The latest edition of The Thursday Book Club was broadcast on 15th October 2026 at 2pm on Phonic FM. Joining hosts Jonathan Posner and Cathy Dodd were Stephanie Austin and Lucy Martin. Click the names to find out more about them, and use the audio bar below to listen to the full show.
The second hour featured an interview by Cathy Dodd with both our guests.
Stephanie told us about her new book launching on 22nd October – book 10 in her series featuring amateur sleuth (and domestic goddess) Juno Browne.
Lucy told us about her series featuring DI Ronnie Delmar.
Lucy also told us about the upcoming Teignmouth Bookfest on 7th November.
Cathy played some great music:
1. Starlight: Muse
2. Together Alone: Sound of the Sirens
3. You and Me (but Mostly Me: The Book of Mormon
4. Wrapped Up in Books: Belle and Sebastian
5. Thriller: Michael Jackson
6. The Great Skua: British Sea Power
Our book review was The Unknown by Riley Sagar
Find out what we thought of the book by listening below (no spoilers – which wasn’t easy!)
Listen to the show in full here:
The next show is at 2pm on the 19th November 2026.
We’ll be reading Partita by Barbara Kingsolver
Why not read along and send your comments in to The Thursday Book Club?
Leave a message on our Facebook page or email jo******@jo******************.com before 15th November 2026.
We’d love to have your comments and have the opportunity to feed them into our discussion.
BOOK NEWS THIS MONTH
BOOKS AVAILABLE IN ALL GOOD RETAILERS
LIFE OUT OF ORDER by Audrey Niffenegger. The long-awaited sequel to The Time Traveler’s Wife follows Henry and Clare’s daughter Alba, who has inherited the ability to slip through time. As she navigates two complicated relationships and an uncertain future, the novel combines speculative fiction with an intimate story about love and belonging. Published last Tuesday, 13th
THE WITCH by Freida McFadden was published on October 6th. McFadden, the bestselling author of The Housemaid, turns to a gothic premise in a story that links present-day New England with the Salem witch-trial era. Her books are known for brisk pacing and sharp reversals, making this a natural choice for readers who enjoy twist-driven suspense. This has already gained five and half thousand ratings on Amazon (at 4.3).
OTHER WORLDS THAN THESE by Stephen King and Peter Straub was also published on October 6th – by Hodder & Stoughton. This dark-fantasy release returns to the territory explored by the two bestselling authors in The Talisman and Black House. It is one of October’s headline genre releases, aimed at readers who enjoy supernatural adventure and worlds that sit just beyond the familiar.
October 6th was a big day for releases! PARTITA, the new novel by Barbara Kingsolver, came out from Faber & Faber. Kingsolver brings her characteristic interest in people, relationships and the forces that shape a life, to a story of love, loss and resilience. It offers a literary-fiction option amid the month’s thrillers and fantasy releases.
THE SIXTH FACTION by Veronica Roth came out on the 8th October from Harper Fire. Roth returns to the dystopian world that made her name with Divergent. The novel offers high-stakes choices, shifting loyalties and action-driven speculative fiction, with an obvious appeal to readers who enjoy fast-moving series fiction.
Coming out today (15-10-26) from Titan Books is VICTORIOUS by V.E. Schwab. Schwab returns to her Villains universe for the third instalment in a series built around extraordinary abilities, ambition and morally complicated characters. This book, from the Sunday Times bestselling author of The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue and Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil is a strong pick for readers who like dark, imaginative fantasy with a superhero edge.
Jack Reacher is back! CHAIN REACTION is the new book by Lee Child and Andrew Child. It comes out on the 20th October from Bantam. This new thriller involves a suspicious death in Colorado and a trail that reaches into the world of powerful technology interests. The series remains a reliable choice for readers who want a direct, propulsive action thriller.
THE HOLLOW by Michael Connelly comes out on the fifth of November 2026 from Orion. Connelly returns to crime fiction with a new Harry Bosch story. Bosch’s investigations combine procedural detail with the pressure of a case that keeps widening, making this a good choice for readers who prefer detective work and police procedure to domestic suspense.
