August 29, 2025 • 12 mins
Lynda La Plante is the queen of crime fiction.
She has 50 novels to her name and is the creator of hit TV shows like Prime Suspect, Widows, and Above Suspicion.
Her works place compelling and determined women centre stage – Anna Travis, Jane Tennison, and Lorraine Page just a few of them.
La Plante’s latest novel introduces a new lead detective, CSI Jessica Russell, as she brings together a team of scientists and experts to deal with a complicated and brutal crime.
She joined Jack Tame to discuss the inspiration behind 'The Scene of the Crime’ and its focus on forensics.
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Speaker 1 (00:07):
You're listening to the Saturday Morning with Jack Team podcast
from News Talks at B. Linda la Plant is the
Queen of crime fiction. She has fifty novels yep, you heard,
They're write fifty novels to her name. She's the creator
of hit shows like Prime Suspect, Widows and Above Suspicion,
and that there are women on TV solving crimes at
(00:30):
all is arguably down to Linda, who's always placed determined
and compelling heroines center stage. Her latest novel, Scene of
the Crime, introduces us to a new lead detective CSI
Jessica Russell, as she investigates a case that is not
quite what it seems. The incredible Linda La Plant is
with us this morning. Kilda, welcome to the show.
Speaker 2 (00:51):
Thank you very much.
Speaker 1 (00:53):
We are so delighted to be speaking with you because
you are an extraordinary storyteller. It's curious, though, I think
you've penned more than fifty books now and with all
the stories you've told over the year, as you have
for us a new lead character tell us about seeing
the crime and detictive Jiska Russell.
Speaker 2 (01:13):
Well, you know, it's quite difficult when you actually are
slightly pressurized to bring in a new character and even
more slightly pressurized to make her a woman. And you know,
I get sick to death of people saying you only
write strong women, because I don't only write strong women.
(01:36):
I write a lot of fabulous men. But anyway, what
happens when I do this podcast you see, which is
called Listening to the Dead, and it's me meeting all
the top forensic scientists, anyone connected to crime. And one
of the podcasts they have this incredible lady come in
(02:00):
and her name is Patricia Wiltsher. She's very quiet, sort
of to describe her. She really does look like a
very very pleasant aunt, very very quietly spoken. She is lethal.
This woman. I mean, she is a botanist and has
(02:21):
been called in to some of the most horrific murders.
And I'll give you an example of this little quiet
voice when she said one murder was very interesting because
they didn't know where the body had been moved or
come from. She was able to say, you need to
(02:43):
look for a close proximity of a garden that has
an air apple and a pear tree. The other thing too,
you will find two not large small bonfires, one using
barbecue coals, another one with sticks, and my god, they've
(03:05):
found exactly that location. I mean, it was exactly as
she'd describe. And then she went on telling me more
and more, and every scientist I met that had I
mean their abilities were blood or their ability was fingerprinting,
And I mean, you think, well, I've seen fingerprinting on
(03:27):
every single crime show. They're always out with the duster.
But the specific ones that how they find them in
very strange places and matching, and they're all top, top scientists.
So I thought, what in a murder you could get
all these scientists together as a team. Because if you
(03:51):
need a blood analysis to come to say you're looking
for a right handed person who's using a six inch blade,
but he's very large, he's over six foot, they can
describe in detail. What if you could get them, But
most they're always very busy, so you might have to
wait two weeks a week before one is available, particularly
(04:13):
somebody as brilliant as the botanist. And so I thought,
what if you had a specific team, and when you
had a really horrific murder, you called them in asap.
Together they form a unit. So that's the basis of
the scene of the crime. I have a unit. Now.
(04:36):
At the head of that unit, I have Jessica. She's
not particularly you know, people say, is she a bit
like Jane Tennyson? No, no, no, no, no, she's not.
What is she really like. She's actually a difficult customer.
I don't think you particularly warmed to her immediately. She's
(05:00):
very tough, very sharp witted. And then things like when
you're writing and kind of giving birth to a new character,
you grab hold of things that happen. And one of
the women that I was interviewing on this podcast has
an ability. She is a locksmith. She can literally tell
(05:26):
you what tools were used to open the door and lock.
And she had the most amazing laugh. She was very
very serious with her tools, at her equipment going on,
and then somebody said something and she roared with this
big guttural and I said, oh, I'm going to use that.
Jessica's got that laugh. So gradually, bit by bit you
(05:50):
build up. And so Jessica has arrived and she's unusual.
