Podcast Summary: The Book Lisp – "Prime Time Crime"

Podcast: The Book Lisp with Jon Ryan & Sarah Colonna
Episode: Prime Time Crime
Date: December 8, 2025
Hosts: Jon Ryan & Sarah Colonna
Main Book Discussed: Christmas Presents by Lisa Unger

Episode Overview

This episode dives into the world of true crime, both as a cultural phenomenon and as depicted in Lisa Unger's thriller Christmas Presents, the monthly book club pick from Sarah's shelf. Jon and Sarah explore the popularity of true crime podcasts, the ethical gray areas of content creation in this space, and the ripple effects on real people. The conversation intertwines their own experiences with the book's themes, musings on small-town life, a humorous debate over Christmas tree decor, and a broader look at celebrity culture.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

True Crime Media & Its Ethics

• Rise of True Crime Podcasting

  • Sarah discusses how the book’s protagonist, Harley, is a famous true crime podcaster/author who returns to a small town to investigate a past crime (07:00).
  • Highlights ethical dilemmas, such as recording people without consent.
    • Sarah: “He would record people without telling them and then use it […] I didn’t even know you could do that.” (07:45)
  • Explores whether such behavior is actually legal, and the blurry ethics at play.

• Society’s Obsession with True Crime

  • Sarah and Jon discuss why people voraciously consume true crime: emotional remove, sensational stories, and the power of storytelling.
    • Sarah: “How come I can turn on a Dateline and […] hear these, like, awful stories […] but I can’t watch something fake that’s scary?” (09:59)

• Victims vs. Voyeurism

  • The podcast highlights how communities often forget that victims and their families have to keep living with the aftermath, while outsiders consume their trauma for entertainment.
    • Sarah: “People talk about it in front of you […] but not even really register or acknowledge that it’s her story.” (11:28)
  • Jon points out the double-edged sword of amateur sleuths, referencing both harms and victories (like the Golden State Killer case) from citizen involvement. (14:10)

• The Problem with “Conspiracy Chasing”

  • Both hosts reflect on how social media spreads wild theories, often jeopardizing innocent people’s lives:
    • Jon: “You hear these terrible stories about someone who’s totally innocent, but these people go down crazy rabbit holes and decide this person in the small town is guilty.” (14:10)
    • Sarah: “All of a sudden on TikTok, someone was blaming a teacher […] and this teacher had to sue…” (14:51)

Notable Quote:
Jon: “If you start to go down weird rabbit holes and conspiracy theories, you can turn the case on anything. And this is why there’s still millions of people that think OJ Simpson was innocent. Because—if you go now with, nowadays especially […] they hold your hand or guide you down that trail until they prove you’re right, when you’re completely wrong.” (16:49)

• Responsibility of True Crime Content Creators
  • The pair argue that podcasters have a responsibility not to promote conspiracies, to consider the victims, and to acknowledge their influence.
    • Sarah: “That’s really disregarding the victim because you may think you’re being a warrior of justice here, but what you’re really doing is hurting innocent people instead.” (16:27)

The Social Media & Fame Angle

• Performative Activism

  • Stories from the book about characters faking involvement for social media resonance with Jon and Sarah, who share parallel stories from real life (27:06).
    • Jon: “There was a woman here in LA […] she jumped out of her car during the whole Black Lives Matter thing […] took a picture [with a hammer]… and then jumped back in her car and left.”
    • Sarah: “Don’t pretend to be involved in something important or helping people… when really it just turns out you took one quick photo and jumped back in your car.” (27:26)

• Charity ‘Photo Ops’

  • Jon recalls an NFL charity shoot where players did an hour of work, then posed for hours of staged photos to promote the cause (28:04).
    • “It just feels a little bit gross…[but] it is getting the word out.” (28:35)

Small-Town Dynamics & Personal Histories

• Being ‘Frozen in Time’

  • The book’s protagonist struggles with always being seen as “the sheriff’s daughter” in her hometown, and the person associated with a tragedy (29:54).
    • Sarah: “People tend to just remember you for who you were when they first met you… Even though my dad’s retired, he’s had a stroke, I’m taking care of him, I have my own bookstore, but [still] I’m the sheriff’s daughter.”
    • Jon: “Everyone wanted a story to tie me back to them or the city. Even if it was something made up about me from when I was 17.” (31:23-31:45)

• Nostalgia vs. Stagnation

  • The dual-edged sword of small-town familiarity is discussed: the charm of everyone knowing your name vs. the frustration of old reputations lingering.
  • Both share anecdotes about small-town snooping and old embarrassments being rehashed endlessly.

