Crime writer Liz Nugent reveals family were held at knife-point in 'harrowing' attack when she was child

Top crime writer Liz Nugent has spoken of how her family was held hostage at knife-point when she was a child.

Joining Maura and Daithí on The Today Show sofa yesterday she revealed how as a child, a neighbour broke into her family home and hel her brother and sisters at knife-point.

"I was in bed, I slept through it I was a child but my older brothers and sisters were all there," she told Maura and Daithí.

"That was a harrowing thing to happen but its only in retrospect that I realise that;s probably why I was so scared during the 80's."

She said that the neighbour demanded money while he held her family at knife-point.

"I think there was a fiver in the house, that's all he got."

She said her family didn't know the neighbour and that he lived in the house behind theirs.

"I think he might have had issues," she said.

Thankfully, her family were unharmed and "everyone was safe".

"We all got compensation. I think the judge awarded us £1000 which was a huge amount of money at the time. So I got 200 quid and I slept through the whole thing."

Ms Nugent went on to reveal that growing up in Ireland in the 80's influenced her dark style of writing.

Speaking about the release of her latest book, Skin Deep, she said the psychological effect of the event influenced her style of writing, as well as other dark periods of the 80's including the Ann Lovett story where Ms Lovett died ashamed and alone in childbirth under a Catholic grotto.

Skin Deep is the latest of Ms Nugents' three books and is available to purchase now.