The Bookmarked Interview...with LM Chilton

LM Chilton is the author of two crime novels, the first of which, Don't Swipe Right, was released in 2023 and is a clever and murderously funny story set around a fictitious dating app.

Everyone in the Group Chat Dies, Luke's second novel, was released earlier this year and also features technology at its heart, once again mixing crime and comedy to brilliant, thrilling effect.

Above: LM Chilton has written two novels with a third to be published in the spring of 2026.

A former journalist for magazines such as Cosmopolitan and newspapers including The Times and The Mirror, and on television for shows such as This Morning, Luke's third novel is set for publication in the spring of 2026.

In this interview, he discusses how single life gave him the idea for Don't Swipe Right and how the story's comedic sensibilities emerged naturally, how journalism prepared him for life as an author, and why technology is the central moral thread of his books. He also reveals the books, authors and films he loves... even if he's not actually finished one of them!

Your first novel, Don't Swipe Right, is a comedic crime thriller that centres around a fictional online dating app; where did the spark of the novel's idea come from?

When I was single, I found myself a bit addicted to dating apps. There was something almost compulsive about the swiping – it made people seem oddly disposable, like you were shopping for humans. I started thinking about how vulnerable we make ourselves on these platforms, sharing so much personal information with strangers. It struck me that dating apps would be the perfect hunting ground for a serial killer. The idea just snowballed from there.

Above: Luke's debut novel, Don't Swipe Right, released in 2023.

Was a comedic crime story the natural choice for your debut book, or were other genres in the mix?

The comedy wasn't really planned – it emerged naturally from the main character, Gwen. She had this cynical, sarcastic voice that just made me laugh as I was writing her. I realised that humour was actually a good counterbalance to the darker crime elements. It allowed me to tackle some more serious themes about modern dating while (hopefully) keeping readers entertained.

"It struck me that dating apps would be the perfect hunting ground for a serial killer."

You were a journalist before becoming an author; was writing a novel always the plan?

I think every journalist is a frustrated novelist at heart! We spend our days telling other people's stories, so there's always that itch to tell our own. But I never thought I could do it until I had the idea for Don’t Swipe Right one day, and once I started, I read every ‘how to write’ book and listened to every author podcast.

You've written for 'real life' magazines; does the adage 'truth is stranger than fiction' bear out?

Sometimes, yes! I wrote supermarket magazines like That’s Life and Take a Break, so it was my job to interview real people who had the most extraordinary stories. Some tragic, some life-changing, others hilarious. Extreme weight loss, extra-marital affairs, murders, rare diseases, even a parrot that saved it’s owner’s life by dialling 999!

Above: Luke wrote for 'real life' magazines including That's Life and Take a Break.

How - if at all - did journalism prepare you for writing a novel?

Writing for magazines was actually incredible training for novel writing. I'd interview people for hours – ordinary people with extraordinary stories, not celebrities. They'd share their entire lives with me, and then I'd have to distill everything into about 1,000 words, crafting their real experiences into narratives with a beginning, a middle and an end. That taught me a lot about structure, pacing, and finding the heart of a story.

"Print [journalism] gave me my writing discipline, but TV taught me about hooking an audience immediately."

You've worked in both print and TV journalism; journalistically, how do the two disciplines differ?

Print journalism taught me precision – every word had to count, and you could craft and polish until it was perfect. Live television, on the other hand, can sometimes be a bit ‘hit it and hope’. It can be quite spontaneous, things go wrong and you’d have to think on your feet. Print gave me my writing discipline, but TV taught me about hooking an audience immediately, otherwise they’re gonna change channels.

Your most recent book, Everyone in the Group Chat Dies, like your debut, has an app at its heart; was that a purposeful choice, and do you think phones have taken over our recreational time to our detriment?

The moral thread running through all my books is that technology is only as dangerous as the humans using it. I don't think phones or apps are inherently evil, but I do think the people that make them can be! I am a big believer in proper regulation for social media and AI.

"I don't think phones or apps are inherently evil, but I do think the people that make them can be!"

It's the wild west out there right now, and I think the digital world needs the same oversight as any other industry. But, from a purely selfish standpoint, technology does provides some great new possibilities for murder mysteries!

Above: Released earlier this year, Everyone in the Group Chat Dies, like Don't Swipe Right, had technology at the heart of its story.

Which literary character would you most like to be?

