Tell me about your latest book and why we should read it?
Don’t Say a Word is the story of lawyer Jen Sutton, a mum trying to protect her son Josh from a secret that threatens both their lives. But one day a postcard arrives – from the very last person Jen wants to hear from. The secret is no longer safe. Don’t Say a Word is billed as a gripping psychological thriller – one review called it the psychological thriller of the year – so if that’s your genre, this is the book for you. Also if you were hooked by my last book The Good Mother, hopefully this will live up to its promise.
If someone was to write your life story what would the title be?
The cat who drank champagne. It’s a long story (I hope).
What’s the strangest fan question or request you’ve received?
Someone asked if could tell them the meaning of some words in the book. Perfectly happy to be a human dictionary if needed, but…
If you could co-write with anyone in the world (alive or dead) who would it be?
Emily Bronte. Wuthering Heights is still one of my favourite gothic reads.
Tell me something nobody else knows about you (yet!).
I’m probably the only author of thrillers with a purple sparkly unicorn pencil on their writing desk…
Finally please recommend 3 books that you have recently read and tell me why you’ve chosen these.
1.The Muse by Jessie Burton. Lyrical, haunting, wonderful prose, and an ode to the creative arts. Even better than The Miniaturist.
2. Lucky Ghost by Matthew Blakstad. Incredibly clever future-tech conspiracy thriller. Really imaginative ideas, compelling plot, plus great zingy prose.
3. The Good Liar by Nicholas Searle. Not a hugely cheery book (one pensioner trying to cheat another out of their lifesavings) but a masterclass in suspense and hidden agendas.
Who is Amy Bird (AL Bird): A.L. Bird lives in London, where she divides her time between writing, working as a lawyer, and running around after her young family. She loves writing dark, twisty thrillers. Bestselling ‘The Good Mother’ was her first major psychological thriller for HQDigital. ‘Don’t Say a Word’ (out now) is her chilling standalone next book. She has an MA in Creative Writing from Birkbeck, University of London, and is also a graduate of the Faber Academy ‘Writing a Novel’ course. She is a member of the Crime Writers’ Association. For updates on her writing follow her on Twitter, @ALBirdWriter.