Raise your hand if you’ve read the amazing book “Sex of the Midwest” by Madison’s very own resident novelist Robyn Ryle. It was on NPR’s list of Best Books of 2025 and it was featured in People magazine and the Washington Post. It’s about life in the fictional Indiana rivertown of Lanier, and it’s equal parts fun, thoughtful and poignant. (Get it at NEAT downtown or at the library.) Anyway, when Robyn contacts me with a heads up about another great writer coming to town to give a talk at our library on April 30th, I’m putting it down in my calendar, for sure.
The writer is Lori Rader-Day, and she’s a well-established mystery and suspense writer currently living in Chicago. In fact, Lori has been nominated for the coveted Edgar Award, which is kind of the “Oscar” for mystery writers. She’s coming here on Thursday the 30th to talk about her newest book, Wreck Your Heart, and to talk about writing in general and what it takes to be successful.
“I’m actually a Hoosier by birth,” she explains, “I grew up in Boone County up around Lebanon, went to college, got my masters in Creative Writing and wrote my first book about 12 years ago. The new book is my 8th novel. I met Robyn at a Midwest Writer’s Workshop and she helped pave the way for me coming to Madison to speak at the library.
“My books are mostly traditional mysteries, about ordinary people facing extraordinary circumstances. I don’t do a big outline before I start, I focus more on developing the character and letting them guide the action. The more I get into the character, the more I start to understand how they’d react and what they’d do next. Everybody has a different process, but that’s what works best for me.
“My seventh book, The Death of Us, is actually set in southern Indiana, and I’m very proud of it. But it was pretty dark and intense. I thought with my latest book, Wreck Your Heart, I would write it a little lighter and have more fun. It’s by no means a comedy, but it definitely has a lot of humor. So far the reviews have been great and people are really enjoying it.
“The main character is named Dahlia, and she’s an up and coming country singer living in Chicago. And I know, Chicago and country? But she’s had a rough country upbringing before she got to the big city. It develops into a classic whodunnit murder mystery, which is fun to think about as you read, but it’s really her character that people are responding to. I’m getting calls already to expand it into a series.
“People who come to my talk at the library on April 30th are going to hear about my writing journey, how I first got published and lots more about the process. I’ll share my personal tips about how to start a book, how to finish, and how to tell a compelling story. I’m really looking forward to my Madison visit and I hope to see lots of friendly faces in the audience. If you’re an aspiring writer, or just a die-hard reader, this event will have something to offer you.”
HOT TIP OF THE WEEK
Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday are jam-packed with live music opportunities as usual (and we should note our floating restaurant/bar The Lighthouse is back in biz with shows starting this week). But the day that caught my eye is Sunday, with THREE live music shows in the afternoon. One is at the aforementioned Lighthouse starting at 2pm, there’s an intimate harp concert in the parlor at Shrewsbury-Windle House at 3pm (you’ll need a ticket for that one), and also at 3pm there is a classical concert at the downtown Methodist Church, by the IU Jacob School of Music String Academy. Take a break from gardening or mowing or hosing off the porch and go see some live music on Sunday!
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