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Katherine Webb

Goodreads Author

Born

Kent, The United Kingdom

Website

https://katherinewebbauthor.com/

Twitter

KWebbAuthor

Genre

Fiction, Historical Fiction, Contemporary

Influences

Too many to list!

Member Since

September 2013

URL

https://www.goodreads.com/katherinewebb

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I was born in Kent in 1977 and grew up in rural Hampshire before reading History at Durham University. History remains a passion, and I write character-led mystery dramas, often with historical settings. I love to explore the way past events can reverberate in the present, and I'm fascinated by the vast grey areas in human morality and behaviour.

My debut novel 'The Legacy' was voted viewers' choice for Best Summer Read on the Channel 4 TV Book Club in 2010, and was nominated for Best New Writer at the National Book Awards in the same year. Subsequently, 'The Unseen','A Half Forgotten Song' and 'The Misbegotten' were all Sunday Times Top Ten bestsellers, and my books have been translated into 24 languages around the world. ...more

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Popular Answered Questions

Hi Katherine. I love the mysteries in your books and I was wondering if you start writing with the mystery solved, or if it evolves as you get to know your characters?

Katherine Webb Hi Christine, thanks for your question, and I'm glad you've been enjoying my books! I generally start to write with a good 'reveal' in mind, and I the…moreHi Christine, thanks for your question, and I'm glad you've been enjoying my books! I generally start to write with a good 'reveal' in mind, and I then structure the story around that central mystery. It's important that I have it worked out from the word go, so that I can drop little hints and red herrings, and keep readers guessing right to the very end. Sometimes, this does evolve and change as I'm writing the book - I think of a better outcome, or a more dramatic twist, and I'll have to go back and rewrite some parts, and add a few things in. But usually, I set out with the destination in mind. KWx(less)

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Hi Ms. Webb! I'm curious about how you research your books? There are so many descriptive sections that really immerse you in the landscape and culture. Have you traveled extensively to the regions mentioned in your novels?

Katherine Webb Hi Laura, thank you for your question. I think creating a vivid setting is crucial to the atmosphere of a story, so I really focus on doing exactly th…moreHi Laura, thank you for your question. I think creating a vivid setting is crucial to the atmosphere of a story, so I really focus on doing exactly that - and I'm glad you find the books immersive! That's exactly what I'm after.

Wherever I can, I travel to the places I'm writing about . The exception was when I wrote The Legacy - I have never been to Oklahoma, and I couldn't afford to make such a long trip for research. I had been to Montana and Wyoming, so I had an idea of the vastness and beauty of those rural states of America. I added to that by reading as much as I could about life there at the time I was writing, and this is also what I do for all my books. First hand accounts are best, and books written at the time I'm setting a story also give useful pointers about vocabulary and turns of phrase at use in the era. Fiction written at the time is also useful. But nothing beats actually visiting a place for then being able to recreate in writing its sights, smells, sounds and life.

For my next book, I'm currently reading everything I can find about the history of Oman, particularly the history of British involvement there, and I'll be travelling out there in a few weeks' time...

Best wishes, KW x(less)

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Katherine Webb’s books

Average rating: 3.75 · 23,034 ratings · 2,438 reviews · 17 distinct works • Similar authors

	The Legacy 3.71 avg rating — 9,164 ratings — published 2010 — 7 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Unseen 3.75 avg rating — 4,057 ratings — published 2011 — 44 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	A Half Forgotten Song 3.88 avg rating — 3,183 ratings — published 2012 — 51 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Misbegotten 3.87 avg rating — 2,562 ratings — published 2013 — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Hiding Places 3.83 avg rating — 1,149 ratings — published 2017 — 26 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The English Girl 3.62 avg rating — 976 ratings — published 2016 — 28 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Night Falling 3.37 avg rating — 921 ratings — published 2014 — 30 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Disappearance 3.73 avg rating — 706 ratings — published 2019 — 25 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Besuch aus ferner Zeit by Katherine Webb (Goodreads Author), Babette Schröder (Translator) 3.73 avg rating — 128 ratings — 8 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Schatten der Vergangenheit: Das geheime Vermächtnis / Das Haus der vergessenen Träume / Das verborgene Lied 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

More books by Katherine Webb…

Katherine is Currently Reading

Katherine Webb is currently reading

The Garden of Evening Mists

by Tan Twan Eng

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Sep 01, 2014 04:20AM

Quotes by Katherine Webb (?)

“Es fácil olvidar la claridad con que ven las cosas los niños.”
― Katherine Webb, The Legacy

tags: inocencia, niños, olvidar

13 likes

“La he amado desde el instante en que la vi.”
― Katherine Webb, The Legacy

tags: amor

6 likes

“What these other fellows don't seem to know, you see, is that it's not how hard you can hit that'll win you the fight, it's how hard you can be hit,”
― Katherine Webb, The Unseen

0 likes

See all Katherine Webb's quotes »

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