21 Aug 2026
St Albans crime novelist Heather Critchlow is preparing to say farewell to her podcast protagonist Cal Lovett in the final book in a series of five novels – but how hard is it to let go of your heroes? And would she ever consider writing a book set locally?
Heather, who grew up in rural Aberdeenshire, has based many of her books on her experiences and memories of living there, with her debut novel Unsolved shortlisted for the Bloody Scotland Scottish Crime Debut of the year in 2023.
She moved to St Albans with her husband about 13 years ago after working in London as a business journalist, seeking somewhere “vibrant and green” to settle and raise their young children, with goods links to the capital.
“After looking around we decided St Albans was the perfect choice and it’s proved absolutely the right decision. A few years ago we moved from the centre to Marshalswick and love having both the fun of the city and the woodland and fields on our doorstep. I grew up in rural Aberdeenshire so it’s important to me to have access to green spaces.”
Her Cal Lovett Files series features a true crime podcaster investigating Scottish cold cases, driven by the case of his own missing sister who vanished when he was a child.
This week sees the publication of Unseen, providing a conclusion to his story, but it’s been hard for her to say goodbye to the character.
“I’ve got mixed feelings! Each book features a step forward in Cal’s personal story about his missing older sister Margot as well as a cold case for the podcast, and that’s a formula that means I know a lot of what’s coming when I start writing. The idea of having the freedom to veer off in different directions is very appealing. When I was writing the third Cal book, Unsound, Cal and I fell out as that was a very tricky one to plot. I felt trapped and stymied creatively by being committed to writing the rest of the series.
“However, the closer I’ve come to the end of the series, the more difficult I’ve found it to imagine leaving Cal behind. I have poured so much into writing his story and I’ve loved the way readers have responded to him. Finishing the last chapter was emotional and I shed a little tear at reaching that point. After writing four books that failed to get published, Cal was the one who got me over the line. I wanted to do his story justice and give readers and ending that would feel satisfying and a little poignant.”
So providing he makes it to the end of the novel (and even if he’s killed off there’s the possibility of a flashback), would she return to him one day?
“I’ve been joking that I’m going to do a Cal Christmas special! I don’t think it’s a spoiler to say Cal lives to see another day and I suspect I won’t be able to leave him behind forever.
“I felt it was important to draw together the threads of his personal story that readers have been waiting for since book one, but his work as a true crime podcaster means there will always be another case he could get his teeth into. I’ve also toyed with the idea of a spin off series with one of the other characters close to him, so he may be back in a different form down the line. For now, I’m working on something completely different. I’ll only go back to Cal if the story is right.
“Right now, I’m working on standalones rather than another series but there is a character from a past unpublished book that I can’t get out of my head. I’m tempted to rewrite her – she’s a broken and damaged ex-police officer with a skill that’s tantamount to a superpower. If I have time later this year I might revisit her.”
Last year she took a sidestep into speculative fiction with her near-future apocalyptic thriller The Tomorrow Project, a dystopian look at what drastic steps the Government might take in the event of another even more devastating pandemic.
Is this a direction she might pursue further going forwards?
“Yes, definitely. The Tomorrow Project was the first in a two-book deal and the second will be out in June 2027. It’s called Sea Glass and features an imaginary future where most of the UK is underwater, and a small group of survivors have formed an island community.
“Raised in a place free from crime and conflict, 19-year-old Cordelia is restless, and when outsiders appear on their shores her eyes are opened to the life – and love – she’s been missing. But then a killer strikes and the fallout threatens everything she knows.”
So would she consider setting any of her future books in St Albans, and if that happened what sort of crimes does she think will happen here given the make-up of the city?
“I have considered this. A lot of my inspiration seems to come from longing for and missing places I’ve been or lived in the past (such as the edge of the Scottish Highlands) so maybe I need to go away for the inspiration to strike and I have no plans to leave St Albans.
“I’ve recently been investigating some of the ways the city has changed over the years – so it does feel like things are fermenting that might come forward in future books.
“The sort of crimes would be those that lie behind closed doors and the respectable face of the city. I’m interested in the darkness that can sometimes be found behind apparently normal facades. Having said that, the pressure to get it right would be high… I feel that my friends would have a lot of opinions!”
Having concluded her Cal Lovett series, has she had a chilled-out summer? And with her profile ramping up with each new book, has it reached a point where people recognise her when she’s walking down the street?
“I’ve spent the summer recovering from having a teenager go through GCSEs – as well as editing Sea Glass and starting a new book. There’s still been plenty of time for fun and seeing friends.
“We took a two-week trip to Thailand and I always try and read a lot in the summer to catch up on the big piles of books by my bed (though that is an impossible task as I buy far more books than I can read).
“I’m still a member of the Lido on Cottonmill Lane but as I only have the cold-water membership I can’t use the pool between June and August. I’m really looking forward to getting back in there in September but I’ll be chickening out come December and waiting for it to warm up again.
“As for being recognised? Never… I suspect I could sell millions of books and still be safe, which is one of the perks of being an author!”
* Unseen is available now, published by Canelo. Bella Davies is cooking dinner for her family when she hears a voice she hasn’t heard in a long time.. The man being interviewed on the television murdered her mother and sisters in a crime that shocked the nation. Although a man pleaded guilty to the crime, now Bella knows they got the wrong guy…
Meanwhile podcaster Cal Lovett is trying to move on from his own demons, putting the past behind him and focusing on building a new life. But then Bella shows up on his doorstep and he knows he can never truly move on…
