{"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":"M.W. Craven on The Killer's Mark Plus the Kindle That Saved a Life in Barcelona","slug":"m-w-craven-on-the-killer-s-mark-plus-the-kindle-that-saved-a-life-in-barcelona","published_at":"2026-06-29T00:05:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/quick-book-reviews-with-philippa-hall-183832/m-w-craven-on-the-killer-s-mark-plus-the-kindle-that-saved-a-life-in-barcelona","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/quick-book-reviews-with-philippa-hall-183832","url":"https://shows.acast.com/quick-book-reviews/episodes/mw-craven-on-the-killers-mark-plus-the-kindle-that-saved-a-l","audio_url":"https://sphinx.acast.com/p/open/s/6087d3aca4a81031ba098a59/e/6a313ae31f4c78697a435528/media.mp3","summary":"Philippa opens with a genuinely unbelievable true story — how a friend trapped in a locked Barcelona hotel toilet used her Kindle to prise the door open and escape. Reading saves lives, people. Then it's three book reviews and a brilliant listener Q&A with crime fiction favourite M.W. Craven , talking about book eight in the Washington Poe series, The Killer's Mark , out 13th August . 📚 Book Reviews The Midnight Train – Matt Haig A beautiful, emotionally rich audiobook about love, regret, and the moments that matter. Uplifting rather than sad, and perfect for fans of Matt Haig's reflective style. Octagon – C.J. Merritt A fast-paced spy thriller following former MI6 agent Stella McCrae and ex-SAS operator Tommy Kane as they race to stop a devastating plot against the West. Cinematic and action-packed. Rivals – Jilly Cooper Philippa picked this up after the TV series left her on an emotional cliffhanger with five months until part two. 720 pages later, she has both more and fewer answers than she started with. Enjoyable — especially at the beginning — but perhaps a lesson in patience. 🎙️ Author Interview: M.W. Craven on The Killer's Mark Poe and Tilly are back — this time as private investigators, drawn into a case that begins with a young American woman who has seen her supposedly dead mother in a porn film. Darker than some recent entries in the series, but with the trademark humour firmly intact. Mike and Philippa discuss: Why this book starts smaller and more personal than previous Poe adventures The deliberate shift in the Poe/Tilly dynamic across the series — and who relies on whom now A new teenage character and the questions only a 15-year-old will ask directly The Martin Clunes passage that made Philippa nearly choke on her coffee (no spoilers, but it's bril…","meta_description":"Philippa opens with a genuinely unbelievable true story — how a friend trapped in a locked Barcelona hotel toilet used her Kindle to prise the door open a…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":3027,"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/m-w-craven-on-the-killer-s-mark-plus-the-kindle-that-saved-a-life-in-barcelona/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/m-w-craven-on-the-killer-s-mark-plus-the-kindle-that-saved-a-life-in-barcelona.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}