
Reuniting Karen and Kathleen nearly 50 years after they first met at the ‘House of Horrors’ living with Fred and Rose West.
From Hembury Books Podcast by jessica.mudditt
March 22, 2026 · 35 min · Season 6 · Episode 92
About this episode
Karen Hamilton and Kathleen Richards reunite nearly 50 years after their first meeting, discussing their experiences with infamous serial killers and personal journeys.
Born in Sydney’s eastern suburbs, Karen Hamilton is an audio typist turned true crime writer. After working with the police as a typist for 25 years, Karen began writing true crime to work through harrowing personal experiences. Nightmare on Cromwell Street is her debut novel and chronicles her time spent living with infamous British serial killers, Fred and Rose West.Kathleen Richards, is originally from Dublin and now lives in rural Gloucestershire with her husband, Michael. She has worked as a carer and foster carer throughout her life, welcoming children into her home on long-term placements. She has three grown up children of her own.Connect with Karen Hamilton:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/karenmhamilton2/
People in this episode
Host: jessica.mudditt
Guests: Karen Hamilton, Kathleen Richards
Topics covered
- true crime
- serial killers
- personal experiences
- writing
- foster care
Keywords
- true crime
- Fred West
- Rose West
- Nightmare on Cromwell Street
- foster care
- writing
Mentioned in this episode
Books & works: Nightmare on Cromwell Street
Places: Sydney, Dublin, Gloucestershire
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