Bestselling crime author, Attica Locke, goes head to head with John Le Carre's son - Nick Harkaway - in a war of the words.

Nick has written a new George Smiley novel, continuing his father's legacy, called Karla's Choice. He chats to Joe Haddow about the pressure he felt to get the character right and how he got himself in the right frame of mind to write the novel.

Attica discusses 'Guide Me Home' - the third novel in her trilogy of books dubbed The Highway 59 series, featuring the Texas Ranger Darren Matthews.

As well chatting about their writing and new books, they also give us some brilliant book recommendations!

THE BOOK OFF

"In My Time Of Dying" by Sebastian Junger

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"Tokyo Express" by Seicho Matsumoto

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Two brilliant authors and humans, Rumaan Alam and Tessa Hadley, go head to head in a war of the words.

They talk about the joy of writing about clothes, how money can drive you mad and how some cities are easier to fictionalise than others.

As well as discussing their new novels, their writing styles and processes and the difference between writing short stories, novels and novellas, they also give us some great book recommendations.

Entitlement by Rumaan Alam is a novel about an ambitious young Black woman, plotting her way into the world of the one percent, and an old white billionaire, facing his own extinction. He's attracted to her intelligence, her refusal to be deferential, maybe also her Blackness, whilst she's drawn to his power and money – and his apparent willingness to share both with her. But how far is each prepared to go to get what they think they deserve?

The Party by Tessa Hadley is a novella set in post-war Bristol. Sisters Moira and Evelyn are on the cusp of adulthood who meet two men at a dockside party. Paul and Sinden's air of worldliness and sophistication both intrigues and repels them. Sinden calls a few days later to invite them over to the grand suburban mansion Paul shares with his brother and sister. As the night unfolds in this unfamiliar, glamorous new setting, the sisters learn things about themselves and each other that shock them, and release them into a new phase of their lives.

We hope you enjoy this episode of Book Off! If you did, please do leave us a review...

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Global bestselling author Liane Moriarty goes head to head with author and content creator Bea Fitzgerald.

They discuss their new novels, their writing practices and seasonal reading!

Bea shares her love of reality TV, which has inspired her new novel, and Liane tells us about her characterisation and plot structures.

They both get pretty nervous about the Book Off, and decide to have an arm wrestle to settle it! See our instagram account for that...

THE BOOK OFF

"Idol" by Louise O'Neill

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"The Accidental Tourist" by Anne Tyler

This was such a lovely, warm chat - and we hope you enjoy listening as much as we did recording it!

You can find our more about Bea Fitzgerald and her books on her Instagram account - she is veeery entertaining.

And for more on Liane Moriarty and her writing - you can visit her website, or follow her on instagram

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