There are hundreds of books out at the moment so it's difficult as an author these days, when people are reading more than ever, to stand out from the crowd.

One writer who has managed to do that with her terrifying novel The Nothing Man is Catherine Ryan Howard, the Cork woman who has won a devoted army of fans with her always original and often disturbing books.

This latest one is a riveting read and Catherine talked to Roisin Ingle about her unusual journey into writing: she once worked as a desk agent in a hotel in Walt Disney World, and got her first big break when she went back to study English at Trinity College as a mature student.

She also talked about setbacks, success and being child-free.