{"podcast":{"title":"Quick Book Reviews with Philippa Hall","slug":"quick-book-reviews-with-philippa-hall-183832","podcast_index_feed_id":183832,"rss_url":"https://feeds.acast.com/public/shows/6087d3aca4a81031ba098a59","website_url":"https://play.acast.com/s/quick-book-reviews","image_url":"https://assets.pippa.io/shows/6087d3aca4a81031ba098a59/1735832732838-15640c7a-3144-49ba-9bc0-a59a401d1e9a.jpeg","author":"Philippa Hall","episode_count":476,"summary":"Thousands of books. No time to waste. No spoilers. Ever. Quick Book Reviews — your twice-weekly reading companion with host Philippa Hall What it is Quick Book Reviews is a spoiler-free book podcast hosted by Philippa Hall, published every Monday and Friday. Philippa reads widely so busy readers don't have to guess — delivering honest, enthusiastic, bite-sized reviews alongside in-depth author interviews and a friendly window into the publishing world. This is a warm, welcoming show for readers who love books but don't have time to read everything — and want someone they trust to help them choose what's next. Format Spoiler-free reviews : Fast, honest breakdowns of new releases and upcoming fiction Author interviews : In-depth conversations with novelists about plot, character, and writing craft — from global names to indie debuts Publishing insider news : Literary trends, BookTok and Bookstagram highlights, and behind-the-scenes publishing gossip Genres covered Crime · Psychological thriller · Cosy crime · Contemporary drama · Dark academia · Rom-com · Historical fiction · Horror · Romantasy Ideal for Readers with an ever-growing TBR pile · Book club members looking for their nex…","last_synced_at":"2026-07-20T04:19:55.610709+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/quick-book-reviews-with-philippa-hall-183832"},"episode":{"title":"David Goodman on Solitary Agents, Spy Fiction and Writing Through Rejection","slug":"david-goodman-on-solitary-agents-spy-fiction-and-writing-through-rejection","published_at":"2026-06-01T00:05:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/quick-book-reviews-with-philippa-hall-183832/david-goodman-on-solitary-agents-spy-fiction-and-writing-through-rejection","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/quick-book-reviews-with-philippa-hall-183832","url":"https://shows.acast.com/quick-book-reviews/episodes/david-goodman-on-solitary-agents-spy-fiction-and-writing-thr","audio_url":"https://sphinx.acast.com/p/open/s/6087d3aca4a81031ba098a59/e/6a08848da8fad4c1be7b6a6b/media.mp3","summary":"In this episode of Quick Book Reviews , Philippa chats to David Goodman about his latest spy thriller Solitary Agents , the follow-up to his brilliant debut A Reluctant Spy . David talks about writing spy fiction for readers who may not usually read spy novels, creating the hugely compelling character of Jamie Tulloch , and the long road to publication after earlier books did not sell. He also discusses awards, resilience, TV adaptation developments, and his upcoming science fiction novel Shards of Starlight , written as David W. Goodman . Philippa also reviews: The Good Listener by Holly Watt Such a Nice Girl by Andrea Mara The Thick of It BBC audiobook In This Episode David Goodman on Solitary Agents Why spy fiction is having a major moment Writing accessible spy thrillers Jamie Tulloch and the world of MI5 and MI6 The challenge of writing a second book Rejection, persistence and finding your writing community TV adaptation news for A Reluctant Spy Writing science fiction as David W. Goodman Dream and nightmare writing locations Philippa’s spoiler-free book reviews About Solitary Agents Solitary Agents follows Jamie Tulloch after the events of A Reluctant Spy . Having tried to return to civilian life, Jamie finds himself pulled back towards the secret world — this time hoping to become an agent runner. But during a training exercise involving MI5 and MI6, Jamie and new character Sam Lee witness something that may be part of the drill… or may be frighteningly real. Perfect for readers who enjoy: spy fiction thrillers MI5 and MI6 stories character-led suspense smart, pacey writing novels by Mick Herron, John le Carré and David McCloskey Books Reviewed The Good Listener – Holly Watt A gripping thriller about an anonymous caller, a shocking confession, and a mother still…","meta_description":"In this episode of Quick Book Reviews , Philippa chats to David Goodman about his latest spy thriller Solitary Agents , the follow-up to his brilliant deb…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":2724,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/quick-book-reviews-with-philippa-hall-183832/episodes/david-goodman-on-solitary-agents-spy-fiction-and-writing-through-rejection/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/quick-book-reviews-with-philippa-hall-183832/david-goodman-on-solitary-agents-spy-fiction-and-writing-through-rejection.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}