She's I mean mid thirties because she's very experienced. She's
a criminologist, psychology, just you name it, she's done it.
Speaker 1 (06:07):
Got it.
Speaker 2 (06:09):
But she is not a police officer, she can't make
an arrest. So these scientists come together and give clues,
one clue after another, and it's some of it is
so surprising because it's forensic or forensic detail, and they
film when they're working, when they're brought into a murder inquiry.
(06:32):
And this one is a particularly horrific one because the
victim is beaten to a pulp and he's in a
coma and he's got a huge knife stuck at his back,
and he's like, is he going to live? How long
has he got he's in a coma? What can we find?
And it's the awareness of how fast they can move
(06:57):
through a crime scene and say to the police, this
is what you're looking for, and that's the key to
the scene of crime. I can go home now.
Speaker 1 (07:11):
I feel like everyone listening to this right now is
going to be online furiously trying to buy the book immediately.
You've solved us completely. You know, you you are quite
an extraordinary researcher and over the years for your books
you have interviewed mafia bosses, violent criminal, serial killers sometimes
(07:33):
so I'm interested in this process and preps through this podcast.
You know you are able to describe it to us.
When you're interviewing people, are you looking for a kind
of psychological analysis so you understand them? Or are you
looking for those little details? Be it a guttural laugh
with these you know, a woman with these fine tools,
(07:53):
what are you looking for?
Speaker 2 (07:56):
Information? Information? Information? And actually, over and over again, I
keep saying to writers you should listen because I'm asking
what every writer wants to know. How fast can you
get a result on this? And it's like, you know
one person ant he's a geologist, but he's a soil expert.
(08:19):
So when people are brought out to a crime and
can remove some soil from a car wheel and tell
you exactly where it's come from. Sam the footprint expert.
I mean what he can tell from a footprint. This
is a you know we always see on all these
(08:39):
crime show there's a footprint. The next minute they say,
take a cast of that, take a cast of that.
Then you see them typically in the white alabasterio to
get it. Then you see them looking at the cost.
This man is so observant and are so well trained.
He can look at never mind getting the plaster cast ready,
he can look at the print and say, you're looking
(09:01):
for an added dats you want to size ten. Now,
what is interesting about this is the where on the
right hand side of the foot you're looking at somebody
has a distinct rolling walk and you go, really really
from a mark footprint. But that is how fast they work.
(09:22):
But there's also experienced and they need very little encouragement
to begin to explain, and they are riveting. I mean,
I'm just absolutely a gog. When again the botanist again,
you know what she can say from looking where a
(09:43):
body is, and she can tell from the position of
grass if it was dragged, walked on how long it
has been there by the way the grass is leaning,
and you go, this is amazing. One murder, one murder.
She actually was another point. She said, this murder was
(10:04):
not in this and you had detectives thumping around, you know,
and the ribbons are up, and she said, no, there
was an oak tree leaf under the body and it
must have been on the body and there are no
oak trees in that area. They had to go to
(10:26):
find an oak tree with a leaf that would be
in the same condition as the one under the.
Speaker 1 (10:35):
Things like that, you go, what so, yeah, you said,
Linda that you felt pressurized to have a strong female character,
you felt pressurized to get the story out. I mean
you have, I mean done more than almost any modern
author to elevate strong female characters. Why do you feel pressurized? So?
Speaker 2 (11:00):
Publishers who And it's they always use that expression what
the public want, whether they want it or not. I
don't know, I don't think so they don't mind. And
you know right now because every time my book comes out,
it's like it's gone from me. It went away six
(11:24):
seven months ago to get the cover of you of course,
to ye edit all that. So in the interim, I'm
already writing something else. And it's very very difficult because
the one I'm writing now is really tough for me
because it's the end of a character and a character
(11:45):
I loved, same name as you, Jack, And that is
very very difficult. And it's truthfully, you know, one is
kind of not allowed to really work the way you
would like to work. Your publishers will tell you time up,
(12:11):
knock this character off. What's something new? It's quite And
people keep saying to me, why'd you keep right here?
You're welker get commission. That's why you know, you've got
to get a commission to read.
Speaker 1 (12:26):
Yeah, yeah, Linda. Honestly, it is such a pleasure. We
could listen to you all day. Thank you so much
for giving us your time. Congratulations on the scene of
the crime. We're never going to be calling for you
to retire or anything like that. We just every story
you do as yet another blessing.
