The day before she was the guest of honor at a luncheon/reading hosted by the Literary League of St. Simons on St. Simons Island,

Timing is everything and a novel about an author writing memoirs gels well with readers' voracious consumption of a genre that chronicles the lives of the fortunate, the misery-laden, criminally inclined, romantically challenged, serial entrepreneurs, sexual assault, fallen athletes and incest survivors along with the average person.

Today people crave escape from the financial ruins of the world beyond and memoir, a story of veracity, affords the reader several emotions. First and foremost an empathy with the person because they are real; secondly the relief that someone else's life is worse and lastly because a real-life story garners media attention beyond that of a novel – particularly if the author is outed for tampering with the truth.

In "Life Sentences." Cassandra has successfully published two memoirs -- one about her father and the other about her husband. Both earned acclaim and brisk sales. She then tries her hand at a novel that receives a modicum of success among readers but a thrashing by the critics.

Faced with writer's block from her attempt at fiction, Cassandra searches for a non-fiction topic to resurrect her career. Upon hearing a newscast likening a current crime to the case of Calliope, a former schoolmate, Cassandra decamps from New York for Baltimore (Lippman's hometown) to research the crime and the reasons why Calliope went to prison rather than explain the motives behind the murder of her 3-month-old son. Twenty years has passed since the murder and this trip brings Cassandra face-to-face with childhood friends and family lies.

A hallmark of Lippman's writing is her psychological insight into her characters and their behavior that she easily translates to the page. "Life Sentences" is a completely fulfilling story that plumbs the depths of friendship, passion, racial tensions and the wavering line between memory and delusional make believe.

Lippman is best known for her award-winning Tess Monaghan crime series and her serial, "The Girl in the Green Raincoat," which appeared in the Sunday New York Times Magazine. In 2007, Lippman's "What the Dead Know" topped many best-seller lists including the New York Times and brought her the Quill Award for Best Mystery. In 2008 she expanded her repertoire into short stories with the publication of "Hardly Knew Her." Previously, Ms. Lippman spent a dozen years as a newspaper reporter, the last half as a feature writer at The Baltimore Sun.

Editor's note: Hello Georgia,

There's something for nearly every part of our great state in today's follow-up story from the Capitol regarding the stem cell debate. In this story you'll find comment by reps from Rome, Atlanta, Hull, Dalton, Gainesville, and Marietta. It's a great summation of both sides of this heated debate.

Our Soapbox today takes issue with the obit written by so many on the future of conservatism in America. We also offer you a report from the Miami Film Festival, where our critic, Eleanor Ringel Cater, says the movies are great but so are the temptations. And finally a preview of novelist Laura Lippman's speaking tour of Georgia as she promotes her new book, "Life Sentences."

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Send your comments and any story ideas to executive editor John Sugg at john.sugg@georgiaonlinenews.org. You can also call us at 800-891-3459.

Georgia Reps had a Lot to Say About Stem Cell Research

Author Laura Lippman Tours Georgia with New Novel

Great Movies and Way Too Many Distractions

SOAPBOX

Timeless Conservative Beliefs Have Demonstrated Their Staying Power