outpost of the Ottoman Empire will soon meet a similar fate, she is desperate to save her people. Soon, she or...
Nov 03, 2024•28 min•Season 4Ep. 16
In this week’s episode, our host Victoria Carthew sits down with Nikki Mottram to talk about her newest book “Killarney”. When child protection worker Dana Gibson arrives in the rural town of Killarney, she has one goal in mind - locate the whereabouts of foster child Jayden Maloney. What she isn't anticipating is an unexpected attraction to her colleague's younger brother Sean, or to become embroiled in their simmering family feud. As Dana continues to ask questions, tensions peak with the risi...
Nov 03, 2024•26 min•Season 4Ep. 17
“Sanctuary” by Garry Disher In this week’s episode, our host Victoria Carthew sits down with Garry Disher to talk about his thrilling new standalone, “Sanctuary”. In this story, Grace is a thief - a good one specialising in small, high-value items. But it's a solitary life, always watchful, always moving. It's not the life she wants. Lying low after a run-in with an old associate, Grace walks into Erin Mandel's rural antiques shop and sees a chance for something different. A normal job. A place ...
May 30, 2024•24 min•Season 4Ep. 23
In this week’s episode, our host Victoria Carthew sits down with Stig Abell to talk about his new crime thriller “Death In A Lonely Place”. This time, Detective Jake Jackson has moved to the countryside for a quieter life. And now, he finally seems to have his wish – spending his time swimming in his lake, tending to his chickens, and enjoying long, lazy evenings with his newfound love, Livia. But the return of an old case shatters the calm, and pulls him into the shadowy world of No Taboo – a s...
May 30, 2024•27 min•Season 4Ep. 22
In this week’s episode, our host Victoria Carthew sits down with Amanda Hampson to talk about her highly anticipated new novel, “The Cryptic Clue”. Welcome back to Zig Zag Lane in the heart of Sydney's rag-trade district, where our intrepid tea ladies, Hazel, Betty and Irene, have their work cut out. Solving a murder, kidnapping and arson case, and outwitting an arch criminal, earned them the respect of a local police officer. Now he needs their assistance to help solve a plot that threatens nat...
May 30, 2024•26 min•Season 4Ep. 21
