Over the years I’ve been invited onto a number of true crime podcasts to talk about my experience and the books that grew out of it. Each conversation has been different, but they usually focus primarily on the crime itself - the deception, the investigation, and the extraordinary circumstances surrounding it.
So when I was invited to be the first interviewee on a brand-new podcast called Footnotes on Crime, launching on 28th March, I was immediately intrigued.
Because this podcast takes a slightly different approach.
Footnotes on Crime focuses on people whose lives have been directly touched by crime - survivors, witnesses, investigators, and others who have gone on to document their experiences in writing. While the crime itself forms part of the story, the real focus is on what happens afterwards: how people process those experiences, how they make sense of them, and how writing can become part of that journey.
In other words, it’s a true crime podcast that looks beyond the headlines and into the deeper human story - particularly when that story becomes a book.
For me, that made the conversation especially meaningful.
In Episode One, released on 3rd April, I talk about my own experience of discovering that the man I was married to had been living a double life as a bigamist and conman. It’s a story many people know through my books The Bigamist and The Psychopath, but what made this interview particularly special was the opportunity to talk about something that often gets less attention: the role that writing played in rebuilding my life afterwards.
Writing those books was never simply about recounting what happened. It was about making sense of an experience that felt almost impossible to comprehend at the time. Putting the story on paper helped me process the trauma, understand the psychology behind what had happened, and ultimately reclaim my own narrative.
During the conversation we also touched on the wider landscape of publishing - the opportunities available today for writers to share their stories, whether through traditional publishing or self-publishing. That naturally led into a discussion about something very close to my heart: The Book Whisperers.
Starting The Book Whisperers came from a simple realisation. Writing my own books had been such a powerful and transformative experience that I wanted to help other people do the same. There are so many important stories out there - stories of resilience, survival, insight, creativity and lived experience - and often people simply need encouragement, guidance and a supportive community to help them bring those stories to life.
Today, working with writers and authors to help them write and publish their books genuinely feels like living the dream. Seeing someone hold their finished book for the first time, knowing the courage it took to write it, is always incredibly special.
That’s one of the reasons I love the concept behind Footnotes on Crime. It recognises that behind every true crime story is a human being whose life has been shaped by what happened - and sometimes the act of writing about that experience becomes an important part of moving forward.
Stories have power. They help us understand the world, they help us connect with others, and sometimes they help us heal.
If you enjoy true crime but are also fascinated by the stories behind the stories - the writing process, the personal journeys, and the impact of sharing truth - then Footnotes on Crime is definitely one to add to your listening list.
The podcast launches next month with the first episode released on 3rd April, and will be available wherever you listen to podcasts. And I’m honoured to be helping them start the journey.