I love book clubs!
If you're reading one of my Home Crafting Mysteries, I'll be happy to stop in for your book club meeting. Just let me know ahead of time when you're getting together, and I'll be available by phone or on Skype for questions and comments.
You can contact me at cricketmcrae@gmail.com .
Below are some suggested discussion questions for each book. Careful -- there might be a few spoilers if you haven't read the books yet!
Book Club Questions
Lye in Wait
- What do you think about the relationship between Sophie Mae, Meghan and Erin? Would you say they’ve formed a nontraditional family unit? Why or why not?
- This is the first time Sophie Mae has investigated a death. In what ways do you think she evolves or changes as the story progresses? What events trigger those changes?
- What did you find surprising about the home crafting facts introduced in the book?
- Was there a particularly striking scene in the book? What was it? Discuss how it affected you.
- The story is told from the first person point of view. Is Sophie Mae a reliable narrator, or does she fool herself sometimes? Did you see instances where she might not have been honest with herself? When?
- Were there any characters in the book that you could identify with? How or why?
- How did you think issues like alcoholism, depression and suicide were handled in this story?
- When Grace wants to spend time with her granddaughter, Erin, Meghan reacts quite strongly, wanting to protect her daughter even though her feelings are purely instinctive. She acts on these feelings rather than giving in to her ex-husband’s wishes. Do you believe mothers have reliable instincts when it comes to protecting their children? Have you ever been in a situation where you’ve acted on a hunch or feeling even when other people disagreed with you?
- Did you find the ending of the book satisfying? Would you have preferred Walter’s death to have been more black and white, or did the way it actually happened reflect how circumstances often combine in reality?
- Sophie Mae has a particular outlook on life which she presents in a distinctive, first-person voice. Does the way she tempers the serious things in life with a sense of humor make her shallow? Is it a viable coping mechanism? Healthy or twisted? Is humor ever appropriate when related to death?
Heaven Preserve Us
- Do you have memories of home preserved food from your childhood? Do you preserve your own food now? Any favorite recipes?
- Traditional cozies are relatively gentle reads, have little in the way of sex or violence, are set in a small town with an amateur sleuth, and often involve cats and tea. Do you consider this a cozy mystery? Why or why not?
- Was there a minor character you found particularly interesting? Who and why?
- Would this mystery make a good movie? Why or why not? If so, who would you cast as each of the characters?
- Discuss the relationship between Sophie Mae and Meghan. Good? Bad? Interesting? Believable? Why? How does their relationship affect the story?
- How does the setting affect the story? Could this same story be just as easily be set in Chicago or a small town in Texas?
- Which character do you think changes the most as a result of the events in this book?
- Do you agree with the way Sophie Mae deals with her “stalker?” Would you do handle things the same way in the same circumstances? If not, what would you do differently?
- Were you surprised by the ending, or had you figured out whodunit? Along the way were you fooled by red herrings in the same way Sophie Mae was?
- Barr plays a much larger part in Sophie Mae’s life in this book. Do you like the interaction between them? What do you think about the way they meddle in Meghan’s love life when they check into Kelly O’Connell’s background?
Spin a Wicked Web
- What were some of the specific themes that came out in this mystery?
- Sophie Mae is a soap maker, but she also enjoys other home crafts like cooking, baking, gardening, keeping chickens, and now, fiber art. Do you think she – and her housemate, Meghan – are unusual in these pursuits? What is the appeal of making things from scratch as opposed to buying ready-made (or ready-grown, cooked, canned, baked, etc.)?
- What did you find unique about the setting of the book and how did it enhance or take away from the story?
- Sophie Mae is torn between her love for Barr and the family-type relationship she’s formed with Meghan and Erin. Does this seem reasonable to you? Are friendships between women stronger or weaker than love relationships? Or is there any comparison? How do you think Sophie Mae answered Barr’s question at the end of the book.
- If you could meet any character in the book, who would it be, what would you ask them, and why?
- Was Ariel Skylark a victim or a predator? Can someone be both?
- What did you think of the way Sophie Mae handled Hannah Ambrose throughout the book? How did Hannah end up affecting the overall story?
- Do you have any favorite passages from the book? What are they and why do you like them?
- Who was your least favorite character in the book and why?
- How do you think Sophie Mae’s life has been altered by this and her earlier investigations? What will happen to her next (especially given the final scene in the book)?
