Author Hank Phillippi Ryan Offers Hope

At the age of 55, Hank Phillippi Ryan, well known investigative reporter and now award-winning author, decided she could – and therefore would – write mystery novels.

That was 11 years ago, she told a packed room at the Mattapoisett Public Library on January 31. And how right she was to follow her dream, one that had started decades earlier back in her Indiana childhood.

The real life scene is set in rural Indiana where the young Ryan and her sister rode their ponies to the library every Saturday. Ryan stocked up on the ‘Nancy Drews’ and ‘Sherlocks.’ Those books transported her, instilling a love for a good story that included “problems to be solved.”

Ryan shared that, as a child, she wasn’t the most popular kid in school. She wasn’t a cheerleader; she was more of an outsider especially by the time she got to junior high. She was nominated as the “most individual” by her classmates, a distinction that did not endear her to them or vice versa. Her photograph was even published upside down in the school year book. It felt like harsh uncalled-for treatment to Ryan. But it was also turning point.

While her mother comforted her wounded pre-teen ego, she told Ryan that “the world wasn’t fair” and that she needed to get used to it.

“Then and there I decided I would make things better,” Ryan told a rapt audience.

Fast-forward, Ryan would spend the next 30-odd years pursuing truth, uncovering secrets, and reporting crimes.

“I wanted to make a difference, make things better,” she said as she described exposing problems in the 911 system, medical treatments to aid in disease control for newborns, alerting the public to unscrupulous home improvement contractors, and even taking on the mortgage crisis. And while her years of delving into stories and issues of the day was satisfying, earning her an astonishing 33 Emmys and 13 Edward R. Murrow awards, the desire to write crime fiction was ever present.

Ryan has taken decades of investigative experiences and blended it with that desire to tell good stories, using what she described as a proven formula: two engaging characters that return to each story, themes ripped from her own headlines, knowledge of how the criminal mind works, a murder or two, and a happy ending.

Once again, Ryan has shown that where there is hope, there is possibility; her crime fictions have reached the heights of acclaim with five Agathas, two Anthonys, the Daphne, two Macavitys, and the Mary Higgins Clark award.

“I am the poster child for following your dreams,” she said wrapping-up her nearly hour-long presentation. “I am proof that is it never too late.”

Ryan’s guest speaking engagement coordinates with the Mattapoisett Library staff’s ongoing training program. This year, the library received a LSTA grant from the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners. The grant provides for staff development in the practice of referring and assisting readers to their next good book. The library staff will be focusing on adult mysteries throughout the year, according to Library Director Susan Pizzolato.

Ryan’s books are available throughout the Tri-Town library system, but you might have to go on a waiting list based on the enthusiastic crowd that lined up to shake Ryan’s hand in thanks and appreciation for an interesting and entertaining afternoon.

By the way, her given name is Harriet Anne in case you were curious. You can follow Hank on Facebook or visit www.hankphillippiryan.com.

By Marilou Newell

HANK_0204016

Leave A Comment...

*