Batman.

What's your favourite movie/TV show adapted from a book?

Slumdog Millionaire, which was adapted from Q&A, by Vikas Swarup. The book is great – even better than the movie, in my opinion. Swarup creates this incredible tapestry of modern India through one boy's story, and while the film captured this beautifully, the book has a strong message about selflessness and helping other people that maybe didn’t translate on screen. I also really loved the idea to structure the book around quiz questions on Who Wants to be a Millionaire.

Where's your favourite place to write?

When I was writing Don't Swipe Right, I had access to this swanky advertising office in London Bridge with amazing 360-degree views of the London skyline. I'd sneak in on weekends when it was completely empty and write all day, fuelled by the terrible coffee from their ancient machine and the inspiring view. There's something magical about having an entire office building to yourself.

Describe your perfect writing set-up?

A massive beanbag, honestly. I've been cursed with a long back that refuses to fit in any normal chair, so my ideal setup would be sinking into an enormous beanbag with my laptop, surrounded by snacks and instant coffee.  

What was the last book you read, and would you recommend it?

When We Fall, by Erin Kelly, a thriller set in the world of international ballet. It hits that coveted sweet spot between literary fiction and page-turner – beautifully written but absolutely unputdownable.

"It hits that coveted sweet spot between literary fiction and page-turner – beautifully written but absolutely unputdownable."

I’m also reading Tomorrow & Tomorrow & Tomorrow, by Gabrielle Zevin, which is as good as everyone says it is!

Which book is next on your reading list?

By Any Other Name, by Jodi Picoult, which explores the theory that a woman was the real author behind Shakespeare's plays.

Plotter or pantser?

A bit of both. I 'pants' the first 10,000 words or so, just letting the story flow and seeing what comes out. But after that, I become obsessive about plotting. I get out the Post-it notes and pin boards – my spare room looks like a police incident room. 

"I become obsessive about plotting. I get out the Post-it notes and pin boards – my spare room looks like a police incident room."

My second book, Everyone in the Group Chat Dies, had a dual timeline which required a lot of planning to ensure clues dropped at exactly the right moments. It’s a small-town mystery about a serial killer from the 90s that everyone thinks died years ago, and the social media TikTok amateur detectives who think he’s still alive.

You're in a book club with four other authors; who would you choose?

Ruth Ware, Harlan Coben, Val McDermid and Frieda McFadden. I'd want us to read only the first two-thirds of a murder mystery, then get together to share our theories about whodunnit.  

What book do you think you should have read, but still haven't?

The Thursday Murder Club, by Richard Osman. I've started it several times and I'm always impressed by his effortlessly funny and engaging style, but I keep getting distracted by other books. I really need to commit and finish it so I can watch the movie version!

Which of your own books are you most proud of?

Don't Swipe Right has what I consider a killer hook – literally – with a serial killer targeting every guy the main character has met on a dating app. It has some great red herrings, and a lot of readers have been surprised at the final reveal of ‘whodunnit’. It was also really fun to include all the ‘bad date’ stories I’d collected over the years.

"Don’t tell anyone, but I've actually never finished it."

How do you organise your bookshelves?

Badly, I'm afraid! My partner, Danielle, kindly built me two enormous bookcases, but I've already outgrown them. They're double-stacked now, with books piled horizontally on top of the vertical ones. But I can usually find what I'm looking for... eventually.

If you could only read one book for the rest of your life, which would it be?

One Hundred Years of Solitude, by Gabriel García Márquez. I reread it every other summer, especially during those sweltering hot days this year when the world felt dreamlike anyway. I discover something new every time I read it, and it’s actually really, really funny, despite the title! Don’t tell anyone, but I've actually never finished it – I always get to around the same place and stop. I think part of me never wants to finish it, so I can keep reading it forever.

What are you currently working on?

I'm deep in edits for my third book, I Think We Should Kill Other People, about a woman who tries to use her AI assistant to solve a murder. It’s out spring 2026. After that, I'll be starting book four. If anyone has brilliant murder mystery ideas they're not using, please send them my way…

To find out more about LM Chilton and his novels, click here.

To purchase a copy of Don't Swipe Right, click here.

To purchase a copy of Everyone in the Group Chat Dies, click here.

If you're a published author and would like to be considered for a Bookmarked interview, drop me a line at maxelwoodwrites@gmail.com