Main content

Sophie Hannah and Viv Groskop

Crime writer Sophie Hannah, journalist and comedian Viv Groskop, and presenter Harriett Gilbert recommend three books full of surprises.

Sophie Hannah and Viv Groskop join Harriett Gilbert to talk about books they love.

Sophie, an Agatha Christie expert and superfan, recommends The Rose and the Yew Tree, a book – misleadingly billed as a romance, she says – that Christie wrote under the pseudonym Mary Westmacott. She claims it can rival any detective novel for suspense and intrigue. Will Harriett and Viv agree?

Harriett champions Dame Eileen Atkin’s recent memoir Will She Do? which charts the first 30 years of the actor's life, including her time as a child soubrette, performing in working men’s clubs as ‘Baby Eileen’.

Writer, podcaster and stand-up Viv Groskop recalls her time living in Russia in the 1990s and explains why she thinks The Heart of a Dog by Mikhail Bulgakov, a 1920s satire about science gone very wrong, will become increasingly relevant in the months and years ahead.

Produced for ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Audio in Bristol by Sarah Goodman.

Available now

28 minutes

Last on

Fri 15 Jul 2022 23:00

Broadcasts

  • Tue 12 Jul 2022 16:30
  • Fri 15 Jul 2022 23:00

Books and Authors Podcast

Books and Authors Podcast

Open Book for author interviews and A Good Read for recommended reads

Listen now to books on ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Sounds

Listen now to books on ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Sounds

Escape with books & stories

Opening Lines

Opening Lines

John Yorke unpacks the themes behind the stories in Radio 4's weekend afternoon dramas.

Books

Celebrating reading and the 100 novels that have shaped our world.

How many of these 100 Novels have you read?

How many of these 100 Novels have you read?

After a passionate debate, our panel has come up with this surprising literary selection.