Kate Riordan
Writing Coach
Kate Riordan is the bestselling author of seven novels, including The Heatwave, a Richard and Judy Book Club thriller pick and Apple Fiction Chart No.1. Her historical novel The Girl in the Photograph was a Sunday Times bestseller described as a must-read for fans of Daphne du Maurier’s Rebecca. It was Penguin’s bestselling ebook the summer of its release. Kate’s two other historical novels—The Shadow Hour and The Stranger, a Red magazine Top Ten choice of that year—are also published by Penguin. Together they have sold in excess of 150,000 copies. Kate wrote the novelization of Sanditon, ITV’s historical drama series based on Jane Austen’s unfinished manuscript. She also writes thrillers as Katherine Fleet; her latest, The Liars, has garnered praise from Sarah Pearse, Daisy Buchanan and Lucy Clarke. Kate has worked as a journalist for the Guardian and as deputy editor for Time Out. She has written for Red, Stella, British Airways’s High Life, the Guardian, Grazia, Living etc., and the Sunday Times. She has an MA in English from Exeter University.
Kate Riordan is the author of seven novels and short stories. The Girl in the Photograph, a Sunday Times bestseller, is a haunting dual timeline novel about two women entwined by fate, published by Penguin in 2015 and described in the Sunday Times as ‘rich and atmospheric’ and a must-read for fans of Du Maurier’s Rebecca. It was Penguin’s bestselling ebook that summer.
She has had three historical novels published by Penguin in the U.K.—The Girl in the Photograph, The Shadow Hour and The Stranger, which have sold in excess of 150,000 copies and been praised for their atmospheric evocation of nineteenth-century England. The Stranger was a Top Ten Red magazine choice of that year.
Published in September 2020, The Heatwave was a must-read Richard and Judy Book Club thriller pick. A tense psychological thriller set in Provence, it went to No.1 in the Apple fiction chart. Published in 2022, Summer Fever has been praised as a ‘sexy, sultry immersive read.’
Writing as Katherine Fleet, The Liars, was published in 2024 in the thriller genre, garnering glowing reviews: ‘Taut, tense, stylish and incredibly atmospheric, with a thrilling twist’ Daisy Buchanan and ‘Compelling and utterly transportive, a scorching summer read.’ Lucy Clarke.
Kate Riordan is a writer and journalist. She started out as an editorial assistant at the Guardian, followed by a stint as deputy editor for the lifestyle section of Time Out. Kate has written for Red, Stella, British Airways’s High Life, Grand Design magazine, the Guardian, Grazia, Living etc. and the Sunday Times.
Kate lives in the Cotswolds with two rescue dogs and is at work on her new novel. If you’re writing mystery, suspense or historical fiction you’ll find Kate a supportive and inspiring writing coach.
Kate’s Genres
- Contemporary and Women’s Fiction
- Historical Fiction
- Mystery
- Suspense
‘Read, read, read. I was a reader way before I was a writer. You will learn what you like and what you don’t like and what’s effective. If you read a book and you’re on the edge of your seat, you can look at why that is.’
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