Since leaving the Independent in 2014 – where I was an editor, reporter and columnist for eight years, and shortlisted for the 2013 Cudlipp prize at the Press Awards – I’ve worked as a contributing editor at Marie Claire, and written freelance for publications including The New Statesman, Guardian, Telegraph, Sunday Times, ELLE, Red, and more, alongside television and radio appearances on The One Show, Woman’s Hour, NPR’s Note to Self podcast, and the World Service. I also founded the online magazine Motherland.
My debut novel Part of the Family was Waterstones’ Thriller of the Month in May 2020 and an editor’s pick on Radio 4’s Open Book.You can read about it in this piece in The Observer. And this interview in The Telegraph, which also appeared on the front page of The Week. My second Novel A Double Life was The Times’ Book of the Month in July 2020 and simultaneously The Observer’s Thriller of the Month.
Please see a sample of my (best) reviews below:
‘Superbly crafted with heart-stopping twists and chills galore. A new star has arrived in the thriller firmament’ – The Times, Book of the Month
‘Brilliant… A fast-paced thriller. It’s colourful, it’s deep, the characters are fascinating. A perfect summer read.” BBC Radio 4, Open Book
‘Everyone has an agenda in this intriguing exploration of deceit and duplicity, as Philby rachets up the paranoia to Highsmithian levels.’ Laura Wilson, The Guardian
‘A Double Life confirms Charlotte Philby as the master of a sub-genre she basically invented, dealing in the dangerous area where working motherhood and international espionage collide. Heart-breaking, gripping and always beautifully written, I can’t wait to see what she does next.’ Erin Kelly
‘Dark and addictive and magnificent’ – Joanna Cannon
‘I fell into the vivid, frightening world Charlotte Philby creates so skilfully and didn’t resurface until long after I’d turned the last page. Her characters are so real you genuinely fret over their safety in their jobs and personal lives. Everything about this book feels as plausible as if it might happen tomorrow. She is a hugely original and talented writer.’ – Jane Casey
‘An enigmatic and slippery beast. . . a cool new generation of spy novel. Just as the characters play cat and mouse with one another, so does the author with her readers – it’s a guessing game right to the end and I turned the last page with my heart pounding.’ Louise Candlish, author of Our House
