The Inside Flap
Episodes
Writing In Public With Benjamin Stevenson
26 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
A fun chat with Benjamin Stevenson all about his new book Everyone in this Bank is a Thief, fair play mysteries, writing a portion of the book in publ...
Best of: Spacing Out With Andy Weir
22 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
With our hosts scattered across the country this week and Project Hail Mary in theaters now, enjoy a best of episode from 2021 – It’s And...
Braaaains With Daniel Kraus
14 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
A fun chat with Daniel Kraus all about his new book Partially Devoured: How Night of the Living Dead Saved My Life and Changed the World, his obsessio...
How To See Into The Past With Shelley Noble
11 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
A fun chat with Shelley Noble all about her new book The Sisters of Book Row, the Comstock Laws, rare books, and her unique approach to visualizing he...
How To Tend Bar For Andy Cohen With Elizabeth Day
25 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
A fun chat with Elizabeth Day all about her new book One of Us, her favorite reality TV shows (all of them), her interesting journaling technique, and...
How To Live Inside A Book With Kate Quinn
20 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
A fun chat with Kate Quinn all about her new book The Astral Library, living inside of books, dream libraries, and dragons. Plus – Dave & La...
Ep. 320 Chopping Wood With Will Dean
19 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
A fun chat with Will Dean all about his new book Adrift, the importance of first lines, chopping wood for exercise, and his unique writing process. Pl...
Ep. 319 How To Write Off A Vacation With James Rollins
14 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
We’re joined by James Rollins for a fun chat about his new book Trust No One, the importance of routines, witches, talking to strangers, and writing...
Ep. 318 Culture Shock and Freaky Freeways With Saundra Mitchell
05 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
A fun chat with Saundra Mitchell all about her new book This Side of Gone, culture shock, and scary highways. Plus – Dave’s not showering and ...
Ep. 317 Marilyn Monroe’s Favorite Photographer With Lynn Cullen
01 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
We’re joined by Lynn Cullen for a fun chat all about her book When We Were Brilliant, the allure of Marilyn Monroe, her photographer Eve Arnold, and...
Ep. 316 Tuesdays With Jenna Blum
16 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
A fun chat with Jenna Blum all about her new book Murder Your Darlings, Tuesdays, stalkers, and what it’s really like being a writer. Plus – D...
Ep. 315 Wendy Walker Is On Thin Ice & We Share Our Favorite Books of 2025
14 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
A fun chat with Wendy Walker all about her new book Blade, her experience as a competitive figure skater, fear training, and pushy skate parents. Plus...
Ep. 314 Ruth Mancini Can’t Stop Watching Frasier
29 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We’re joined by Ruth Mancini for a fun chat all about her new book The Day I Lost You, her career in the law, Ally McBeal, and her obsession with Fr...
Ep. 313 How To Write Fourteenth Century Poetry With Connie Berry
23 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We’re joined by Connie Berry for a fun chat all about her new book A Grave Deception, writing 14th Century poetry, and her inability to remember peo...
Ep. 312 Mythology & The Mafia With Rachel Van Dyken
14 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A fun chat with Rachel Van Dyken all about her new book Fallen Gods, her Norse heritage, the mafia, and sweater wearing cats. Plus – Dave once a...
Ep. 311 Tod Goldberg Chooses His Titles Wisely
07 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We’re joined by Tod Goldberg for a fun chat all about his book Only Way Out, baseball memorabilia, the importance of book titles, and the time he go...
Ep. 310 Matthew Pearl Drinks Hot Chocolate
02 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A fun chat with Matthew Pearl all about his new book The Award, hot chocolate, astronauts, and the trouble with being surrounded by writers. Plus R...
Defending Psychopaths With Elle Marr
24 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A fun chat with Elle Marr all about her new book The Lie She Wears, how she uses her theater background for writing, defending psychopaths, and her fa...
Ann Packer Avoids Small Talk
16 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A fun chat with Ann Packer all about her new book Some Bright Nowhere, why she has no problem doing awful things to her characters, avoiding small tal...
Ep. 309 – Dodging Potholes With Karen White
09 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We’re joined by Karen White for a fun chat about her new book The Lady on Esplanade, creepy dolls, ghost encounters, and New Orleans potholes. Plus ...