Speaker 2 (12:42):
So thank you, thank you, Jack, thank you very much.
Speaker 1 (12:46):
That is Linda Laplant. Her new book is seen at
the crime and all the details are on the News Talks.
He'd be website for more from Saturday Morning with Jack Tame.
Listen live to News Talks he'd be from nine am Saturday,
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.
You're listening to the Saturday Morning with Jack Team podcast
from News Talks at B. Linda la Plant is the
Queen of crime fiction. She has fifty novels yep, you heard,
They're write fifty novels to her name. She's the creator
of hit shows like Prime Suspect, Widows and Above Suspicion,
and that there are women on TV solving crimes at
(00:30):
all is arguably down to Linda, who's always placed determined
and compelling heroines center stage. Her latest novel, Scene of
the Crime, introduces us to a new lead detective CSI
Jessica Russell, as she investigates a case that is not
quite what it seems. The incredible Linda La Plant is
with us this morning. Kilda, welcome to the show.
Speaker 2 (00:51):
Thank you very much.
Speaker 1 (00:53):
We are so delighted to be speaking with you because
you are an extraordinary storyteller. It's curious, though, I think
you've penned more than fifty books now and with all
the stories you've told over the year, as you have
for us a new lead character tell us about seeing
the crime and detictive Jiska Russell.
Speaker 2 (01:13):
Well, you know, it's quite difficult when you actually are
slightly pressurized to bring in a new character and even
more slightly pressurized to make her a woman. And you know,
I get sick to death of people saying you only
write strong women, because I don't only write strong women.
(01:36):
I write a lot of fabulous men. But anyway, what
happens when I do this podcast you see, which is
called Listening to the Dead, and it's me meeting all
the top forensic scientists, anyone connected to crime. And one
of the podcasts they have this incredible lady come in
(02:00):
and her name is Patricia Wiltsher. She's very quiet, sort
of to describe her. She really does look like a
very very pleasant aunt, very very quietly spoken. She is lethal.
This woman. I mean, she is a botanist and has
(02:21):
been called in to some of the most horrific murders.
And I'll give you an example of this little quiet
voice when she said one murder was very interesting because
they didn't know where the body had been moved or
come from. She was able to say, you need to
(02:43):
look for a close proximity of a garden that has
an air apple and a pear tree. The other thing too,
you will find two not large small bonfires, one using
barbecue coals, another one with sticks, and my god, they've
(03:05):
found exactly that location. I mean, it was exactly as
she'd describe. And then she went on telling me more
and more, and every scientist I met that had I
mean their abilities were blood or their ability was fingerprinting,
And I mean, you think, well, I've seen fingerprinting on
(03:27):
every single crime show. They're always out with the duster.
But the specific ones that how they find them in
very strange places and matching, and they're all top, top scientists.
So I thought, what in a murder you could get
all these scientists together as a team. Because if you
(03:51):
need a blood analysis to come to say you're looking
for a right handed person who's using a six inch blade,
but he's very large, he's over six foot, they can
describe in detail. What if you could get them, But
most they're always very busy, so you might have to
wait two weeks a week before one is available, particularly
(04:13):
somebody as brilliant as the botanist. And so I thought,
what if you had a specific team, and when you
had a really horrific murder, you called them in asap.
Together they form a unit. So that's the basis of
the scene of the crime. I have a unit. Now.
(04:36):
At the head of that unit, I have Jessica. She's
not particularly you know, people say, is she a bit
like Jane Tennyson? No, no, no, no, no, she's not.
What is she really like. She's actually a difficult customer.
I don't think you particularly warmed to her immediately. She's
(05:00):
very tough, very sharp witted. And then things like when
you're writing and kind of giving birth to a new character,
you grab hold of things that happen. And one of
the women that I was interviewing on this podcast has
an ability. She is a locksmith. She can literally tell
(05:26):
you what tools were used to open the door and lock.
And she had the most amazing laugh. She was very
very serious with her tools, at her equipment going on,
and then somebody said something and she roared with this
big guttural and I said, oh, I'm going to use that.
Jessica's got that laugh. So gradually, bit by bit you
(05:50):
build up. And so Jessica has arrived and she's unusual.
She's I mean mid thirties because she's very experienced. She's
a criminologist, psychology, just you name it, she's done it.
Speaker 1 (06:07):
Got it.
Speaker 2 (06:09):
But she is not a police officer, she can't make
an arrest. So these scientists come together and give clues,
one clue after another, and it's some of it is
so surprising because it's forensic or forensic detail, and they
film when they're working, when they're brought into a murder inquiry.
