NWR - Writing and Psychological Suspense with Helen Matthews

Crime fiction covers a huge spectrum. This talk will focus on psychological suspense and domestic thrillers and explain the popularity of the genre. Helen won’t just talk about her own books and author journey but will refer to a few classic novels and films, plus some recent ones that have been huge bestsellers, and consider the ingredients of their success.

Helen writes page-turning psychological suspense novels and is fascinated by the darker side of human nature and how a life can change in an instant. She is the author of five published novels. Her latest domestic suspense thriller If I Were You was published by DP Books in Spring 2026 and became a number one bestseller in Canada. French and German translations have recently been released.

Previous novels include Girl Out of Sight (winner of the novel award at Winchester Writer’s Festival) and The Girl in the Van, which won the suspense and thriller genre prize in the Page Turner Book Award.

Born in Cardiff, Helen read English at the University of Liverpool and made a career in international development, consultancy and human resources. She has an MA in Creative Writing from Oxford Brookes University.

Some of Helen’s novels cover themes of human trafficking and she has been appointed an Ambassador for the charity, Unseen UK, which works towards a world without slavery. She donates her author talk fees, and a percentage of royalties, to the charity.

This online talk is for Members of the National Women's Register.

🎙️This talk will be recorded.

To find out more about becoming an NWR Member, please visit www.nwr.org.uk