I thought of our trip. I envisioned us marrying in the Costa Rica rain forest, accompanied by monkeys and exotic birds. Then my practical side took over, fussing about pesky details like marriage licenses. And of course we needed to actually discuss the matter.
I put my head on Vince’s shoulder. We sat like that for a while. We kissed. The cats up and left, leaving us unchaperoned.
I pulled away and sat up straight, turning to face Vince. I stared into his blue eyes. My heart sped up a beat or three. I took a deep breath.
“Vince . . . Let’s get married.”
MURDER AT THE BOOK GROUP
Maggie King
A READERS GROUP GUIDE
Introduction
Hazel Rose never dreamed that the murder mystery book group she cofounded with Carlene Arness would play host to a real murder. In Murder at the Book Group, Carlene is found dead in her own home, supposedly from a suicide induced by cyanide-spiked tea. Hazel is suspicious and decides to investigate this potential murder—where everyone in her book group is suddenly a suspect. As she dives deeper, she finds out the old adage is true: Everyone’s got a secret.
Topics and Questions for Discussion
1. At the beginning of the story, how would you describe Hazel?
2. Which character in the book group do you most relate to?
3. Who were you rooting for romantically in the story—Hazel and Vince, or Hazel and her ex-husband Evan?
4. Carlene has an extremely turbulent past, which Hazel unveils throughout the course of the book. Do you know anyone like this?
5. Describe Hazel’s friendship with Kat, and her friendship with Lucy. How does Hazel get along with people who are very different from her?
6. What quotes or passages in particular stood out to you? What made you think? What made you laugh?
7. Kat and Annabel have distinctive ways of dressing. How do their stand-out styles shape their characters? Do you have a particular style that people associate with you?
8. That unholy trinity of conversation topics—politics, religion, and sex—are woven throughout the story. How do attitudes toward these controversial and potentially divisive subjects define the characters?
9. In a movie version, who would play what roles?
10. How is Murder at the Book Group different from or similar to other mysteries you have read?
11. Were you surprised by the identity of the killer at the end of the mystery? What clues were there along the way that pointed to that character?
12. How do you usually choose your book group picks? Is there a theme to your picks like in Hazel’s book group?
13. What do you think will happen next to the characters in this story?
BOOK GROUP PICKS
IN HAPPIER DAYS, THE Murder on Tour book group enjoyed a holiday tea at the Jefferson Hotel in historic Richmond and compiled a list of our favorite mystery titles. The results pretty much match up with the member.
Annabel favors J. A. Jance, whose hard-hitting police procedurals are so like the ones she herself pens; Art is in heaven with Civil War–era tales, and Chickahominy Fever’s setting is our own Richmond, Virginia; Carlene is the original Christie-phile and devours everything turned out by the renowned “Queen of Crime.”
I’ve never been to the Lone Star State where Susan Wittig Albert places the China Bayles herbal mysteries, but I enjoyed the authentic Texas barbecue that Kat, sporting a leopard cowgirl hat and boots, hosted. Annabel accessorized her power suit with stunning silver boots.
Detectives with a religious worldview appealed to Helen, so she selected a Father Dowling tale. Kat enjoyed seeing a good-looking man on the cover of her book and Robert Crais is, in her words, a handsome devil. Katherine Hall Page provides readers with recipes in her culinary-themed New England series featuring caterer Faith Fairchild. When we toured the region, Lucy treated us to the same muffins and cookies that Faith bakes. Sarah finds John Dunning’s Denver-based tales combining book lore and suspense riveting, and erudite British tales such as the ones by the late Sarah Caudwell draw Trudy like a magnet.
Annabel: Birds of Prey, J. A. Jance
Carlene: The Mirror Crack’d, Agatha Christie
Hazel: A Dilly of Death, Susan Wittig Albert
Helen: Triple Pursuit, Ralph M. McInerny
Kat: L.A. Requiem, Robert Crais
Lucy: The Body in the Moonlight, Katherine Hall Page
Sarah: The Sign of the Book, John Dunning
Trudy: The Sirens Sang of Murder, Sarah Caudwell
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
MANY THANKS TO MY wise and wonderful agent, Mel Berger, and to my equally wise and wonderful editor, Natasha Simons.
D. P. Lyle, M.D., answered my many questions about poison, both personally and in his valuable resources, Forensics for Dummies and Murder and Mayhem.
Vince O’Neill, Retired Firearms Training Coordinator at Oklahoma Council on Law Enforcement Education & Training (and my high school classmate) generously shared his vast knowledge of guns.
The late Rev. Fred Spivey of the West End Assembly of God in Richmond, Virginia, graciously allowed me to interview him about the practices and beliefs of his church.
My readers, Alyson Radcliffe Ross, Lelia Taylor, Jan Freeman, Marcia Phillips, and Glen King made many helpful suggestions along the way.
The Richmond Police Department Ride-Along program was an eye-opener; John Lamb, mystery author and former homicide detective, gave me sound advice on realistically depicting police interaction with amateur detectives.
James Pendleton, author and professor emeritus of creative writing at Virginia Commonwealth University, told me never to let anyone discourage me.
My interesting family and friends have gifted me with story ideas for years to come.
I’ve met many great people at book groups through the years. The AAUW mystery group of Santa Clarita, California, served as a model for the Murder on Tour group described in these pages.
I thank the great cats who have “owned” me: Marie, Shammy, Daisy, Morris, and Olive. Special thanks go to Shammy and Daisy who performed well in their supporting roles in this story.
Last but not least, I thank Glen for his love, support, companionship, and undying faith in me.
AUTHOR PHOTOGRAPH BY GUS DELLINGER
MAGGIE KING grew up in North Plainfield, New Jersey, and worked as a software developer in Los Angeles for many years. She is a founding member of the Sisters in Crime Central Virginia Chapter. Her short story, “A Not So Genteel Murder,” appeared in the Virginia Is for Mysteries anthology. Maggie lives in Richmond, Virginia, with her husband Glen and two cats.
FOR MORE ON THIS AUTHOR: authors.simonandschuster.com/Maggie-King
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Pocket Books
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This book is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, or real places are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places, and events are products of the author’s imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or places or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Copyright © 2015 by Maggie King
All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form whatsoever. For information, address Pocket Books Subsidiary Rights Department, 1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020.
First Pocket Books paperback edition
January 2015
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Cover design by Chelsea McGuckin
Cover art by Brandon Dorman
ISBN 978-1-4767-6246-3
ISBN 978-1-4767-6248-7 (ebook)
CONTENTS
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Readers Group Guide
Introduction
Topics and Questions for Discussion
Book Group Picks
Acknowledgments
About Maggie King