Melissa Westemeier

Author of a range of historical fiction, Lauren Small’s curiosity comes from her thirst to understand how we got to where we are today. Her stories focus on the experiences of everyday people living through enormous events and she explores the roots of discontent, migration, and hope in her new novel Radegonde and the First Crusade . In a sweeping adventure that’s part road trip and part coming of age story, a girl from rural France joins the First Crusade with her brother an

Sally Smith’s newest title, A Case of Life and Limb, ticks all my boxes: a secret corner of London (that really exists!), a twisty mystery set in a real place in history, backstage theater drama, lawyers wrestling with ethical questions, complex characters, and a sassy cat. She describes her background as a barrister living in The Temple, the secluded grounds dating back to the Knights Templar and today a main legal district in London. We also talk about Gabriel’s origin stor