Aired August 31, 2021
📚📚 𝗕𝗢𝗢𝗞𝗦 𝗖𝗔𝗡 𝗕𝗘 𝗗𝗘𝗖𝗘𝗜𝗩𝗜𝗡𝗚 📚📚
𝗟𝗶𝗻𝗱𝘀𝗲𝘆 𝗶𝘀 𝗴𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝗮𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗿 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗸 𝗣𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗰 𝗟𝗶𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗮 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗬𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗲𝗱𝗶𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗶𝘁𝘀 𝘁𝗼𝘄𝗻, 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗾𝘂𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗮 𝗯𝘂𝘇𝘇. 𝗟𝗶𝗻𝗱𝘀𝗲𝘆’𝘀 𝗳𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝗕𝗲𝘁𝗵 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗲𝗱𝗶𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗿𝗲𝗻’𝘀 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸, 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗕𝗲𝘁𝗵’𝘀 𝗯𝗼𝘆𝗳𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗱, 𝗮 𝗳𝗮𝗺𝗼𝘂𝘀 𝗮𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗿, 𝗴𝗲𝘁𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘆. 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗴𝗼 𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗻𝘁 𝗵𝗶𝗺, 𝗵𝗲’𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝗺𝘂𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗱—𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗕𝗲𝘁𝗵 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝘀𝘂𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁. 𝗟𝗶𝗻𝗱𝘀𝗲𝘆 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝗰𝘁 𝗳𝗮𝘀𝘁—𝗯𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻.
YouTube Livestream Hosted by Angela Maria Hart and Kelly Reynolds
Angela: And it says we are live; (holding a paperback copy of Books Can Be Deceiving by Jenn McKinlay next to the side of her face) hopefully, that is true.
Kelly: (holding an iPad next to the side of her face) I can’t do it as cute as you.
Angela: It’s so funny when it comes to our Book Club picks because I end up purchasing the book as a paperback copy, as an audiobook, if it’s available, and I also get the eBook because I want to be able to highlight and send myself passages; so, whenever we have an author that we have selected, I give them a lot of business.
Kelly: Yes, yes.
Angela: We are live!
Kelly: I usually go for the Kindle one just so I can have the opportunity to do like a digital highlight, but there’s nothing like holding a real book in your hands.
Angela: Well, I think at some point, I don’t know, I have most of them (turns around to point to bookshelf) over there. I’m pretty sure I have all the paperback copies from the beginning of The Cozy Mystery Book Club.
Kelly: Wow!
Angela: At some time, I’ll have to do one of those posts like, “This is where we started and this is where we’re at!”
Kelly: You should! You totally should.
Angela: Because right now, I have, it’s a vertical just going upward, it just goes that way for the bookcase. I got it on Amazon. Right now, that’s all Cozy Mystery Book Club stuff, so I’m happy! And I’m happy to be here! You guys, I love how we’re chatting, and we haven’t introduced ourselves. Just so excited to be here! Oh, my goodness, (holds paperback to screen) Books Can Be Deceiving book of the month, “Welcome to The Cozy Mystery Book Club!” I am Angela and I am so excited to introduce to you my guest Kelly, Boobies & Noobies podcast creator, hostess, genius of, she is awesome, she has been on this YouTube channel before. She’s done, I want to say, at least three other livestreams with us.
Kelly: (nodding) Yeah.
Angela: And you guys love her, and I love her, too.
Kelly: I meant to check; this is either three or four, but it’s been a while. Like, last time we did this, I was doing it out of a hotel room in Iowa or Nebraska on my way to move to Minnesota and here I am a month after having left Minnesota and moved to Oregon.
Angela: I remember that livestream because the friend that you were traveling with was adorable. She literally got down on the floor so she wouldn’t interrupt your background. And, now, she’s got this new background that’s adorable. I can see the doughnut in the background; like, that’s perfect for coziness.
Kelly: Yeah, look, (using web camera to scan bookcase) we’ve got all sorts of books and pictures and, I don’t know, my creepy statue that’s from a restaurant called Hamburger Mary’s. But, yeah, and then donuts, obviously, because that’s basically my esthetic.
Angela: (pointing behind to bookshelf) I tried to really go for it today to make sure that I had the books for our TBR. So, we have next month’s Class Reunions are Murder. We have for, I love how I’m like, “That is for September,” for October, then we have One Poison Pie, then we have Death of a Kitchen Diva and then In Peppermint Peril for our December Buddy Read. Plus, I don’t have a statue, but I have a Jessica Fletcher Funko Pop.
