BOOKS Q&A: Cath Staincliffe

Cath Staincliffe is an award-winning novelist, radio playwright and the creator of ITV's hit series, Blue Murder, starring Caroline Quentin. Cath's books have been short-listed for the British Crime Writers' Association best first novel award, for the Dagger in the Library and twice for the Short Story Dagger, winning in 2012. Cath's Sal Kilkenny private eye series features a single-parent sleuth working the mean streets of Manchester.  

Name a book that . . .  

 . . . inspired you as a child

The Secret Seven books by Enid Blyton. I loved the adventure and the solving of a mystery. Perhaps that’s why I write crime.

. . . inspires you now

Anything by Louise Doughty, Anne Tyler, Kate Atkinson or Maggie O’Farrell.  

. . . surprised you

The Overstory by Richard Powers. I learned so many amazing things about how trees behave. It added to my passion for them and reinforced the urgent need to tackle the climate emergency. 

. . . makes you cry 

Beloved by Toni Morrison.

. . . makes you laugh 

Black Teeth and A Brilliant Smile by Adelle Stripe, and the Jackson Lamb series by Mick Herron. 

. . . makes you think until your head hurts

I give up at the slightest sign of brain ache. Reading is for pleasure. 

. . . you’ve always meant to read but never quite got around to 

Well, I’ve a very long To-Be-Read list but I live in hope.  

. . . you couldn’t finish 

Loads of them but I wouldn’t like to name any names. If I’m not enjoying a book I give up and choose something else. 

. . . you recommend to others 

The Sunlight Pilgrims by Jenni Fagan. It has everything I love, wonderful characters, an evocative setting and a gripping story (it also happens to be a dystopia). There are dozens of others I recommend – I regularly post lists of them on my website. 

. . . made you miss your bus/tram/train stop 

This did happen to me, just the once, but I can’t remember what the book was!