Podcast by Mal Bernhardt
27 December 2025
In January, Out of Order Book Club will be back with a new (mini) season. I'll be dipping my toe into the water of TV tie-in novels. I hope to answer some burning questions, at least for me, about:
So join me, Mal Bernhardt, as I spend some time with Mulder, Scully, Fletcher, Solo (not that one) and many others for our TV tie-in season.
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29 November 2025
"Never judge a book by its cover", isn't that the old saying? Well, on the final episode of our first season, I'll be looking at a book that I absolutely judged by it's cover - 'The Wizard of Whitechapel'. A jaunty cover and the word 'Whitechapel' certainly set off a mix of alarm bells and curiosity in my brain. In this episode, I'll be looking at a mash up of Arthurian legends and sci fi (with a splash of Victorian serial killer). It isn't a spoiler to say that the contents of the book did not in any way reflect what was happening on the cover, and I go off on many tangents about Hallie Rubenhold's 'The Five' and Peter Ackroyd's 'London: A Biography'. However, I should apologise here for my attempt at a Cockney accent, I have no excuse.
Content warning: Some swearing, plus reference to 1980s gay panic joke about a man being a fairy when he literally is fae or a fairy. This will be dealing with the Jack the Ripper murders, but it doesn't go into details about the murders either in real life or in the book.
You can find Mal on Bluesky: outoforderbookclub.bsky.social
Useful links and helpful sources
Simon Hawke's Goodreads Blog: As mentioned in the episode, this blog didn't last long but it is worth dipping into especially if you're a wannabe writer. You may not agree with his perspectives on writing, but it's interesting to know the realities of a writer's precarious existence and how committed you ned to be to writing to write over a long period.
Hallie Rubenhold's The Five: I went on such a tangent about this, but it is an extraordinary book that changes your perspective on the women killed by Jack the Ripper, while ignoring that dipshit entirely.
Londonist Time Machine Substack: I discovered this after finishing the episode. I thought I loved Peter Ackroyd's 'London: A Biography', but here is someone who mapped it. A fascinating read.
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22 November 2025
It's the penultimate episode of season one, and it's a longer episode than usual. We're looking at two books from the prolific children's author Enid Blyton and her series The Famous Five. In this episode, Mal takes a look at the themes of freedom and bloody awful parenting and how much Dick is ill-served in one book vs. another. There are lashings of other stuff too!
Note: For some reason, I keep calling a character called 'Lou' Joe all the way through this, I don't know why, it's so embedded in all of this episode rerecording did not feel like an option! My apologies to anyone who remembers Lou/Joe and feels I am disrespecting that character. Let's not get into how I call 'Five are together again', well, 'Five are thrown together again'...that seems to be a slip that gives a lot away about my own feelings about the book!
Content warning: Contains swearing and a discussion on racial and social stereotypes.
You can find and follow Mal on Bluesky: outoforderbookclub.bsky.social
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15 November 2025
In this week's episode, we'll be taking a look at the award winning 'Wash this Blood Clean from my Hand' by Fred Vargas translated by Sian Reynolds. It was originally published in France in 2004, and translated in 2007. In this episode, Mal will take a look at how deceptive first impressions can be, will wonder whether you need to spend time with a detective right from the start so you can recognise if he is having an epiphany or just "a bit of a moment", and how going a little deeper in your usual your research can cause a bit of a revelation.
Content: Contains swearing
You can contact Mal on Blue Sky: outoforderbookclub.bsky.social
Helpful links and useful sources:
London Review of Books - Lorna Scott Fox- This is a fascinating analysis of Vargas' writing as sometihng that is more playful and fantastical within crime writing. (Apologies, I think I go through this podcast saying 'Lorna Scott' for some reason!)
Hungry Unlike the Wolf: Ecology, Posthumanism, Narratology in Fred Vargas’ Seeking Whom He May Devour - John Parham - Did I fully understand this research? Not 100%, but it is a great insight to Vargas' social purpose and the use of nature in her writing.
It’s not all about the crime but it’s also about the food: translating references to French regional food in Fred Vargas' Adamsberg novels - Marjorie Huet - A really interesting read into the choices that translators make when working, the choices made on behalf of those reading who are not part of this culture. This is best read with the two part interview below with Sian Reynolds.
Detectives Beyond Borders Interview with Vargas translator Sian Reynolds
Detectives Beyond Borders Interview with Vargas translator Sian Reynolds Pt. II
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08 November 2025
In this bitesize episode, we'll be taking a look at 'Rosy and John' by Pierre Lemaitre and translated by Frank Wynne. Earlier this season I took a look at 'Alex' from the Camille Verhoeven trilogy that's when I 'discovered' that this novella existed. This means in this episode we will be taking a look at where this book sits as the fourth book in a trilogy (!), and what that means in practice and whether it makes sense! In addition, we'll think about whether it provides any fresh insights into Camille Verhoeven and if this time Camille can be the hero of his own story especially one this stressful. A big thank you to Frank Wynne for suggesting, on Blue Sky, that I give the book a try.
Content: Contains swearing
You can find Mal on Blue Sky: outoforderbookclub.bsky.social
Useful links and helpful sources:
Shelf Awareness interview: I used this interview quite a bit and it provided quite a lot of the structure for this episode.
There are lots of useful sources and links in my previous episode on Alex, but I've put a few those below dealing with the translating process, since I'm reading the novels translated by Frank Wynne.
Interview with Pierre LeMaitre and Frank Wynne for Audible
Interview with Pierre LeMaitre and Frank Wynne for WHSmiths - I found this after I had finished the podcast, and I think it is worth a look. There is a great bit at the end about the process of translation.
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01 November 2025
In this week's episode, we'll be looking at 'Queen B' by Juno Dawson. It's the prequel to the Sunday Times Bestselling Her Majesty's Royal Coven series. In this podcast, we'll ask whether dipping into a prequel after reading only one book in a trilogy is an advantage, a disadvantage or it doesn't matter. In addition, we'll look at the themes of revenge and how the persecution of these Tudor witches matches attacks on trans communities in 2025. Finally, Mal takes time to recommend visiting Haworth and Hebden Bridge if you're in the vicinity. It's a busy episode!
Content: Contains swearing
You can find and follow Mal on Bluesky: outoforderbookclub.bsky.social
Useful links and helpful sources:
Independent article by Juno Dawson: This was written earlier this year and was quoted in the podcast. This is a personal article rather than about her writing career.
The books of my life - Juno Dawson
BBC Doctor Who - Interview: If you're interested in the Whoniverse and/or you are a fan of the Eurovision Song Contest and are curious about how it could play out on an intergalactic level, then this is for you.
Behind the Words with Juno Dawson: I shared this on Bluesky as well as here, as I quoted it several times in the podcast. This focuses directly on 'Queen B'.
Bookseller Interview from 2024
The Word is Out: Val McDermid selects Britains 10 most outstanding LGBTQ writers
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