Welcome back to Jen’s Jewels, your go-to destination for the hottest new fiction. This week, I’m featuring THE 10:12 by Anna Maloney, a twisty thriller that will keep you guessing until the very last page. When nothing is quite what it seems, every revelation raises another question. Read on!
LIGHTNING ROUND
What’s your favorite way to spend an autumn afternoon?
Walking through the remains of one of London’s ancient woodlands, or making marmalade.
What’s your go-to fall drink, snack, or sweet treat while writing?
Cup of tea and a piece of fruitcake.
THE FALL INSPIRATION
What was the very first spark that inspired this story?
It’s a cliché, but I really did have a dream about a train hijack.
Did any character unexpectedly take the story in a direction you hadn’t planned?
Isha, the woman with the baby, led me to her ex-partner, Rhind, which helped me put elements of the conspiracy together.
Your setting feels like a character in its own right. What inspired you to choose it, and how does it shape the story?
Train travel is probably my favorite mode of long-distance transport. It’s possible to move around, experience the passing landscape and people watch. Perhaps it’s all those old movies, but, for me, trains still have romance about them. They are also enclosed small spaces, where people are thrown together, and while the train is in motion there is no escape - an ideal setting for high drama.
As the seasons change, many of us find ourselves reflecting on the past. Did any personal memories, traditions, or meaningful places influence this book?
Years ago, I had a lovely elderly neighbor Marian who tackled a young man waving a gun around on the top floor of a London bus with the words: ‘there’s no cred in shooting a granny’. He gave her the gun. Her actions made me think about the people who step forward into possible danger. They are not always the people we assume would take those risks.
THE PERSONAL TOUCH
Can you share a behind-the-scenes fact about writing this book that readers may find surprising?
I didn’t set out to write a “book in a book”. It was going to be more straightforward in structure. But as I wrote, the nature of the story took me in a different direction.
Also – some years ago, MI5 (the British secret service) advertised for middle-aged women to join and be trained in surveillance on the basis that they were least noticed group in society. I’ve never forgotten that.
Fall is the perfect season to curl up with a great book. What’s currently at the top of your TBR pile?
The latest Tana French, THE KEEPER. I’m a huge fan, and it is the last of a trilogy set in the part of rural Ireland that my family is from, which is an added bonus.
If readers could step into one scene from your book for a day, which would you choose and why?
For research, I spent a day watching two different murder trials at the Old Bailey, London’s main criminal court, where I set THE 10:12 trial. It was grim but fascinating to watch justice in action on the site which has been a court for more than 400 years.
LOOKING AHEAD
Can you give readers a sneak peek at what you’re working on next—without giving away any spoilers?
I can’t say much, but it involves a past tragedy on the River Thames and a present-day threat, as well as another formidable older woman…
Where can readers connect with you and stay up to date on your latest books? Please share your website, newsletter, and social media links.
Instagram, Threads, and Facebook
BONUS: The Author’s Playlist
Share 3–5 songs that capture the mood of your book or inspired you while writing.
Mystery train, Elvis Presley
Point and Kill, Little Simz and Obongjayar
Midnight Train to Georgia, Gladys Knight and the Pips
Home Again, Michael Kiwanuka
Astral Weeks, Van Morrison
A Novel
A twisty, high-stakes thriller in the breathless, page-turning style of Ruth Ware, Lisa Jewell, and Claire Douglas, in which nothing is as it seems and saving the day is only the beginning.
Claire Fitzroy was on the way home to London when her train from Manchester was hijacked by a group of armed men. In one terrifying moment she faced the starkest of choices: to passively stand back or act and fight back—knowing that with either choice, she could die.
With nothing to lose, the middle-aged art lecturer gathered and led a squad of passengers who, against all odds, overcame the hijackers and saved hundreds of lives. But what at first looks like heroism may play out very differently in the courts of law and public opinion. Especially when you have the blood of two men on your hands.
Opinions are heated and divided. Was she a selfless and quick-thinking hero? Or an attention-seeking vigilante and unrepentant murderer? Until now Claire has remained silent. Now, she’s finally speaking out about what happened that morning on the 10:12.
But is it the whole story?
Thriller Terrorism [ Harper Perennial, On Sale: October 20, 2026, Paperback / e-Book, ISBN: 9780063487888 / eISBN: 9780063487895 ]
On a Live Wire: Survival, Justice, and Consequences
Anna Maloney grew up in London, part of a large Irish family. She has written for television (one BAFTA win), film, and radio; taught screenwriting; and works as a script consultant. She has worked in reality television, journalism, and public relations and is a qualified children's playleader, and sometime usherette. She lives in southeast London and can often be found swimming at her local outdoor pool while working on a plot problem. A synopsis and sample of The 10:12 won the UK Crime Writers’ Association Debut Dagger Award.
Jennifer Vido is the award-winning author of the Gull Island series, a collection of sweet Lowcountry romances inspired by her love of coastal living and small-town charm. Her debut novel, Serendipity by the Sea, won Best First Book from the New Jersey Romance Writers Golden Leaf Contest. Jennifer has been named Baltimore Magazine’s Best Local Author for three consecutive years (2024–2026) and was named The Baltimore Sun’s Best Author in its 2026 Best of Readers’ Choice Awards. When she’s not writing romance, Jennifer shares her love of books through her weekly Jen’s Jewels column, where she spotlights exciting new releases and talented authors.
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