Join our book club discussions via zoom in January and February. All are welcome, email us or message us on facebook for a link.
Sunday, January 16 at 2 p.m. we’ll discuss Val McDermid’s Still Life. Publisher’s description:
DCI Karen Pirie, who finds herself investigating the shadowy world of forgery, where things are never what they seem.
When a lobster fisherman discovers a dead body in Scotland’s Firth of Forth, Karen is called into investigate. She quickly discovers that the case will require untangling a complicated web—including a historic disappearance, art forgery, and secret identities—that seems to orbit around a painting copyist who can mimic anyone from Holbein to Hockney. Meanwhile, a traffic crash leads to the discovery of a skeleton in a suburban garage. Needless to say, Karen has her plate full. Meanwhile, the man responsible for the death of the love of her life is being released from prison, reopening old wounds just as she was getting back on her feet.
On Sunday, February 13 at 2 p.m. we’ll discuss Mia P. Manansala’s breakout charmer, Arsenic and Adobo. Rightly one of the reads of the year, Manansala, while adhering to the tropes of the cozy novel, nevertheless brings a fresh take to her telling of a poisoning at main character Lila’s Aunt Rosie’s restaurant. The dead man is a food critic detested by every mom and pop restaurant owner in town. Lila’s family is Filipino and the presentation of the Filipino culture of family and food as an extension of love is one of the strengths of the novel. (Also, the food is swoon-worthy.) While the tone is cozy-ish there’s an undertone that takes in the reality of living as a person of color in this country. It’s subtle, but present, and the book is the richer for it. Paired with Manansala’s natural storytelling chops, this is a series to keep your eye on.