Hello again and welcome to Book of the Day. I'm Chloe Veltman.

For today's doubleheader, a pair of gritty novels set in 1970s America by two well-known

names from the world of books and media. Many audience members will know Jake Tapper as the

anchor of the lead on CNN, but he's also a novelist. In a bit, we'll hear NPR's Scott Simon

chatting with Tapper about his new thriller, All the Demons are here. Before we dive into that,

let's go to Simon's recent interview with best-selling author Dennis Lehane. Set in 1977,

the Haynes new novel Small Mercies deals with the desegregation of public schools in Boston.

The plot centres on a mystery, a hunt for a missing girl.

At the same time, it explores big themes like how racism is passed down through generations,

as well as the tension between the need for desegregation of the school system

and the needlessly harmful way in which it happened.

Here's Scott Simon.

In the U.S., national security news can feel far away from daily life.

Distant wars, murky conflicts, diplomacy behind closed doors.

On our new show, Sources and Methods, NPR reporters on the ground bring you stories of real people,

helping you understand why distant events matter here at home.

Listen to sources and methods on the NPR app or wherever you get your podcasts.

There's a memory from his childhood that Dennis Lehane has never managed to shake.

The best-selling novelist of Mystic River Gone Baby Gone and other books recalls the summer of 1974.

City of Boston had erupted in protests over court-mandated busing to desegregate public schools.

Dropping home, his father took a wrong turn straight into a protest, and from the back seat,

young Dennis Lehane saw what looked like life-sized dolls hanging from street lamps.

...