Hank
Phillippi Ryan is an investigative reporter and TV journalist whose work at
uncovering the truth has garnered her thirty Emmys and twelve Edward R. Murrow
awards. Hank has carried her passions to writing, and the accolades for her six
mystery novels include two Agathas, an Anthony, and a Macavity; three of the
most prestigious awards in the mystery genre. In a nutshell, Ms. Ryan is
amongst the best at what she does, be it as a reporter for Boston’s NBC
affiliate, or at creating breath-stealing suspense novels.
Now
residing in Boston with her husband, a renowned civil rights and criminal
defense attorney, Hank’s journey began in Indianapolis. It was there she became
the vice-president of the Midwest Chapter of the National Beatles Fan Club and
dreamed of being Nancy Drew. High School led to college which led to work
experiences worthy of an autobiography. Those jobs included a stint as press
secretary to a U.S. congressman and a position in the Washington Bureau for Rolling Stone magazine. As a reporter
she’s gone undercover, interviewed world leaders, sent criminals to prison and
freed innocents wrongly convicted.
While
I would thoroughly enjoy discussing Hank’s fascinating life, we’re here to
discuss her bestselling novels, the latest of which is “The Wrong Girl.”
Hank’s
novels walk a fictional parallel to her life. She initially introduced readers
to seasoned reporter Charlotte NcNally in the suspense novel “Prime Time.”
Readers demanded more, and a four-book series followed McNally’s exploits.
Continuing
in the vein of a tough, yet sensitive reporter willing to risk all for the
truth, Hank next unveiled Jane Ryland, a reporter willing to dig deep in to the
most sinister of circumstances. In “The Other Woman,” the first of this new
series, the character of Ryland is surrounded by political double-dealing and
constant danger. Once again, the reviews, accolades, and demands for more
rolled in.
“The
Wrong Girl” is a story caught in today’s interests. Reporter Ryland uncovers
the worst possible nightmare for a family – that their child isn’t theirs – and
strikes hard at those who could/can profit from child-switching scenarios. It’s
a risky topic for an author, and to pull it off the writer not only has to know
the subject matter, but have the skill to keep the story flowing and the
suspense at a believable, yet, knuckle whitening pace. Hank Ryan does that and
more.
If
you haven’t picked up one of Ms. Ryan’s books yet, do so now. Yeah. Right now.
Q)
Obviously, the characters of Charlotte McNally and Jane Ryland mirror your investigative
reporter
career. But fiction allows a writer to take a character beyond the
author’s experiences or abilities. What did you instill in your heroines that
real-life Hank Ryan doesn’t possess?
A)
Oh, gosh. I have wired myself with hidden cameras, confronted corrupt
politicians, gone undercover and in disguise—what I hope to bring to the books
is authenticity, you know? A genuine feeling of the high stress and high stakes
of being an investigative reporter. I’ve won 30 Emmys for my reporting (!) and
every one of those Emmys represents a secret that someone didn’t want me to
tell you. A secret someone didn’t want you to know.
As
a reporter, then, no matter if it’s the real me or the fictional Jane, we have
to be curious, right? And skeptical. And confident. Someone asked me to
describe Jane in one word—and that was a difficult task! I finally came up with
“determined.” And that’s me, too.
What’s
different, though? Ah, Jane is a great driver.
Charlotte is funnier than I am.
But it’s a more difficult question than it seems—because they are true
characters, you know? Even though they
are fictional. So they behave in ways I
can’t always predict. This is part of what Sue Grafton calls “the magic.”
The
characters won’t always do what I want them to do—they are such strong
personalities, they often dictate what’s right for them. As an author, that is
fascinating to discover.
Q)
Many readers enjoy the edgy romances you infuse into the stories. Why did
decide to incorporate romance in suspense series?
A)
Well, thanks! Yeah, the attraction Jane has for Detective Jake Brogan—and him
for her—is complicated, because they are professionally prohibited from being
together. A cop can’t date a reporter (he’d be the first to be blamed for a
leak) and a reporter can’t date a cop (how can she cover the crime beat? What
if she has to criticize her loved one, or throw him under the bus?). So it’s a
very difficult quandary for them.