Ep. 308 Mia Sheridan: Sometimes A Bear’s Gotta Eat
06 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A fun chat with Mia Sheridan all about her new book The Fix, man-eating bears, and how DIYing helps her writing. Plus – Dave’s school has too ...
How To Select The Perfect Narrator With Kelley Armstrong
27 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A fun chat with Kelley Armstrong all about her new book The Haunting of Paynes Hollow, folklore, audiobook narrators, and bears. Plus – Dave h...
Capri Sun Dictation With Trilina Pucci
22 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A fun chat with Trilina Pucci all about her new book One Killer Night, the San Francisco 49ers, Capri Suns, and gummy worms. Plus – Dave’s stu...
Ep. 307 How To Write A Book By Pranking Your Husband With Christa Carmen
10 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We’re joined by Christa Carmen for a fun chat all about her new novel How to Fake a Haunting, ghost tours, horror movies, and how her husband fallin...
Ep. 306 Crossing Swords With Sarah Hawley
04 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We’re joined by Sarah Hawley for a fun chat all about her new book Princess of Blood, her intricately detailed world building process, and her exper...
Ep. 305 Playing Possum With Jane Hamilton
02 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A fun chat with Jane Hamilton about her new book The Phoebe Variations, big families, housing Sigourney Weaver, and possums. Plus – Dave and And...
Ep. 304 Jeffery Deaver & Isabella Maldonado Can’t Stop Writing
21 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We’re joined by Jeffery Deaver and Isabella Maldonado for a fun chat all about their new book The Grave Artist, their prodigious output, and upping ...
Ep. 303 Lou Berney Is A Smooth Criminal
12 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A fun chat with Lou Berney all about his new book Crooks, seeing the world through a criminal lens, the OKC Thunder, and Judge Reinhold. Plus – ...
Books Are Like A Box Of Chocolates With Joanne Harris
05 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A fun chat with Joanne Harris all about her new book Vianne, why she wanted to revisit the Chocolat series, magic, and her least favorite thing about ...
Ep. 302 Driving In England With Claire Douglas
30 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A fun chat with Claire Douglas all about her new book The Wrong Sister, driving in England, creating twists, and how she uses an alarm to stay distrac...
Ep 301 Eavesdropping With Gareth Brown
22 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We’re joined by Gareth Brown for a fun chat about his new book The Society of Unknowable Objects, competing against himself, his inability to focus ...
Ep. 300 Dungeons & Dragons With M. W. Craven
14 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A fun chat with M. W. Craven all about his new book The Final Vow, why he reads his one star reviews, serial killer tropes, and Snakes & Ladders. ...
Karin Slaughter & The Trouble With Citizen Detectives
13 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Another fun chat with Karin Slaughter all about her new book We Are All Guilty Here, the joy of world building for a new series, the trouble with citi...
Ep. 299 A Visit To Doomtown With Scott Carson
09 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A fun chat with Scott Carson all about his new book Departure 37, the other famous Vonnegut, the race to build the first nuclear bomb, and Doomtown. P...
Ep. 298 Sweet Dreams With J.T. Ellison
05 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A fun chat with J.T. Ellison all about her new book Last Seen, sociopaths, growing in a tiny town, and how she parlays her dreams into material. Plus-...
Ep. 297 Meet Bitey The Alligator With Brian Freeman
27 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A fun chat with Brian Freeman all about his new book The Bourne Escape, writing three books a year, the importance of dogs (in books), and how he got ...
Kissing On Page Four With Lynn Painter
22 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A fun chat with Lynn Painter all about her new book Maid for Each Other, the genius of Pretty Woman, how she makes her wavering attention work for her...
The Many Faces of JFK With J. Randy Taraborrelli
21 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A fun chat with J. Randy Taraborrelli all about his new book JFK: Public, Private, Secret, the truth behind Rose’s cottage, what Jack’s war hero s...
Bigfoot Is A White Whale With Giano Cromley
15 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A fun chat with Giano Cromley all about his new book American Mythology, woodworking, scopaesthesia, and his lifelong obsession with writing about Big...
Ghost Hunting With Dana Elmendorf
06 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We’re joined by Dana Elmendorf for a fun chat about her new book Ghost Birds, bears, and a spine tingly real life ghost story. Plus – Dave get...
