Everything Is True—Except the Killing

How Michael Lucker turned twelve years of illness into the thriller, Rule One

On From Fact to Fiction: Thrilling Book Reviews, we unpack the truth behind my favorite specialty thrillers.

In this episode, I talk with screenwriter and debut novelist Michael Lucker about Rule One, a suspense thriller rooted in his own long and frustrating medical mystery.

Ever been to a doctor who didn’t listen? Who didn’t care? Who didn’t help?

Ever wish you could change places with them—to have them experience your pain firsthand? Maybe if they knew how you felt, they’d take you seriously.

Rule One is a thriller to teach those doctors a lesson.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit facttofiction.substack.com

The most dangerous battlefield on Earth may be one you’ll never see.

In this episode of From Fact to Fiction, I welcome former U.S. Navy officers and bestselling thriller authors David Bruns and J.R. Olson to discuss their new novel, Weapons Free.

Together we explore the real technology, tactics, and geopolitics behind the story—from passive sonar and underwater communications to China’s growing military presence in the South China Sea and the challenges facing today’s submarine commanders.

If you’re a fan of Tom Clancy, The Hunt for Red October, or simply love learning the real science and strategy behind great thrillers, this conversation offers a fascinating look beneath the surface.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit facttofiction.substack.com

The most dangerous battlefield on Earth may be one you’ll never see.

In this episode of From Fact to Fiction, I welcome former U.S. Navy officers and bestselling thriller authors David Bruns and J.R. Olson to discuss their new novel, Weapons Free.

Together we explore the real technology, tactics, and geopolitics behind the story—from passive sonar and underwater communications to China’s growing military presence in the South China Sea and the challenges facing today’s submarine commanders.

If you’re a fan of Tom Clancy, The Hunt for Red October, or simply love learning the real science and strategy behind great thrillers, this conversation offers a fascinating look beneath the surface.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit facttofiction.substack.com

Cult Fiction, Cult Life.

Most of us think we’d never join a cult. Never.

But never say never.

In this episode of From Fact to Fiction, I talk with author T.O. Paine about his real-life experience living inside a cult—and how those experiences shaped his thriller The Teaching.

From Fact To Fiction: Thrilling Book Reviews is a podcast and Substack site devoted to reviewing great specialty thrillers. In each review, I pair up with an expert and/or author and we talk about why we loved the book, uncover the facts that inspired the story, and separate fiction from reality.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit facttofiction.substack.com

Guns show up in almost every thriller, but how accurately are they depicted?

In this episode of From Fact to Fiction, I sit down with Special Forces veteran and firearms expert Chris Grall to break down the biggest mistakes writers and filmmakers make—and how to avoid them.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit facttofiction.substack.com

A mysterious sleepwalking epidemic spreads across America. A deadly fungal infection jumps from bat to human with near total lethality.

In this episode of From Fact to Fiction, microbiologist Dr. Michael San Francisco and I unpack the facts behind Chuck Wendig’s apocalyptic saga, Wanderers.

If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit facttofiction.substack.com

If you have an idea for a book we should review, or you want to be an author/expert on the show, contact me at substack.com/@lmwhitaker or lmwhitaker.com.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit facttofiction.substack.com

A tech billionaire is murdered. His will freezes billions in stock until someone is charged with the crime.

Could it Happen? Fact or Fiction?

In this episode of From Fact to Fiction, host LM Whitaker and tech executive Vicki Raport unpack the facts behind Jacob Kerr’s best-selling Dead Money.

If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit facttofiction.substack.com

If you have an idea for a book we should review, or you want to be an author/expert on the show, contact me at substack.com/@lmwhitaker or lmwhitaker.com.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit facttofiction.substack.com

In this episode of From Fact to Fiction, host L M Whitaker is joined by former CIA intelligence officer and author Carmen Amato to explore The Hidden Light of Mexico City.

Drawing on Carmen’s years living and working in Mexico, they unpack the real-world forces behind her political thriller — from the powerful drug cartels and government corruption to Mexico’s entrenched class system and the human cost of inequality.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit facttofiction.substack.com

Meet Mrs. Ivanona and her Charm School.

On this bonus episode, I introduce a fantastic spy thriller I wanted to share with you.

It’s an oldie but a goodie … Nelson DeMille’s The Charm School. Read Full Review HERE

If you have an idea for a book we should review, or you want to be an author/expert, contact me at substack.com/@lmwhitaker or lmwhitaker.com.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit facttofiction.substack.com

I started From Fact to Fiction earlier in 2025 to share my love of specialty thrillers. Together, we explored an amazing range of great novels: techno-thrillers, science and medical, espionage and national-security, and historical.

In this special end-of-year episode (Part 3 of 3), we revisit the historical and espionage/national security thrillers that captivated us in 2025.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit facttofiction.substack.com