Book Clubs, Part 2

LUCY BURDETTE: Back in August we had a post that featured our new summer releases, The Mango Murders, Mrs. Endicott’s Splendid Adventure, and All This Could Be Yours. 

The Reds have three more books out this fall, and we invite you to choose one or more of them for your book group’s discussion. Here now are questions for Jenn McKinlay’s WITCHES OF DUBIOUS ORIGIN, Julia Spencer-Fleming’s AT MIDNIGHT COMES THE CRY, and Rhys Bowen’s FROM CRADLE TO GRAVE. They might also suggest a snack that might best complement the stories!

Jenn McKinlay’s Readers Discussion Questions (no spoilers version): Witches of Dubious Origin

Identity and Legacy

Zoe discovers she is descended from a powerful line of witches. How does her background and family history shape her sense of identity? In what ways does she resist and in what ways does she embrace her witch heritage?

Magical Books

The mysterious family grimoire plays a central role in the story. What does the locked book symbolize for Zoe and for the BODO (Books of Dubious Origin) team? How is knowledge (especially magical knowledge) portrayed as a form of power? What did you think of Freya? Would you want a book-cat of your own?

Fear, Vows, and Promises

Zoe made a vow (to her mother) never to use magic — how does that promise affect her decisions? Do you think her fear of magic stems more from personal loss, or from the responsibility that comes with power (or both)? How do promises like that drive the conflict?

Found Family & Community

The BODO staff become a kind of found family for Zoe. What roles do Jasper, Olive, Miles, and Tariq play in her journey — not just in solving magical mysteries, but in her emotional growth? How does belonging to a community change her outlook?

Good vs. Evil & Moral Ambiguity

There are dark forces at work, including an antagonist who threatens Zoe. How does the novel define “evil”? Are the magical threats purely bad, or are there shades of gray? What moral challenges does Zoe face as she learns to harness her power, and how does she choose to use it?

 

Because our heroine Zoe survives on a diet of junk food, here is the classic recipe for Rice Krispie Treats, a bad breakfast choice for her—IYKYK.

 

Recipe: Rice Krispie Treats

Ingredients:

6 cups Rice Krispies cereal

4 cups mini marshmallows (or about 10 oz large marshmallows)

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

(Optional) 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

(Optional) A pinch of salt

Instructions:

Prepare your pan

Lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking pan (or line it with parchment paper) so treats don’t stick.

Melt butter and marshmallows

In a large pot over low to medium heat, melt the butter. Once melted, add the marshmallows and stir constantly until they are completely melted and smooth. If using, stir in the vanilla extract and a pinch of salt.

Mix in cereal

Remove the pot from heat. Quickly add the Rice Krispies cereal and gently fold until all the cereal is coated with the marshmallow mixture.

Press into pan

Using a buttered spatula or lightly buttered hands, press the mixture evenly into your prepared pan. Don’t press too hard — you want them compact but still a little light so they're chewy, not rock hard.

Cool and cut

Let the treats cool at room temperature for about 30 minutes (or until set). Then cut into squares.

Serve and store

Serve immediately, or store in an airtight container for up to 2–3 days at room temperature.

Discussion Questions for Rhys Bowen’s newest Royal Spyness mystery,  From Cradle to Grave.

What do you think of Georgie’s reaction to a new nanny appearing on her doorstep?

What would your reaction have been?

Do you think she should have spoken out sooner?

How would you feel about having a nanny for your child?

Did you cheer when Georgie finally put Fig in her place?

Did you enjoy the complex puzzle of the mystery? 

Were you surprised when you  found the link between the victims or had you guessed something similar?

If you’ve been following the series from the beginning how do you think that Georgie has grown and matured?

Queenie…love her or hate her?

Has the writer played fair with the clues?

 

JULIA SPENCER-FLEMING:  

 

Discussion questions for AT MIDNIGHT COMES THE CRY (and book club snack suggestions!)

 

Both Russ Van Alstyne and Clare Fergusson are wrestling with changes of their identities - from police chief to unemployed, and from a couple to a family with a child. How well do they manage these transitions? Do you think they're avoiding these changes, or tackling them head-on? Have you ever faced a major life change, and if so, how did you deal with it?

 

Clare impetuously (how else?) gets involved with two women on the fringes of a white militia movement. Is her desire to change their views generous, or naïve? Do you think she succeeds in any way?

 

Kevin Flynn has always wanted to be a police officer. After the events of the book, do you think he still belongs in law enforcement? 

 

Hadley Knox juggles her job, her kids and helping her grandfather. She doesn't really want to care about Kevin and what nay have happened to him, but she just can't help herself. If you were sitting down to a cup of coffee with Hadley, what advice would you give her?

 

Nature plays a large role in the story. Can you see yourself winter hiking through the Adirondacks, or are you more likely to be at home playing Christmas music by the fireplace?

 

Do you see any symbolism in the natural world versus the man-made concrete environment we spend time in later in the book?

 

We meet two new characters who throw their hats in with our heroes. What do you imagine happening to them after the end of the story? 

 

Snack: Clare serves shortbread cookies to Russ, Hadley and Yixin Zhao when they meet at the rectory. If you don't have parishioners dropping cookies off to you, I suggest Celia Wakefield's shortbread recipe. You can make it more seasonal by adding crushed candy cane or peppermint crunch to the dough. Serve with the strong hot cocoa the group shares while decorating the tree - and if you're not sober, like Russ and Clare, a tot of bourbon in the cocoa is very nice indeed!