Ep. 296 Revisiting The Satanic Panic With Victoria Helen Stone
25 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A fun chat with Victoria Helen Stone all about her new book Bald-Faced Liar, the Satanic Panic, and paranoia run amok. Plus – Dave does not want...
Ep. 295 Blowing Stuff Up With Kendra Elliot
19 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A fun chat with Kendra Elliot all about her new book Her First Mistake, the trouble with analyzing books, and the right time to explode things. Plus &...
Ep. 294 Peter Swanson Writes Backwards
12 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We’re joined by Peter Swanson for a fun chat all about his new book Kill Your Darlings, backwards storytelling, the Exorcist steps, and the reason w...
How To Make A Serial Killer Likeable With Mark Stevens
09 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A fun chat with Mark Stevens all about his new book No Lie Lasts Forever, classical music, baseball, and his fascinating connection to They Might Be G...
Cannoli Clashes With Ali Brady
07 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We’re joined by Bradeigh Godfrey and Alison Hammer for a fun chat all about their new Ali Brady book Battle of the Bookstores, the genius of You’v...
Ep. 293 The Page Sixteen Rule With Maggie Stiefvater
05 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A fun chat with Maggie Stiefvater all about her new book The Listeners, fancy hotels, capital letter conversations, and the (shockingly small) number ...
Wearing Tuxedos In Subways With Chris Pavone
30 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A fun chat with Chris Pavone all about his new novel The Doorman, an unforgettable doorman he once knew, why he was wearing a tuxedo on the subway, an...
Ep. 292 Linwood Barclay And The Trouble With Khakis
23 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A fun chat with Linwood Barclay all about his new book Whistle, taking the leap into the supernatural, train derailments, fish guts, and why he will n...
Ep. 291 How To Exact Revenge On Your Teachers With Anthony Horowitz
17 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A fun chat with Anthony Horowitz all about his new book Marble Hall Murders, Bond music, why he writes with pen and ink, and the creative manner in wh...
Ep. 290 Robert Bailey And His Soothing Legal Pads
10 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A fun chat with Robert Bailey all about his new book The Boomerang, Julio Jones, the problems with Big Pharma, and the healing power of yellow legal p...
Time Portals And Speakeasies With Paulette Kennedy
06 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A fun chat with Paulette Kennedy all about her new book The Artist of Blackberry Grange, speakeasies, time portals, and finding inspiration from portr...
Ep. 289 Dirtbag Facial Hair With Nat Cassidy
25 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A fun chat with Nat Cassiday all about his new book When the Wolf Comes Home, the importance of content warnings, shapeshifters, and his Lovecraftian ...
Ep. 288 Having A Good Cry With Abbi Waxman
17 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We’re joined by Abbi Waxman for a fun chat all about her new book One Death at a Time, unnecessary birthing scenes, crying at Instagram reels, and w...
Ep. 287 Belinda Bauer Knows Why The Bird Shouldn’t Talk
09 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We’re joined by Belinda Bauer for a fun chat all about her new book The Impossible Thing, her habit of wearing watches that don’t work, her Call o...
Ep. 286 Hockey Fights and Plenty of Cursing With Bryan Gruley
07 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We’re joined by Bryan Gruley for a fun chat all about his new book Bitterfrost, hockey fights, Zambonis, and how he turned a bad reader review into ...
Mom Scams & Tradwives With Jesse Q. Sutanto
03 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We’re joined by Jesse Q Sutanto for a fun chat all about her new book Vera Wong’s Guide To Snooping (on a Dead Man), rage watching tradwife videos...
Searching for The TV Guide With Steve Cavanagh
27 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A fun chat with Steve Cavanagh all about his book Witness 8, eccentric characters, New York City police gangs, and his fondness for the late great TV ...
Ep. 285 Trouble In Paradise With Susan Meissner
20 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Susan Meissner joins us for a fun chat all about her book A Map To Paradise, the beginnings of the Cold War, McCarthyism, and the millions of people d...
Ep. 284 Wig Glue Shenanigans
14 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week we recommend: Isola by Allegra Goodman, Stranded by A. K. Duboff, and Lorne: The Man Who Invented Saturday Night Live by Susan Morisson. A...
Best Of!
08 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We have a best of episode from March 12, 2022. C. J. Box joins us to chat about Joe Pickett, why he doesn’t save plot points for future books, the...
