An Interview with Hank Phillippi Ryan
by Paula Gail Benson
How do you possibly describe the multi-faceted Hank Phillippi Ryan? Intrepid, award-winning investigative reporter and winner of 37 Emmys? Creator of the Charlotte McNally Mysteries and Jane Ryland Thrillers? Author of short fiction, teacher of writing craft, recipient of 5 Agathas (the only author to win an Agatha in 4 different categories: Best First Novel, Best Novel, Best Short Story, and Best Non-Fiction), 4 Anthonys, the Daphne, and the Mary Higgins Clark Award? Bestselling author of mysteries, suspense, and thrillers? And whose 2019 novel THE MURDER LIST just won the Anthony Award for Best Novel of the year?
Why is it not surprising that all of the above
apply, as well as enthusiastic encourager of writers and readers?
Today, it’s a great pleasure to welcome Hank to The Stiletto Gang for a few questions.
Hank,
you’ve had great success with series mysteries and thrillers and now are
excelling with your stand alone suspense novels. What drew you to writing crime
fiction?
Well that should be such an easy
question, but it really isn’t. First, thank you. What a lovely thing to say!
What drew me to writing crime fiction? Well, I always loved mysteries and
thrillers, and read like crazy my whole life. And although it had crossed my
mind to write crime fiction, it was never really a goal. But one day in—2005
maybe? I had a good idea for a mystery novel. I just knew it was a good idea,
and all I could think of was writing the book. I was obsessed! It was
craziness, because I had no idea how to do it, but I just deeply wanted to. And
that became Prime Time, my very first novel, which won the Agatha for best
first novel. And it’s still really selling!
I
was 55 years old and had been a television
reporter for about 30 years then. So there was no reason for me to start
something new except for sheer desire. I guess I am the poster child for
following your dreams in mid-life. Yay.
What
led you to progress from series to stand alones?
Progress
from series to standalones. Hmm. Well, I
look at it less as progress and more as change. The Charlotte McNally
books, beginning with Prime Time, a series of four, had a certain sensibility–first
person, fast-paced and fun. But then I got the idea for a bigger
thriller, a multiple point of view heftier novel, and I knew that could not be
a Charlie McNally book. And that was my first investigative thriller, The Other
Woman, which won the Mary Higgins Clark award. So I wrote four more in that
series, and there’s another one under contract, and I’m very excited about that.
But
then I had another idea for a book that could not be a series book. It had to
be one of a kind, a standalone, a twisty psychological suspense. And I love
that – – the power of the standalone, where anything could happen! And I
started writing what I call cat-and-mouse
psychological suspense. First was Trust Me, then The Murder List, then The First
to Lie. And I am thrilled with that.
Do
you ever consider returning to your series?
Yes,
absolutely! I adore the Charlotte McNally books, and would love to write more
of those. And as I said, I’m under contract for another Jane Ryland. Hurray!
But I prefer, if I have a choice, to do whatever book is taking over my brain
at the moment. I just sent in my 13th novel, another cat and mouse
psychological suspense! Which doesn’t quite have a title yet.
Would
you ever want to revisit any characters in your stand alones?
Revisit
any characters… I’m thinking about that, and I have to say–no. The key part of
a standalone to me is that you’re witnessing the very most important thing that
ever happened in these people’s lives. Yes, they had lives before the book, and
their lives will continue after the book–some of them at least–but this
is all you need to know about them. When you write a standalone, it feels to me
that those people’s stories will be finished, and I absolutely would have had
to write the books differently if the characters are going to continue.
Many
of your books draw upon your journalism background. As a legislative staffer, I
enjoyed reading about Rachel North’s experiences with the Massachusetts Legislature
in The Murder List and figured you
incorporated some of your own knowledge from working in and covering
congressional proceedings. How has your own work in journalism and politics
influenced the ideas you want to develop in crime fiction?
Oh
my goodness, I am so lucky about that! I could never have written these books
without my own personal history being involved. I worked in several campaigns for governor and
senator in Indiana, and then I worked on Capitol Hill as a legislative
assistant in a judiciary committee subcommittee. I learned so much, not only
about politics, but procedure and psychology and what goes on behind the
scenes. Then as a reporter, I learned how to write quickly, and take
complicated things and make them fascinating and interesting and distilled to
the essence. I also learned how to tell a story, right? Beginning, middle, and
end. And for years I had to write a new story every day! So there could
be no better training ground for writing fiction.
In particular, your stand alones have focused
on truth and justice, and on how those concepts affect family and personal
relationships. What do you find most compelling in exploring and entangling
these themes?
