Bonnie Burke-Patel writes literary gothic crime fiction. Her debut I Died at Fallow Hall was shortlisted for the 2025 CWA Gold Dagger award. Bonnie also helped devise the questions for this crime author Q&A. For her kind participation, she received the limited edition £22.22 Gumshoe Books gift voucher.
Bonnie Burke Patel's new title We Search the Island for Grace is published on the 30th of July 2026.
Describe your latest book in one sentence.
A modern reply to Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None: seven men on an island with nowhere else to be at Christmas, forced to reckon with their loneliness and fractured memories when a body is unearthed.
What soundtrack do you suggest readers should listen to while they read your latest book?
Oooh, anything by Hozier, Florence + the Machine, or Sleep Token. Think angst, stormy tones, references to Eden and salvation… The tone of We Search the Island for Grace is mournful and gothic, rich in imagery, but still full of love and hope, like these artists.
What's next?
I have a short story coming out in Bedford Square Publisher’s upcoming Christmas crime anthology, which combines murder and board games… and my fourth book is in the works ahead of publication next year. Naturally, I am already gleefully planning book five.
What was the first book you remember reading?
The Unicorn Dream by Douglas Hill. It was one of the Banana Readers series that I borrowed from my local library - not considered remarkable or memorable. But there was a terrifying night hound and bridges to nowhere. Something about it really settled in my imagination, and when I managed to track down a copy last year, the story and the illustrations still kindled that magical feeling. Childhood reading really does shape you into adulthood.
Please list your top five all-time favourite books (any genre)
- Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None (my obsession with it sparked my latest novel!)
- Susanna Clarke’s Piranesi
- Robert Louis Stevenson’s Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde
- Rosanna Pike’s A Little Trickerie
- Terry Pratchett’s Going Postal
What is the most underrated crime novel, and why does it deserve more attention?
Christopher Huang’s Unnatural Ends deserves wider acclaim and attention! It’s the perfect mix of plot, characterisation, gothic setting, and lush prose. It’s my go-to recommendation.
The Gumshoe Dude sneaks into your latest story while you’re not looking. What is he doing there?
Cheeky Gumshoe Dude! He’s probably walking the stone labyrinth set into the floor of the monastery-turned-manor-house or fussing Hilda the labrador.
And now for a few quick questions:
Top book on your TBR (to-be-read)
Marcus Sedgwick, The Monsters We Deserve
Poirot or Rebus?
Poirot
Keyboard or pen?
Keyboard
Audio or E-book?
Audio
If you turn on the radio now, what station is playing?
Nothing, I don’t own one.
And finally, your writing beverage of choice?
ESPRESSO.
Questions ©Bonnie Burke-Patel and Anneli Meeder; Responses ©Bonnie Burke-Patel