Ep. 283 Mars Bars, Coca-Cola and Hostage Negotiations With Gillian McAllister
26 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A fun chat with Gillian McAllister all about her new book Famous Last Words, negotiating with hostages and toddlers, Mars bars, writing at night, and ...
Ep. 282 Mice Plagues! With Charlotte Wood
20 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A fun chat with Charlotte Wood all about her new book Stone Yard Devotional, the appeal of escaping society, mice plagues, and learning to sit in sile...
Ep. 281 Why You Can’t Kill A Cat With Gregg Hurwitz
12 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We’re joined by Gregg Hurwitz for a fun chat all about his new book Nemesis, his favorite Orphan X commandment, how writing is like an illness, and ...
Why You Can’t Give Yourself A Nickname With Christopher Farnsworth
10 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We’re joined by Christopher Farnsworth for a fun chat all about his new book Robert B. Parker’s Buried Secrets, nicknames, hoarding, and what it w...
Ep. 280 How To Pack A Tuba Case With Carter Wilson
30 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A fun chat with Carter Wilson all about his new book Tell Me What You Did, creative uses of tuba cases, talk radio, and how to be anonymously famous. ...
Ep. 279 How To Use A Space Blanket With Joseph Finder
24 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A fun chat with Joseph Finder all about his new book The Oligarch’s Daughter, survival techniques, axe throwing, hitchhiking, and the secret power o...
Ep. 278 How To Buy Dynamite In Bulk With Brad Meltzer
14 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A fun chat with Brad Meltzer all about his new book The JFK Conspiracy: The Secret Plot to Kill Kennedy―and Why It Failed, JFK as war hero, Jacqueli...
Ep. 277 What Makes A Writer Dangerous With Heather O’Neill
12 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We’re joined by Heather O’Neill for a fun chat all about her new book The Capital of Dreams, why writers are dangerous, and the surprising reactio...
Singapore Slings & Citizen Spies With Barbara Nickless
07 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A fun chat with Barbara Nickless all about her new book The Drowning Game, Singapore slings, and why she was compelled to hire a fact checker. Plus &#...
Ep. 276 Our Favorite Books of 2024
27 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We unveil our favorite reads of 2024! Plus – Dave and Laura’s neighbors cut off their WiFi for a week, Dave fails in front of the Heisman, and...
Ep. 275 Giving Back With Jane Corry
19 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
A fun chat with Jane Corry all about her new book I Died on a Tuesday, swimming in the sea, where the title came from, and her experiences teaching wr...
Ep. 274 How To Use Titles To Scare Your Husband With Darby Kane
13 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
A fun chat with Darby Kane all about her new book What the Wife Knew, writing in first person for the first time, and the surprising assist she got to...
We Need More Batman With Victor Methos
06 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
A fun chat with Victor Methos all about his new book The Silent Watcher, doing standup, Joseph Campbell, and his obsession with Batman. Plus – L...
Ep. 273 It All Started With Castro With T. J. English
01 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We’re joined by T. J. English for a fun chat all about his new book The Last Kilo: Willy Falcon and the Cocaine Empire That Seduced America, how the...
G. T. Karber And The Trouble With The Hardy Boys
23 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
A fun chat with G. T. Karber all about his new book Murdle: The School of Mystery, being asked to solve puzzles by strangers, bingo daubers, the falla...
Ep. 272 Fly Eagles Fly With Graham Brown
17 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
A fun chat with Graham Brown all about his new book Clive Cussler Desolation Code, merging human intelligence with machines, the Eagles, and the shark...
Ep. 271 Fifty Shades Of Plaid With Lauren Willig, Beatriz Williams & Karen White
07 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
A fun chat with Beatriz Williams, Lauren Willig, and Karen White all about their new book The Author’s Guide to Murder, pantaboots, prosecco, and wh...
Lou Berney Doesn’t Wear Short Shorts
31 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
A fun conversation with Lou Berney all about his new book Double Barrel Bluff, short shorts, bats, and which actor is the king of sports movies. Plus ...
Peter James Lunches With The Queen
24 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
A fun chat with Peter James all about his new book One of Us is Dead, hanging out with Queen Camilla, getting detained by police in Moscow while out f...
Ep. 270 Chatting In Church With CJ Leede
17 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We’re joined by CJ Leede for a fun chat all about her new book American Rapture, viruses and spending lots of time in church as a kid. Plus – ...