Kelly: Oh, my. What! That’s a thing?
Angela: Yes! I have my Jessica Fletcher. I don’t know what happened the first time. So, she lost a leg with the first Funko Pop. I had to go buy a second one. So, now, I have a legless Jessica Fletcher; it’s just from the waist, just the raincoat up, and this time I left her in the box, because I didn’t want anything to happen to her.
Kelly: That’s really funny, though. I used to have these little statuettes from the show Psych. I had Shawn and Gus and they’re like bumping fists and everything, and when I moved one, I think it was Shawn’s hands fell off, and I think Gus lost a piece of his bottom.
Angela: Oh!
Kelly: So, they had problems but, yeah, it was pretty great. (waves) Hi, everybody.
Angela: I love how you’re saying Psych and I’m like, “Yeah!” I love that show so much. I’ve seen every episode like eight times, at least. Can’t count how many times I’ve seen that show!
Kelly: Love it! Talk about like one of the best mystery shows, but also like one of the best shows with friendship. Like, “Oh! So good!”
Angela: I feel like that’s, I think that’s something with cozy mysteries like you need to have your Watson or you need to have your “crafternoon” people; you need the friendship, the community.
Kelly: I love that.
Angela: Like, even with Psych, it’s not just him and Gus; it’s him, the father, Juliet, Lassiter, you have the gang just like you need the cozy mystery community; the little gang, the Scooby gang.
Kelly: That’s what I think of when I think of cozy mystery. I mean, to me, that’s like what differentiates it from like a different mystery is just sort of, it’s not just the one person solving crime, it’s their community; and it’s, you know, the nosy old lady and, you know, a local baker or, you know, in this case, the smoldering sea captain who I’m just like, “Oh! Yes! Okay.”
Angela: She’s talking about our leading man, Sully, at some point; like, that’s going to be a whole conversation topic unto itself. Like, Sully, oh, my gosh, official book-boyfriend material.
Kelly: Yes.
Angela: He’s on the list; if there was a list, he’s on the list.
Photo by: @ilikeoldbooks1213
Kelly: And if you want the steamier version of this book that has a sea captain, Tessa Bailey’s new release It Happened One Summer.
Angela: Based off of Schitt’s Creek, yeah, the Alexis storyline.
Kelly: And it takes place in a small coastal town just like this one. So, basically, if you were reading this and you’re like, “You know what? This is missing hot, steamy kisses,” then you can go read It Happened One Summer. I think that’s what it is, right? It Happened One Summer?
Angela: I know the start of it is It Happened.
Kelly: And, yeah, there you go! There’s your steamier version with another sea captain, but it just happens to be more romantic.
Angela: (displays and responds to comment by Lady Gizmo “Hello everyone! Yay!! It’s time for Book Club!! Hi Angela & Welcome Back Kelly”) I’m just pulling up the comments; you guys are so sweet, I’m so happy to see everybody! Oh, I love this. (displays and responds to comment by Crystal Tea Knits “I do miss holding a real book but I like having something books with me at all time and they take up no room”) You guys are the best and I love how everyone knows the exact same references in regards to Psych and Jessica Fletcher. Oh, we really are, everyone’s on the same wavelength. This is our group for a reason.
Kelly: I love this group; this group is so great.
Angela: Oh, my gosh, you guys are so, (responds to comment by Aiko Bethea “My first time viewing!”) I’m so happy you’re joining for the first time! (responds to comment by Senna Hollows “Completely agree, I love the community AND community drama”) Oh, my gosh, Senna, that is so cool, “Welcome!” Oh, my gosh, I just got all the warm, fuzzy feelings. I think I just got a little rush of, “Oh, my gosh, that is so cool, Welcome!” I heard a couple of people on Instagram saying this was their first time.
Kelly: Oh, awesome!
Angela: I am so excited if it is. “Welcome to The Cozy Mystery Book Club! You are a Sleuther with us.” Again, this is a random little reference, but if you posted a photo of Books Can Be Deceiving, let me know and I will send you (holds up Purrlock #SLEUTHER) a Cozy Mystery Book Club book mark, as a Thank You for participating and sharing your photo.
Kelly: And Angela has the best swag for Cozy Mystery Book Club! I just want to put that out there. I know I’m drinking ice coffee tonight but, usually, I have my Cozy Mystery Santa Mug that I just love! And I have stickers like, “Oh, gosh! She has the best swag!”
