RHLSTP with Richard Herring RHLSTP Book Club 170 - Fergus Craig
Feb 20, 2026
Fergus Craig, comedian, actor and author known for his Martin Fishback persona, discusses his new comic crime novel about a retired serial killer in a luxury care home. They talk about why he wrote in his own voice, blending cosy mystery tropes with darker material, research into geriatric sex, the book’s plotting and denouement, and plans for a sequel after a lively pre-launch buzz.
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Comedy With Real Mystery
- Fergus Craig deliberately moved from spoof crime novels to writing a genuinely plotted crime novel with humour balanced by real stakes.
- He aimed to keep the cosy-mystery feel while stretching the genre darker and more character-driven.
High Stakes From An Absurd Premise
- The book premise asks what happens when a retired serial killer joins a luxury retirement home full of ex-investigators and public figures.
- That collision creates plausible stakes and social dynamics despite the premise's ridiculousness.
Family Link To A Famous Murder
- Fergus Craig revealed his great-uncle was involved in a real historical murder case depicted in Let Him Have It.
- He met that relative recently and described him as an ordinary old man recounting prison stories from the 1950s.
