6.22 Liz Nugent: The Secret to Award-Winning Irish Crime Thrillers

Sally Diamond cannot understand why what she did was so strange. She was only doing what her father told her to do, to put him out with the rubbish when he died.This is the basic plot of ‘Strange Sally Diamond’ whose author, Liz Nugent joined Tara and Michelle on this episode of Books & Beyond to discuss Irish crime writing and the complexities of writing about trauma and identity.Together they shared their perspectives on the popularity of true crime novels in both India and Ireland, and delved into the complexities of trauma, identity, and parenting in their novels.Liz discusses her fascination with dark characters and themes, citing Shakespearean tragedies as an influence. She talked about rewriting the ending for American audiences, as they found it too dark. Additionally, she also spoke about how the novel explores the theme of parenting through the lens of a dysfunctional family, highlighting the complexities of raising children in a society that perpetuates patriarchal norms.Book and authors mentioned in this episode:‘The Last Man’ by Jane Harper‘The Talented Mr. Ripley’ by Patricia Highsmith‘A Fine Balance’ by Rohinton Mistry‘Perfume’ by Michael Patrick Susskind‘Prophet Song’ by Paul LynchApplications for The Bound Publishing Course 2026 are now open.The Bound Publishing Course is a 3-month intensive course on book, magazine, and digital publishing. Through live sessions, workshops, and industry-facing projects, participants gain practical publishing skills and exposure to careers across the industry.Cohort size: 50 seatsFirst round of acceptances: 15th June 2026Applications are reviewed on a rolling bas‘Books and Beyond with Bound’ is the podcast where Tara Khandelwal and Michelle D’costa uncover how their books reflect the realities of our lives and society today. Find out what drives India’s finest authors: from personal experiences to jugaad research methods, insecurities to publishing journeys. Created by Bound, a storytelling company that helps you grow through stories. Follow us @boundindia on all social media platforms.