Wasting Fire Extinguishers With Jason Rekulak
09 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
A fun chat with Jason Rekulak all about his new thriller The Last One at the Wedding, pestering his UPS driver, wasting fire extinguishers, and his pr...
Ep. 269 How To Write A Last Minute Epilogue With Rose Carlyle
04 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
A fun chat with Rose Carlyle all about her new book No One Will Know, whale songs, swimming with sharks, and last minute epilogues. Plus – Dave ...
Ep. 268 How To Crash A Wedding With Alison Gaylin
27 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
A fun chat with Alison Gaylin all about her new book Robert B. Parker’s Buzz Kill, energy drinks, and crashing David Hasselhoff’s wedding for Star...
Ep. 267 Catchin’ Some Tasty Waves With Matt Murphy
24 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
A fun chat with Matt Murphy all about his book The Book of Murder, surfing, being there for the victims, and what it’s like having to work closely w...
Hooked On ASMR with Janice Hallett
18 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
A fun chat with Janice Hallet all about her new book The Examiner, the Arts, writing bios, grading, and getting hooked on ASMR. Plus – Dave’s ...
Ep. 266 How To Take Over The Family Name With TJ Klune
12 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
A fun chat with TJ Klune all about his new novel Somewhere Beyond the Sea, breaking stereotypes, the importance of learning Queer history, and who his...
When The Minority Rules With David Daley
06 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We chat with David Daley all about his new book Antidemocratic: Inside the Far Right’s 50-Year Plot to Control American Elections, why we should...
Ep. 265 Writing in Secret With Fiona Barton
30 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We’re joined by Fiona Barton for a fun chat all about her new book Talking to Strangers, the dangers of dating apps, victim blaming, and the reason ...
Ep. 264 How To Bully An Eight-Year-Old With Jesse Q. Sutanto
24 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We’re joined by Jesse Q Sutanto for a fun chat all about her new book You Will Never Be Me, momfluencers, her habit of bullying gamers, her insanely...
Ep. 263 Why You Should Never Meet Your Heroes With Karin Slaughter
17 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
A fun chat with Karin Slaughter all about her new book This is Why We Lied, why she’ll never hike the Appalachian Trail, meeting Carol Burnett, and ...
Ep. 262 No Badges Needed With Rick Jervis
08 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We’re joined by Rick Jervis for a fun conversation all about his new book The Devil Behind the Badge: The Horrifying Twelve Days of the Border Patro...
How To Meet Yourself With Marc Guggenheim
05 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We chat with Marc Guggenheim all about his new thriller In Any Lifetime, parallel universes, the Mets, and what it was like writing for David E. Kelle...
Ep. 261 How You Too Can Be A Feathery Stroker With Marian Keyes
31 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We’re joined by Marian Keyes for a fun chat all about her new novel My Favorite Mistake, talking herself out of writing a much different book, and w...
Casting Dark Shadows With Carol Goodman
30 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
A fun chat with Carol Goodman all about her new book Return to Wyldcliffe Heights, the trouble with naming characters, “refuges” for women, Gothic...
Powdering Wigs With David Ellis
27 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
A fun chat with David Ellis all about his new novel The Best Lies, powdered wigs, the Jaws theme, and how he incorporates twists into his books. Plus-...
Ep. 260 Staying Busy With Robert Justice
24 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We’re joined by one of our favorite guests Robert Justice for a fun chat all about his new novel A Dream in the Dark, Denver’s dark past, wrongful...
Ep. 259 The Problem With Merlin Featuring Lev Grossman
18 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
A fun chat with Lev Grossman all about his new book The Bright Sword, writing battle scenes, why the book took 10 years to write, and the problem with...
Ep. 258 Recipes Included With Kate Quinn
11 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Kate Quinn joins us for a fun chat about her new novel The Briar Club, the 50s, her love for the Red Sox, and why she included recipes in her book. Pl...
Ep. 257 Camping Out With Liz Moore
05 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Liz Moore joins us for a fun chat about her new novel The God of the Woods, the Adirondacks, snakehead fish, and why she hated summer camp as a kid. ...
Ep. 256 When To Give Up On A Mustache With Ace Atkins
28 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We’re joined by Ace Atkins for a fun chat all about his book Don’t Let the Devil Ride, old movies, Elvis, and why he quit on his mustache. Plus- D...