New Hampshire's terminally bestselling novelist Jodi Picout has thoughtfully explored a vast array of "hot button" topics over the course of almost 30 books, and her plots and characterizations are as accomplished as her prose is lovely.

Touring behind the paperback edition of her latest, "A Spark of Light," which takes place over the course of one long day in a Mississippi abortion clinic wherein several people are being held hostage by a gunman, Picoult discusses the book and her career Sunday in the Garde Arts Center.

Told in reverse sequence, hour by hour, "A Spark of Light" alternates points of view between 10 characters representing every possible belief on the topic of abortion — and shows with astonishing insight how these folks respond to an impossibly tense and violent situation.

If indeed the author has a firm belief one way or another on abortion, the reader damned sure can't figure it out; Picoult is that skilled, and the novel is not remotely about advancing an agenda.

In an inspired pairing, Old Lyme author Luanne Rice — herself a hugely successful novelist who frequently writes about important and divisive family and domestic issues — will interview Picoult onstage in what should be an incredible discussion of great books and writerly craft.

Jodi Picoult with Luanne Rice, 7:30 Sunday, Garde Arts Center, 325 State St., New London; $20-$30 includes signed copy of "A Spark of Light" and photo opportunity; (860) 444-7373, (860) 536-3795.