Episode 65 - Laura Lippman: Part 1

Laura Lippman is the author of 22 crime novels. In addition to her series featuring private investigator Tess Monaghan, she has written nine standalones. Lippman's new book Wilde Lake falls into the latter category. As often is the case with her one-offs, the context is deeply personal. Lippman herself grew up near the actual Wilde Lake in the Maryland district of Columbia.
In this first of three episodes, we begin by talking transatlantic travel, skip elegantly to Wilde Lake itself. From there it is but a few sentences to discussing the following:

• how books change when the author begins to discuss them
• what Wilde Lake is about
• the echoes of To Kill a Mockingbird
• the thematic inspiration for the storyline
• rape allegations, the truth and historical sex crimes
  
• are perpetrators innocent until proven guilty?
• has society been changed by the Savile and Cosby cases?
• 'how many slaves did our ancestors own?': how should families confront dark corners of their past?
• how morality changes over time