You
are so right! Truth and justice–in every realm of our lives. I don’t mean
to sound high-faultin’, but what is truth? Is it what we wish for, or what we
believe, or what someone tells us? Is there a true truth? Or does it depend on
who tells the better story. I think that is so fascinating. Justice, too, what
does that really mean? There are all kinds of meanings of justice–court
room justice, karmic justice, personal justice, the justice of the universe.
Does revenge count? Does that even work? Making things right, I
often think about that. I have a feeling that we are put on earth to help make
sure things are right–and to support that process whenever we can. But how
do we know what’s “right”? And is right different depending on the situation?
You can see I’m going off on this now… But that’s my constant thought. I love
to explore why people do what they do.
Figuring
out characters’ motivations becomes a strong focus in your stand alones. How do
you develop the cat-and-mouse atmosphere while playing fair with readers?
Yes,
exactly! And I don’t completely know the characters’ motivations when I start–I really don’t know anything except one core idea. So I develop my cat-and-mouse
atmosphere by exploring what each character wants and how far they’ll go to get
it.
And
because what they want is diametrically opposed, that creates instant conflict.
And in a cat-and-mouse game, only one
person can succeed, but I want the readers not to be quite sure who they’re
rooting for. That’s exactly what we were
talking about before: What is good and what is right all depends on how you
look at it.
So I
want to set up a situation where you think one person is good, and believe what
they say. And then you hear the same situation from someone else’s brain, and
you think oh– now I see the other side of the story. And isn’t that just
like journalism and politics? And that’s what I try to do in my books. And I
play fair, as you say, by telling the reader absolutely everything. It’s just
that…they may be thinking about those things in the wrong way–the way the book
suggests they should, not in the way that turns out to be real.
Boston
is another true character in your novels. What are its unique qualities that intrigue
you as a crime writer?
Oh, Boston! It’s so perfect. It’s old,
incredibly old, and incredibly new, with diverse and vibrant neighborhoods and
culture and ridiculous geography and impossible streets and crazy drivers and a
fast-paced brusque constantly-moving atmosphere. And the weather! Is completely
nuts. The harbor, and the history, and the food, and the clash of cultures– the Brahmins and the newcomers and the aggressively territorial
neighborhoods. All wonderful for fiction.
What was the most challenging aspect of writing The First to Lie? What did you find most rewarding about crafting that novel?
The most challenging aspect? In two
words: the middle. Okay, to go on a bit: I don’t want to give anything away for
those who haven’t read The First to Lie, and I’m crossing fingers you
eventually will. But most rewarding about crafting that novel is how it is
absolutely and supremely fair. Readers are given every single piece of
information. To be oblique about it, I had to very carefully keep certain
people away from other people in the novel. There are certain people who are
never in the same scenes, and there are certain people who never meet. And I absolutely applauded myself, briefly 🙂 when that worked.
What’s
next on your writing horizon?
I’m in the midst of the final edits of my new
book! I’m so thrilled about it–and that’s fun to say, because about a month ago
I was in despair. It doesn’t have a title yet, but it will be published
by Forge on September 14. It is another cat-and-mouse standalone, I am happy to say,
about celebrity and fame and the vulnerability of people who are always in the
spotlight.
One person asked me to describe it in 10 words
and I said: Fame. Fortune. Your perfect daughter. Can you keep one secret?
So. Crossing fingers! And thank you so much
for inviting me–I wish we could chat in person!
Thank you for spending time with us here at the Stiletto Gang. I really look forward to our next meeting in person! Best wishes for your continuing success!
Hank Phillippi
Ryan is the USA Today bestselling author
of 12 thrillers, winning the most prestigious awards in the genre: five
Agathas, four Anthonys, the Daphne, and for The Other Woman, the coveted Mary Higgins Clark Award. She is
also on-air investigative reporter for Boston’s WHDH-TV, with 37 EMMYs and
dozens more journalism honors. Book critics call her “a master of suspense,” “a
superb and gifted storyteller,” and she’s the only author to have won the
Agatha in four different categories: Best First, Best Novel, Best Short Story
and Best Non-Fiction. Her 2019 standalone, THE MURDER LIST, won the Anthony
Award for Best Novel, and is an Agatha, Macavity and Mary Higgins Clark Award
nominee. International bestseller A.J. Finn says, “exciting, explosive,
relentless,” and the Library Journal starred
review calls it “A must-read.” Hank’s newest novel: the chilling psychological
standalone The First to Lie. The Publishers Weekly starred
review says “Stellar… Hank Phillippi Ryan could win a sixth Agatha with this
one.” and bestseller Sarah Pekkanen says “Book clubs will gobble it up.”
Hank is a founder of MWA
University and past president of National Sisters in Crime. Visit Hank online
at HankPhillippiRyan.com, on Twitter @HankPRyan, on Instagram @hankpryan and on Facebook at HankPhillippiRyanAuthor.