Reds, have you read these books yet? What are your book groups reading--and eating?

What We're Writing (or not) @LucyBurdette #bookclub

 LUCY BURDETTE: Lots and lots and lots going on this month, including finishing Key West mystery #13, writing blogs to help launch A DISH TO DIE FOR, and strangest of all, going on vacation! If we've had any luck, I should be back in Scotland, perhaps even on the overnight ferry headed to Shetland. I have been reading Ann Cleeves's Black Raven to get ready for Jimmy Perez's home island. (You know I'm desperate to go because I'm willing to try to dodge the BA5 version of the coronavirus and a serious tendency to seasickness!)

What I decided to do ahead of time for today's post is show you the book discussion questions I came up with for A DISH TO DIE FOR. I know of a few book groups who've used the questions I developed for DEATH ON THE MENU and earlier books in the series, so I'm providing these hoping the same will happen for the new book...

the beach where Ziggy finds the body

1. There are a lot of real people, places, and food in this book and this series in general. Boca Chica Beach for example, where the body is found, is a real place, as is Geiger Key Marina where Hayley Snow eats and tracks down clues. How do you feel about bits of reality in your mysteries?

2. Hayley Snow meets her new father-in-law for the first time in this book, as Nathan and his father have been estranged for several years. Talk about your reactions to their relationship and their interactions over the course of this book.

3. Hayley Snow and her husband Nathan Bransford are feeling their way in their new marriage, and also in her role as amateur detective and his as professional. Does this seem believable to you?

4. The Key West woman’s club is a real place and the cookbook mentioned in the story is real as well. How did you feel about the use of the old cookbook as part of the plot? Can you think of other books that have used cookbooks as part of the story?

The Key West Woman's Club

5. The relationship between police and citizens has been fraught with difficulties and terrible events over the past several years. How did you feel about the way the police department is portrayed in this book? Does police work in Key West seem different from the work done in other cities and towns around the country?

Lucy with a few of her favorite police officers

6. One of the questions that always comes up for a mystery writer is how many books should there be in a series. A DISH TO DIE FOR is number 12. Discuss your thoughts about long running mystery series. What causes you to lose interest? What kinds of things make you want to beg the author to continue writing?

7. From Rex Stout’s famous foodie hero Nero Wolfe to Virginia Rich’s the Nantucket Diet Murders to Diane Mott Davidson’s Dying for Chocolate, and now the Key West Mysteries, what do you think explains our passion for combining cuisine and crime? Why do you choose to read culinary mysteries?

8. One of the biggest challenges when writing an amateur sleuth mystery is developing a reason for the sleuth to get involved. How did you feel about Hayley‘s stake in solving the mystery of the murdered man on the beach? How would you handle coming across such a scene?

If the discussion lags--or even if it doesn't--I recommend serving this, based on one in the Key West Woman's Club Cookbook:

Banana cream pie

One of the plot strands in this book has to do with the Woman’s Club in Key West, which is a gorgeous old home on Duval Street. I took a tour of the building this spring, and was the happy recipient of the 1988 version of their cookbook. I had also found an earlier edition of the book on eBay, that had been published in 1949. Oh my, the recipes and stories in those cookbooks had my mind racing with possibilities! This banana cream pie was served to Hayley and Martha Hubbard, while they are probing a suspect. I chose to make a graham cracker crust rather than, but any crust is fine. The recipe is based on the version in the 1988 cookbook.

Ingredients

For the crust

One package graham crackers (nine sheets)

2 tablespoons sugar

4 tablespoons butter

For the pie

2 ripe bananas

2 cups whole milk

3 eggs, room temperature, separated

4 tablespoons sugar

3 tablespoons cornstarch

pinch of salt

2 teaspoons water

1 tablespoon butter

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the meringue

3 egg whites (see above)

1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

2 teaspoons sugar

Preheat the oven to 350. 

To make the crust, smash or whirl the crackers to crumbs. Melt the butter. Stir the butter and sugar into the crumbs and press this mixture into the bottom and sides of a 10-inch pie pan. Bake for ten minutes and let that cool.

For the pudding, separate the eggs and set the whites aside. Beat the yolks until thick and smooth with the sugar, cornstarch, salt, and cold water. Heat the milk until it's about to boil, then stir it slowly into the egg mixture. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until the pudding thickens. (About five minutes.) Let that cool a bit and then mix in the vanilla and butter.

Slice the bananas into the pie crust. Spread the pudding on top of the bananas.

Beat the egg whites in a clean bowl with the cream of tartar until soft peaks appear. Continue beating while slowly adding the sugar until peaks are stiff and glossy--about 5 minutes. 

Mound the meringue onto the pudding, arranging it into peaks. 

Bake at 350 for 10-15 minutes until the meringue begins to brown. Refrigerate the pie for three hours before serving.

Lucy again: Do you belong to a book group? How do you run the discussion? Any suggestions for tweaking the questions above? (I'll be back on Tuesday to properly launch this book!)

Meanwhile, A DISH TO DIE FOR is in bookstores everywhere right now!