Notable Quote:
Jon: “You embarrass yourself one night back in ’93, and they want to talk about it in 2024. You know what just happened in my life these last 31 years? Why do you even remember this?” (35:07)

Christmas Vibes & Couples’ Banter

• Book's Cozy, Nostalgic Holiday Atmosphere

  • The pair riff comically on their own Christmas traditions and home décor, poking fun at Jon’s passion for themed trees and Sarah’s fondness for mismatched ornaments (36:15–39:00).
    • Jon: “I like to have all my trees a different theme. Our tree over here is all gold… That one’s 1800 ornaments!” (37:14)
    • Sarah: “She talks about her Christmas tree is decorated with ornaments all collected from stuff over the years… I think that’s nice.” (36:48)

• Jon’s Retired Life

  • Much laughter as Jon describes his “busy” schedule: “My day starts off with coffee, two hours of working out, three hours at the cigar bar…” (38:00)

Celebrity Culture and Meeting Idols

• Who Would Starstruck Jon?

  • Sarah asks whether Jon would get tongue-tied meeting a famous author like Ellen Hildebrand.
    • Jon: “Yes, definitely Ellen Hildebrand… That’s my favorite author.” (45:45)
    • Sarah: “I got starstruck when I saw an actor from General Hospital!” (45:10)

• Actors Losing Roles to Celebrities/Cameos

  • Sarah bemoans the trend of actors missing out on work as roles go to celebrities or cameos:
    • “Somewhere, there’s an actress who just needed that gig to make her health insurance…” (41:59)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Social Media Contagion:
  Jon (on conspiracy theories): “Whatever you do, they’ll just keep, they’ll hold your hand or guide you down that trail until they prove that you’re right, when you’re completely wrong and you’re just a crazy fucking conspiracy theorist.” (17:17)

• On True Crime Culture:
  Sarah: “That’s really disregarding the victim because you may think you’re being a warrior of justice here, but what you’re really doing is hurting innocent people instead.” (16:27)

• On Small-Town Legacy:
  Jon: “Everyone wanted a story to tie me back to them… some of it was great, but most of it’s like, okay, I don’t need to hear a story about me when I was a jackass when I was 17. Now that I’m 44.” (31:45)

• On Christmas Decor:
  Jon: “Our tree over here is all gold theme… 1800 ornaments on that tree, by the way.” (37:14) Sarah: “She talks about her Christmas tree is decorated with ornaments all collected from stuff over the years… I think that’s nice.” (36:48)

• Funny Side Tangents:

  • Sarah’s story about being in a “promo” for Gene Simmons’ TV show but not fitting the “roller-skating girl” look (22:03).
  • Jon pretending not to recognize half his rumored “small town” stories (31:23-31:45).

Timestamps for Key Segments

• True Crime’s Popularity & Ethics: 07:00–17:30
• Victims and Voyeurism: 11:20–13:12
• Conspiracy & Social Media Dangers: 14:10–17:30
• Performative Activism/Social Media: 27:06–28:52
• Small Town and Personal History: 29:54–35:14
• Christmas Tree Debate: 36:15–39:47
• Celebrity/Cameo Roles & Acting Frustrations: 40:09–43:58
• Meeting Authors / Fan Moments: 45:10–46:51

Tone & Style

The episode maintains a conversational, irreverent, and slightly self-deprecating tone. Jon and Sarah banter over the quirks of small-town life, holiday rituals, and lampoon both themselves and the sometimes absurd nature of fame, social media, and the entertainment industry. They thoughtfully dissect serious topics but keep things accessible and fun, frequently shifting into comedic sidebars and sharing personal stories.

For Listeners New & Old

Even if you haven’t read Christmas Presents or followed The Book Lisp before, you’ll get a rich discussion about the impact of true crime media, America’s ongoing love for holiday traditions, the politics of who gets to tell stories, and the enduring oddities of small-town life—plus a generous helping of Jon and Sarah’s trademark marital comedy.

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