Podcast Summary: All Of It with Alison Stewart

Episode: A Debut Legal Thriller About a Taxi Driver Framed for Murder
Date: February 25, 2026
Featured Guest: Yosha Gunasakira, attorney and author of "The Midnight Taxi"
Host: Alison Stewart

Overview

In this episode, Alison Stewart interviews novelist and attorney Yosha Gunasakira about her debut mystery, "The Midnight Taxi." Set in New York City, the novel follows Siriwathi, a Sri Lankan American taxi driver who finds herself framed for a murder after discovering a passenger with a knife in his chest. The conversation delves into the inspirations behind the book, representation in crime fiction, personal experiences from Gunasakira's legal career, and deeper themes of culture, wrongful convictions, and the immigrant experience in NYC.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Inspiration Behind "The Midnight Taxi"

• The Real-Life Cab Encounter

  • Yosha recounts late-night conversations with a yellow cab driver after her shifts as a public defender—an experience that sparked the book's premise.
  • Quote:
    • “It was a true crime loving cab driver. And we just had this rare moment of human connection that you often have in New York City between two strangers.” (01:44)

• Personal Connections to Taxi Driving

  • Gunasakira’s husband comes from a family of cab drivers; her husband's grandfather survived being shot in the head while driving and continued the work.
  • Quote:
    • "So it's always been part of this family lore, and it's really driven me to want to learn more about these essential New York City service workers..." (04:18)

Protagonist’s Character and Motivations

• Siriwathi’s Relationship with Her Job

  • Described as a “Chatty Cathy,” she loves connecting with different kinds of New Yorkers but struggles with unfulfilled potential. (02:29–02:55)

• Obsession with True Crime

  • Siriwathi listens to crime podcasts for the mystery and companionship, believing she understands the legal system through them.
  • Quote:
    • “She really feels like when she does eventually get arrested, that she totally understands the criminal legal system because she listens to true crime.” (03:18)

Legal Realities vs. Crime Story Tropes

• Misunderstanding the Legal System

  • Both in fiction and reality, consuming crime media doesn’t translate to actual legal expertise.
  • Quote:
    • “I thought that 100 episodes of Law and Order SVU made me truly an expert on the criminal legal system. And then I went to law school and realized how different reality is from what's presented on television.” (03:49)

• Psychology of Panic and Justice

  • Explains why Siriwathi doesn’t call the police right away—reflecting real reactions under stress, especially for people of color wary of systemic bias.
  • Quote:
    • “She almost subconsciously understands that she is going to be the person that they point to… because she's a woman of color, and she's been stopped before because of that.” (08:19)

The Sri Lankan American Experience in Fiction

• Rare Representation

  • Gunasakira highlights the importance of featuring Sri Lankan protagonists, especially two women, to reflect underrepresented communities within genre fiction.
  • Quote:
    • “I so rarely saw anybody who was a South Asian protagonist… even more rare, a Sri Lankan protagonist in these type of novels.” (06:17)

• Shared Heritage and Culture

  • The bond between Siriwathi and her lawyer Amaya is rooted in shared experience as Sri Lankans in New York; the book celebrates their culture, food, and language. (06:27)

Criminal Justice, False Confessions, and Systemic Bias

• Amaya’s Role as a Lawyer

  • Amaya is depicted as tough and cautious, conscious of how the legal system targets vulnerable populations, especially people of color. (06:51–07:30)

• Police Interrogations and Confessions

  • Discusses how fear, stress, and coercive tactics can lead to false confessions and wrongful convictions.
  • Quote:
    • “Police officers are allowed to tell people that they have certain pieces of evidence that they might not have… It almost convinces people, especially in this vulnerable state…” (09:26)

Writing Process and Balancing Careers

• Juggling Law and Writing
  • Gunasakira wrote the novel amid her legal work and teaching, squeezing in time while waiting in courthouses and jails.
  • Quote:
    • “Sometimes I would just write short and then go home and type it out… For a novel, I can just make things up, which was just so much fun.” (11:00)

The Importance of Place: All Five Boroughs

• Celebrating New York
  • The story intentionally travels across all five boroughs to showcase the city’s rich diversity, especially its immigrant culture and food scene. (12:05–12:52)

Editing and Feedback

• Early Reader Insights
  • Her older sister, a rigorous critic, helped identify plot holes and inconsistencies, proving the value of honest feedback.
  • Quote:
    • “My first reader always is my older sister, who is a much better writer than me… She reads it, and she’s like, well, there’s 12 plot holes, five things go nowhere.” (13:07)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “It was a true crime loving cab driver. And we just had this rare moment of human connection…”
  — Yosha Gunasakira (01:44)

• “She really feels like when she does eventually get arrested, that she totally understands the criminal legal system because she listens to true crime.”
  — Yosha Gunasakira (03:18)

• “I so rarely saw anybody who was a South Asian protagonist… even more rare, a Sri Lankan protagonist in these type of novels.”
  — Yosha Gunasakira (06:17)

• “She almost subconsciously understands… she's going to be the person that they point to… because she's a woman of color…”
  — Yosha Gunasakira (08:19)

• “Police officers are allowed to tell people that they have certain pieces of evidence that they might not have…”
  — Yosha Gunasakira (09:26)

• “Sometimes I would just write short and then go home and type it out… For a novel, I can just make things up, which was just so much fun.”
  — Yosha Gunasakira (11:00)

• “My first reader always is my older sister… She reads it, and she’s like, well, there’s 12 plot holes, five things go nowhere.”
  — Yosha Gunasakira (13:07)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Inspiration and Real-Life Stories: 01:06–02:17
• Taxi Driver Perspective & Family History: 04:09–05:30
• Cultural Identity & Lack of Representation: 06:04–06:48
• Psychology of Wrongful Accusations: 08:05–09:10
• False Confessions and Systemic Issues: 09:10–10:28
• Writing Process & Balancing Careers: 10:41–11:58
• Celebrating the Five Boroughs: 12:05–12:52
• Editing and Family Feedback: 13:02–14:09

Summary

This episode provides a nuanced look at "The Midnight Taxi"—a novel informed by lived legal experiences, deep-rooted family stories, and a riveting sense of place and representation. Through personal anecdotes and professional insights, Yosha Gunasakira reveals how the book weaves themes of justice, identity, and resilience, while also offering a refreshing, culturally rich perspective on the beloved murder mystery.

“Do you want to find out if Siri is a murderer? You have to read The Midnight Taxi.”
— Alison Stewart (14:09)