Description
She’s not the victim. She’s not the sidekick. She’s the one you should fear.
C.J. Skuse, Asia Mackay and Laura Marshall, three of crime fiction’s sharpest voices, come together to explore a thrilling shift in the genre: women who don’t just survive the story, but they drive it. From Skuse’s darkly comic serial killer Sweetpea to Mackay’s murderous suburban wife to Marshall’s psychological knife-edge thrillers, these authors write women who are complex, dangerous and utterly compelling.
Expect a frank and funny conversation about female rage, moral ambiguity and why readers can’t stop rooting for characters who cross every line.
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About the Authors
Asia Mackay
Asia Mackay is a Chinese Scottish author and mother of four based in London. Asia studied Anthropology at Durham University and began her career in television. She moved to China, presented and produced lifestyle programmes in Shanghai before returning to London where she worked for the likes of Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman, and subsequently completed a Faber Academy course. A Serial Killer’s Guide to Marriage was shortlisted for The Radio 2 Book Club Award 2026 and her debut novel Killing It was the Runner Up in Richard and Judy’s Search for a Bestseller competition and Runner Up/ Exceptionally Recognised for the Comedy Women In Print prize.
C.J. Skuse
C.J. Skuse is the bestselling author of the Sweetpea series and six further novels spanning YA and adult crime fiction. Skuse’s work has won the Dumfries and Burgh Book Award and France’s Jean Monnet Prize. The adult debut, Sweetpea, was adapted for television by See-Saw Films, premiering on Sky Atlantic in 2024, with a second series coming out later in 2026.
Laura Marshall
Laura Marshall is the Sunday Times top ten and Kindle No. 1 bestselling author of six psychological thrillers. Her books Friend Request, Three Little Lies, The Anniversary, My Husband’s Killer and A Good Place to Hide a Body have sold over half a million copies in the UK, been translated into twenty-five languages and optioned for film and TV. Her sixth novel, Kiss Marry Kill, was published by Hodder & Stoughton on 20th November 2025.
Laura is an editor and mentor for several of London’s major creative writing schools, and also offers personal manuscript editing services to emerging writers. She grew up in Wiltshire, studied English at the University of Sussex and now lives with her family in Kent.
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