Why
is there a bit of romance? Well, someone once asked me if I could write a
mystery/thriller without romance. No, I said. Not if the characters are real
people, right? Because we’re all—no matter where we are in life—wondering about
that part of our existence that has to do with love. Whether we have it, or
don’t. So a living breathing
person—character—is going to be concerned with that. Like Jane and Jake.
The
same person asked me if I could write a romance without a mystery. No, I said.
Because—what would the characters DO for a whole book? You can see why I write
crime fiction!
Q)
We’re human; second-guessing comes with the job. Without going into details, is
there a report you wish you had handled differently?
A)
Happy to go into details. Years ago, maybe 12? I did a story about radioactive
medical materials, and how the security in labs was so lax that these
potentially dangerous items were being stolen. One of the elements that’s used
is Krypton.
In
my story, I called it Kryptonite.
I
still think about that. At least I can laugh now. Kind of.
Q)
You potentially saved many lives with a story of how school bus recalls weren’t
getting delivered to schools. Laws were changed as a result of your work.
Following up on the previous question, what’s the story you’re most proud of?
A)
Such a touch question. We’ve changed laws and changed lives, gotten millions of
dollars in refunds and restitution for consumers. We found huge problems in the
911 system that were sending emergency responders, police and firefighters to
the wrong addresses—that’s now been fixed.
We
found heartbreaking deception in the mortgage banking and home improvement
industries—new laws were passed to make sure that didn’t happen again.
We’ve
revealed some potentially life-saving infant tests that were not being done in
certain hospitals—now they are.
After
35 years as a reporter, I’m so proud of what we’ve accomplished. And I always
think my best story will be the next one.
Q)
Reporting and writing are not nine to five jobs, and you do both. How do you
keep your home life
intact?
A)
Laughing. Truly, that’s part of it. Let me confess that there is absolutely no
way to do it all perfectly, so I try to be organized and prioritized, and I try
to laugh and enjoy it every day. What needs to get done, gets done. I am big on
lists, and have been known to do a task, then PUT it on the list so I can check
it off.
We
eat a lot of carry-out salmon, haven’t gone on vacation for years—and my
husband and I adore each other. I am a hard worker, and really lucky, and I
count my blessings every day.
Q)
Any parting comments for fans and readers new to your work?
A)
You know, if we’re lucky, when we were kids, someone put us on their lap and
began “Once upon a time…” We all love stories, and as a journalist and as a
crime fiction author, that’s what I love to do—tell stories. Riveting,
suspenseful page-turners of stories, that’ll keep you entertained and up too
late turning the pages.
My
book THE OTHER WOMAN (some call it The Good Wife meets Law & Order) won the
prestigious Mary Higgins Clark award—that lets you know it’s a smart,
suspenseful thriller, with no graphic sex or violence. THE OTHER WOMAN also was
nominated for the Agatha, Anthony, Macavity, Daphne and Shamus—that lets you
know it’s among the top novels in all realms of crime fiction.
The
brand new THE WRONG GIRL (what if you didn’t know the truth about your own
family?) is already a multi-week Boston Globe (and others) bestseller—and is
nominated for the best Suspense/Thriller of 2013 by RT Reviewers Choice.
Readers
(like me) who love Lisa Scottoline, Tess Gerritsen, Sue Grafton, Sandra Brown,
Harlan Coben—well, they say to write the kind of books you love to read. That’s
what I’m doing.
Right
now I’m working on the next Jane Ryland thriller, TRUTH BE TOLD (how far would
you go to save your home?)—it’ll be out this time next year!
But
meanwhile, do let me know how you like THE OTHER WOMAN and THE WRONG GIRL. Find
me on Facebook and Twitter! And go to http://www.hankphillippiryan.com/
and click on “contact”—your message comes directly to me.
Thanks
so much for this—what a treat!
