In this interview, we chat with Niall Howell about crime fiction, creative spontaneity, the magic of public swimming pools, and so much more.

Niall Howell lives in Calgary, Alberta with his wife, sons, and pets. His debut noir novel Only Pretty Damned was shortlisted for the Kobo Emerging Writer Prize for Literary Fiction. His follow-up novel, There Are Wolves Here Too, was shortlisted by the Book Publisher's Association of Alberta for Mystery and Thriller book of the year. Niall's short fiction has been featured in The Feathertale Review and FreeFall. He is currently working on his third novel. 

Books and stories mentioned in this episode:

• City of Margins; Shoot the Moonlight Out – William Boyle 
• Save the Cat! Writes a Novel – Jessica Brody 
• Selected Letters of Raymond Chandler – Raymond Chandler; edited by Frank MacShane 
• The Guest – Emma Cline 
• Perfidia; This Storm; Widespread Panic – James Ellroy 
• Our Share of Night – Mariana Enriquez 
• The Wars – Timothy Findley 
• The Great Gatsby – F. Scott Fitzgerald 
• A Rage in Harlem – Chester Himes 
• It; Night Shift; Salem’s Lot – Stephen King 
• Burnt Offerings – Robert Marasco 
• Moby Dick – Herman Melville 
• Peyton Place – Grace Metalious 
• Devil in a Blue Dress – Walter Mosley 
• Toby Tyler; or, Ten Weeks with a Circus – James Otis 
• “The Black Cat” – Edgar Allan Poe 
• The House Next Door –  Anne Rivers Siddons
• The Secret History – Donna Tartt