Truth, Crime & Fiction: Hank Phillippi Ryan on Journalism, Family Secrets & Writing Thrillers (E238)
Today’s guest is Hank Phillipi Ryan, the USA Today bestselling author of seventeen thrillers, including the Mary Higgins Clark Award-winning All This Could Be Yours. A true powerhouse in the mystery and suspense world, she won every major award in the genre and has captivated readers around the globe with her twist-filled novels. Before becoming one of today’s most celebrated thriller writers, Hank spent decades as an award-winning investigative reporter in Boston, earning an incredible 37 Emmy Awards for journalists that changed lives and even helped shaped new laws. Today, we’re celebrating her latest thriller, Mother Daughter Sister Stranger. Her book flight includes timeless novels she has re-read many times in the crime genre.
Episode Highlights:
Hank’s 40-year career as a reporter and investigative journalist—and how it shaped her as a storyteller
Making the career leap from reporting true crime to writing fictional crime
Why learning to make something up was one of the biggest challenges of becoming a novelist
The idea of a “you never know day”and staying open to the unexpected
What Hank has learned from years of interviewing other writers
How different people can experience the exact same family history and remember it completely differently
The family secrets, perspectives and questions of truth at the heart of Mother, Daughter, Sister, Stranger
Why Hank says she still learns something every single day she writes
The power of watching fictional characters triumph—and how their victories can give readers hope, too
Connect with Hank:
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Books and authors mentioned in the episode:
Prime Time by Hank Phillipi Ryan
Nancy Drew novels by Carolyn Keene
Sherlock Holmes novels by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Winter’s Tale by Mark Halprin
You’ll Be Sorry by Lisa Gardner
The Unknown by Riley Sager
Book Flight
The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie
In Cold Blood by Truman Capote
The Stand by Stephen King
Be sure to join the Bookish Flights community on social media. Happy listening!
