Two new murder mysteries: 'Ruby Falls' and 'The Secret Lives of Murderers' Wives'

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Arts, Books

4.2 • 671 Ratings

🗓️ 20 March 2026

⏱️ 18 minutes

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Summary

Two new murder mystery novels let readers into hidden worlds: one underground and the other among the wives of serial killers. First, Ruby Falls begins in 1928 in Chattanooga, Tennessee when a man discovers a mysterious underground cavern and waterfall. In today’s episode, NPR’s Scott Simon speaks with Gin Phillips about the publicity stunt that sets her story in motion. Then, Lizzie Pook chats with NPR’s Ayesha Rascoe about The Secret Lives of Murderers’ Wives – published under the pen name Elizabeth Arnott – in which three women find each other after their husbands’ crimes are uncovered.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Hey, it's Empire's Book of the Day. I'm Andrew Limbaugh. It's a testament to the human
0:06.7	imagination that after all these years, people are still making murder mysteries new, fresh,
0:12.3	and exciting. We've got two for you today in a bit, a book that turns the murder genre on its
0:17.1	head and focuses on the wives of the murderers. But first, a closed door mystery.
0:22.8	Well, there's not really a technical door because it takes place in a cave, but you know what I mean.
0:27.6	It's titled Ruby Falls, named after the real-life underground waterfall in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
0:33.7	Author Jin Phillips talks to NPR Scott Simon about being inspired by the underground and how folks just aren't the same when they're trapped in deep, damp corners of the earth.
0:44.2	A psychic, his wife, his manager, a Chicago reporter, and a couple of guides get stuck in a cave with a massive underground waterfall looking for a hatpin.
0:55.5	No, this is no joke.
0:57.6	There's a murder.
0:59.2	How do they get out before there's more?
1:01.8	The new novel, Ruby Falls, is set in 1932 in Chattanooga, Tennessee, shortly after a real-life caver.
1:10.3	Leo Lambert did find an underground waterfall and named it for his
1:14.6	wife, Ruby. Gin Phillips joins us now to talk about her novel from the studios of WBHM in Birmingham.
1:21.7	Thanks so much for being with us.
1:23.3	I'm very excited to be here, Scott. Thanks for having me.
1:25.8	And, Katha, you saw the actual Ruby Falls years ago, and that set your mind racing?
1:33.2	Yeah, I mean, I think like most people who live in the southeast and maybe all the way up the coast,
1:38.8	I've seen the signs for Ruby Falls my entire life.
1:41.7	But the first time I went there was about 2018. You take a elevator
1:47.2	down into the middle of the mountain. And from the minute I stepped out, I felt like this is a place
1:53.0	I really want to set a book. There is something about realizing there is an entire world
	...

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