An Evening With Kathy Reichs

If you ask me who is my favourite crime writer is, I would say Kathy Reichs without much thought. She is one of the first crime writers I read when I started to explore the Crime/Mystery genre, so she is the benchmark when I read crime. The first book I read by her is Bones to Ashes, so I hold that title quite dear when I chat about the crime genre. 

Why am I tell you this meaningless backstory? So you understand me react when Stephen from Waterstones Piccadilly messaged me and ask if I wanted to go to "An Evening of Kathy Reichs". I wasn't sure I could make it due to work and time of my trains, but wanted to. I mean, Kathy Reichs. THE KATHY REICHS! So, after panicking about trains and work for a few minutes, I went "Sod it! AM GOING!" and messaged back that I would be thrilled to come.

Fast forward to the Tuesday just gone, I left work and rushed quickly to London to get to Waterstones Piccadilly for 7pm when the event starts. I forgot, dear blog reader, how many people use the London Underground in rush hour. And after getting out of the wrong exit at Piccadilly Tube Station (I weirdly don't mind getting lost in London by myself when on route to a Book Event), I made it to Waterstones Piccadilly and it's HUGE! It's 5 floors (not including the Lower Ground/Basement and a mezzanine, with cafe & bar) and it's full of books! 

But no time for book snooping. I made my way to where the event was taking place and, after getting ticked off the guest list (I WAS ON A GUEST LIST!) and been offered a glass of white wine, I took some photos and, on sheer impulse, grabbed a copy of Kathy's latest, Two Nights. Then, finding a corner to hide in, got notepad out (for I knew I was going to write this post) and was ready.

Stephen, then introduce the host of the evening, Laura Wilson (crime author and crime fiction reviewer for the Guardian) and then introduced Kathy Reichs.

Can I say now that it's a very surreal moment when you're in the same room as someone you admire and respect? This has happened to me a few times in the past when I've being in the same room as authors I love but still, it's a very odd and very bizarre feeling. Plus, after hearing about Kathy's life, I admire and respect her more.

As I said, I had my notepad out to make notes for this. And I wrote nothing. NOTHING! I was just enjoying the event, listening to details about Kathy's work as a forensic anthropologist, her involvement in Bones, a TV show inspired on her life and her Temperance Brennan novels (which ended earlier this year being its US network's longest running scripted drama), her writing process and what it was like co-writing a book series with her son and writing scripts for Bones with her daughter, and why she wrote Two Nights and how the main character, Sunday Night, is different yet similar to Temperance Brennan.

And then, we have audience questions. I forgot most of them, but two stand out as my favourites as one came completely out of the left field ("If Schrödinger's Cat broke a bone, would it heal or remain broken?") and the other is kinda important to fans ("Booth or Ryan?"). Because I have an awful memory and made no notes, I am embedding the Facebook Live video of the event so you can watch at your leisure.

Anyway, after the event, we were told that Kathy will be doing a signing. I wasn't expecting this - if I had, I would have bought my hardback copy of Bones to Ashes. But I had Two Nights in my hands so joined the line to get my copy signed.

Like I said before, it's weird meeting an author you admire and respect. And when you have a huge line of people behind you who want to have their copy signed, you made to move on quickly. So, I think I handed my copy and said/stumbled on my tongue "Good Evening", "Thank you" and "Enjoy your evening" without fanboying out (Twitter wondered how I didn't freak out when I tweeted it... I have a book blogger rep of being excitable and a bit of a hugger...).

I would have stayed longer to take some more photos and snoop round the books, but I had to get my train. Due to "much needed maintenance" that will be carried out till Christmas, the last train to my stop is half past nine. I catch it and started binge reading Two Nights. At the time of writing this post, I am on page 124 or 39% on my Kindle and it's good...

Before I wrap this up, I just want to say thank you. Thank you to Stephen for asking if I wanted to come to this event and thank you for organising an ace event! Thank you to Waterstones Piccadilly for hosting the event. Thank you to Laura Wilson for chairing the event and asking questions I didn't even think of (and staring at the mic like it was a cobra every time it went weird!). And thank you Kathy Reichs for coming to the UK and doing this event and thank you for making me discover the crime genre all those years ago.

Now, if you guys excuse me, I'm off to read Two Nights. It's getting good and all I can think of is "This would make an ace limited TV drama. Three episodes, maybe..."