Beginner’s pluck: TV presenter and journalist Louise Minchin

Sat, 19 Oct, 2024 - 01:00

Sue Leonard

A hyperactive bookworm, Louise was always interested in current affairs.

Starting out in radio journalism in South America, she worked on the BBC Today programme before taking her degree.

Her extensive career includes time as a news anchor and presenter.

“I presented The One Show, Five Live Drive, Real Rescues, and Missing Live.”

Then, for 10 years, I worked in Media City presenting BBC Breakfast.

She is also an endurance athlete.

“I’d given up sport at 15, but I attended the world and European Triathlon Championships, representing Team GB. I wrote about it in Dare to Tri.”

A second factual book, Fearless, Adventures with Extraordinary Women, followed, in which Louise took on several different challenges — but, meanwhile, the urge to write fiction grew.

“The character, Lauren, was living in my head for years,” she says.

“I’ve been on several reality shows, including I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here, so the setting of a reality show made sense.”

Who is Louise Minchin?

Date/place of birth: 1968/ Hong Kong.

Education: St Mary’s Ascot; University of St Andrew’s, Spanish; London College of Communications, Radio Journalism.

Home: Chester.

Family: Husband David; daughters Mia, 23, and Scarlett, 20. Dogs Waffle and Ruby, and two mini Shetland ponies.

The day job: “I’m a writer who does other work.”

In another life: “I would really like to be an ER doctor or a paramedic, and work in a hostile environment.”

Favourite writers: Gillian McAllister; Lucy Foley; Clare Mackintosh; Amy McCulloch; Alice Feeney; Janice Hallett.

Second book: “I’ve handed in a proposal for my second book.”

Top tip: “Do not get lost in research. Just sit down and write.”

Website: louiseminchin.com

Instagram: @louiseminchin

The debut

Isolation Island

Headline, €19.99/ Kindle, €11.04

Put 10 celebrities on a remote Scottish Island in the depths of winter; make them suffer, and watch as they strive to hide their darkest secrets. The group includes influencers and those with new or fading careers.

Then there’s Nate, a Hollywood megastar, who dazzles everyone — except for Lauren, an investigative journalist. Aware that Nate has victimised women for years, she is determined to expose him. Meanwhile, the challenges become increasingly extreme. And then, a body is found.

The verdict: Clever, atmospheric, and twisty. The surprises and shocks keep coming.

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