(06:32):
And this one is a particularly horrific one because the
victim is beaten to a pulp and he's in a
coma and he's got a huge knife stuck at his back,
and he's like, is he going to live? How long
has he got he's in a coma? What can we find?
And it's the awareness of how fast they can move
(06:57):
through a crime scene and say to the police, this
is what you're looking for, and that's the key to
the scene of crime. I can go home now.
Speaker 1 (07:11):
I feel like everyone listening to this right now is
going to be online furiously trying to buy the book immediately.
You've solved us completely. You know, you you are quite
an extraordinary researcher and over the years for your books
you have interviewed mafia bosses, violent criminal, serial killers sometimes
(07:33):
so I'm interested in this process and preps through this podcast.
You know you are able to describe it to us.
When you're interviewing people, are you looking for a kind
of psychological analysis so you understand them? Or are you
looking for those little details? Be it a guttural laugh
with these you know, a woman with these fine tools,
(07:53):
what are you looking for?
Speaker 2 (07:56):
Information? Information? Information? And actually, over and over again, I
keep saying to writers you should listen because I'm asking
what every writer wants to know. How fast can you
get a result on this? And it's like, you know
one person ant he's a geologist, but he's a soil expert.
(08:19):
So when people are brought out to a crime and
can remove some soil from a car wheel and tell
you exactly where it's come from. Sam the footprint expert.
I mean what he can tell from a footprint. This
is a you know we always see on all these
(08:39):
crime show there's a footprint. The next minute they say,
take a cast of that, take a cast of that.
Then you see them typically in the white alabasterio to
get it. Then you see them looking at the cost.
This man is so observant and are so well trained.
He can look at never mind getting the plaster cast ready,
he can look at the print and say, you're looking
(09:01):
for an added dats you want to size ten. Now,
what is interesting about this is the where on the
right hand side of the foot you're looking at somebody
has a distinct rolling walk and you go, really really
from a mark footprint. But that is how fast they work.
(09:22):
But there's also experienced and they need very little encouragement
to begin to explain, and they are riveting. I mean,
I'm just absolutely a gog. When again the botanist again,
you know what she can say from looking where a
(09:43):
body is, and she can tell from the position of
grass if it was dragged, walked on how long it
has been there by the way the grass is leaning,
and you go, this is amazing. One murder, one murder.
She actually was another point. She said, this murder was
(10:04):
not in this and you had detectives thumping around, you know,
and the ribbons are up, and she said, no, there
was an oak tree leaf under the body and it
must have been on the body and there are no
oak trees in that area. They had to go to
(10:26):
find an oak tree with a leaf that would be
in the same condition as the one under the.
Speaker 1 (10:35):
Things like that, you go, what so, yeah, you said,
Linda that you felt pressurized to have a strong female character,
you felt pressurized to get the story out. I mean
you have, I mean done more than almost any modern
author to elevate strong female characters. Why do you feel pressurized? So?
Speaker 2 (11:00):
Publishers who And it's they always use that expression what
the public want, whether they want it or not. I
don't know, I don't think so they don't mind. And
you know right now because every time my book comes out,
it's like it's gone from me. It went away six
(11:24):
seven months ago to get the cover of you of course,
to ye edit all that. So in the interim, I'm
already writing something else. And it's very very difficult because
the one I'm writing now is really tough for me
because it's the end of a character and a character
(11:45):
I loved, same name as you, Jack, And that is
very very difficult. And it's truthfully, you know, one is
kind of not allowed to really work the way you
would like to work. Your publishers will tell you time up,
(12:11):
knock this character off. What's something new? It's quite And
people keep saying to me, why'd you keep right here?
You're welker get commission. That's why you know, you've got
to get a commission to read.
Speaker 1 (12:26):
Yeah, yeah, Linda. Honestly, it is such a pleasure. We
could listen to you all day. Thank you so much
for giving us your time. Congratulations on the scene of
the crime. We're never going to be calling for you
to retire or anything like that. We just every story
you do as yet another blessing.
Speaker 2 (12:42):
So thank you, thank you, Jack, thank you very much.
Speaker 1 (12:46):
That is Linda Laplant. Her new book is seen at
the crime and all the details are on the News Talks.
He'd be website for more from Saturday Morning with Jack Tame.
Listen live to News Talks he'd be from nine am Saturday,
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.
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