Bonnie Kistler's new thriller explores ageism from the lens of a murder

Kate's new husband, who she reunites with 50 years after they were high school sweethearts, has just confessed that he was behind the Tylenol murders — a real, unsolved series of deaths in 1982 from poison-laced Tylenol pills in the Chicago area. When Kate tries to report him, the killer convinces everyone around her that her age, 70, is deteriorating her memory. This is the beginning of Bonnie Kistler's new thriller, Shell Games. In today's episode, Kistler speaks with NPR's Scott Simon about psychological manipulation and how the idea for the book came from a dream where she was the wife in question. To listen to Book of the Day sponsor-free and support NPR's book coverage, sign up for Book of the Day+ at plus.npr.org/bookoftheday Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy