Clare Mackintosh on It’s Not What You Think, Plot Twists, Thriller Secrets & Book Reviews
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In this episode of Quick Book Reviews, host Philippa Hall interviews bestselling thriller author Clare McIntosh about her latest novel, *It's Not What You Think*, a standalone psychological thriller packed with masterfully constructed plot twists. The conversation delves into McIntosh’s unique writing process, including her surprising reliance on gamified word counts during long-haul business flights—her ideal writing environment—while also revealing her aversion to noisy cafes and the mental chaos of Goodreads. McIntosh shares her secret tool for crafting fair and believable twists: a Venn diagram that maps the overlapping elements between the real story and the one readers are led to believe. The episode also touches on her emotional transition to a new publisher, her pride in the book’s success, and her upcoming novel *You Don't Know Me At All*, a steamy, high-stakes thriller featuring a judge entangled in a secret affair. Philippa also shares her own book reviews of *Our Friends* by Frederick Backman, *Mrs. Spy* by M.J. Robotham, and the graphic novel *Super Crash* by Daryl Cunningham, while reflecting on her ongoing ebook device dilemma between Kobo and Kindle.
Use a Venn diagram to ensure plot twists are fair and believable by identifying shared elements between the real story and the misleading one.
Create artificial constraints (like word count goals) to overcome procrastination and boost productivity during writing sessions.
A quiet, distraction-free environment—like a business class flight with no Wi-Fi—is often more productive than a comfortable home office.
After a major success, the pressure to deliver can cause creative paralysis; take time to recover and re-center before starting the next project.
Publishing transitions are emotionally complex but can be managed with professionalism and mutual respect between publishers.
…and 3 more takeaways available in PodZeus
Introduction & Book Reviews
Philippa introduces the episode, addresses the Kobo vs. Kindle debate, and shares her reviews of *Our Friends* by Frederick Backman, *Mrs. Spy* by M.J. Robotham, and *Super Crash* by Daryl Cunningham, highlighting their emotional depth, genre-blending appeal, and accessible format.
Writing Locations: Dream vs. Nightmare
“I'm a person who, I'm quite restless. I get up quite a lot and any excuse to stop mid-sentence because it's a bit hard and go and do something else. And I'm there. And so to be trapped, basically, I need to be in a locked box in order to write effectively without interruptions.”
The Secret to Plot Twists: The Venn Diagram
“So if you think about that as a Venn diagram, so you've got these two circles and one circle is story A and one circle is story B, where they cross over, so those commonalities between the two, that is the only area that you as the writer can draw on in order to be fair.”
The Pressure of Success & New Beginnings
“I felt an enormous amount of pressure actually after this and still do. So it's taken me a few months to find my way into the next book and get all that noise out of my head.”
Teasing the Next Book & Biscuit Confessions
McIntosh previews her upcoming novel *You Don't Know Me At All*, a sensual thriller about a judge in a secret affair, and reveals her writing fuel: gluten-free oat biscuits and Yorkshire Gold tea—no dunking, ever.
“So if you think about that as a Venn diagram, so you've got these two circles and one circle is story A and one circle is story B, where they cross over, so those commonalities between the two, that is the only area that you as the writer can draw on in order to be fair.”
“I'm a person who, I'm quite restless. I get up quite a lot and any excuse to stop mid-sentence because it's a bit hard and go and do something else. And I'm there. And so to be trapped, basically, I need to be in a locked box in order to write effectively without interruptions.”
“I'm really enjoying it. So like *It's Not What You Think*, it's got two women. So we've got a character who, Olivia, who is our naughty judge.”
Host
Guest
Clare McIntosh
person
Philippa Hall
person
It's Not What You Think
book
HarperCollins
organization
Kobo
organization
Frederick Backman
person
Kindle
organization
M.J. Robotham
person
Mrs. Spy
book
You Don't Know Me At All
book
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