Angela: (holds up a large round MoriarTEA Cozy Mystery Book Club sticker)
Kelly: So, if you don’t have anything cozy mystery or hell, “It’s almost Christmas time! It’s almost holiday time!” who needs to shop for somebody in their life? (pointing across the screen to Angela) Support local businesses that includes Cozy Mystery Book Club and Boobies & Noobies, but I don’t have as much. I don’t have as cool as swag as she does.
Angela: I mean, for me, I don’t really think of it as a shop or anything. I made all of the royalties as low as humanly possible, and then every time there’s any royalty, I’m always buying the new swag to just send you guys stuff for free.
Kelly: I know, you’re so good!
Angela: I never want anyone to feel like I’m trying to utilize the group or something. I’m like, “I don’t want this to be a business.” I don’t want you guys to feel that way. I never want it to come across that way. This is just meant to be a happy, positive place. I’m not going to exploit you for a profit. I promise. You’re probably going to notice that on, I think, at Zazzle and Society6, because you can set your own royalties.
Kelly: (nodding) Uh-huh.
Angela: So, there’s a very good chance all of my prices are lower than anything else on the website.
Kelly: (responds to comment by stormbugg “Hi Angela and Kelly. Loved this book! My first time here”) Oh, so, I see somebody else new tonight, “stormbugg.”
Angela: That is such a cute name.
Kelly: That’s awesome. I love it! I love that everybody is here. I’m kicking myself that I don’t come as often to this Club as I should. I definitely should come more often. I, it’s just scheduling, you know, but I’m here and I’m so excited because I told Angela before we started, I, actually, really liked this book!
Angela: I am so excited to talk about (holds up paperback copy) Books Can Be Deceiving. So, I have my notebook. I have so many things written down. I mean, we started mentioning Sully, randomly. We might just want to start there at some point. I was very impressed with this book and, so, again, I mentioned at the very beginning as Kelly and I were talking before doing the official introductions, I actually read it as the eBook first, and then I listened to it on audio, and then because I’m me, and I want to do the best job possible for y’all, I was listening to it again on audio. So, I technically two and a half or two and, you know, four-fifths read, I don’t know how you want to refer to it, but I was listening to the audio and I noticed something different each time I’m going, “Oh, my gosh, I didn’t pick up on that at first.” So, I am ready to talk about this book. I am pumped so I can’t wait to, I want to know what you guys think. I want to know if you enjoyed it. I want to know your thoughts. Where do you want to start? Do you want to start with Sully?
Kelly: We can, we totally can. I was just going to say Lady Gizmo said Jenn McKinlay. I will say, I think this is my first read of one of her books and I know that you guys focus on the first book in a series in the Club and, normally, first books in series are not necessarily my favorite book in a cozy mystery series because there’s so much time spent like introducing everyone, and maybe not as much time spent on like the mystery itself. But I actually found the pacing of this book to be pretty good, like, I was kind of marking it as I went and the first murder happens like right at thirty percent in and I was like, “Okay.” I mean, compared to when we did the Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder and it happens in the first chapter.
(Angela cuddles Max)
Kelly: Well, “Hello, Max!”
Angela: He’s been on my lap. He just decided to make his appearance. I did an Instagram Live Story. I didn’t do the Live Video, but I was posting Stories earlier
Kelly: I saw.
Angela: and he was on the floor running through my legs like a cat like he didn’t realize he was a dog, and now he wants the attention. So, (cradling Max) “Our little cozy companion.”
Kelly: He deserves our attention; he’s gorgeous.
Angela: My little man.
Kelly: Yeah! Yeah! So, that’s all I wanted to say about that was just I really, I see a few people who have said, “They’re already reading the next book or books in the series,” and I totally get it. Like, this is one where after reading it, I’m like, “I would totally read more in this series.” I would totally read more books in this series.
Angela: You are hitting the nail on the head with me. So, one of my notes was, I kind of started doing this thing afterwards, after I kind of do my little recap, because I make my notes as I go. I’m like, “Oh, that’s an interesting part!” – “Oh, this!” and one of my reflective notes for this particular read was looking at it from a reader perspective versus a writer perspective, because I think she did a really great job focusing on who her target audience was; she thought about the readers and, so, setting up the rest of the series, I could see that in this book and from a reader perspective, I thought that was great because writers always, “Oh, every single scene needs to contribute to the plot.” So, for instance, “This scene was great with Sully and Lindsey.” I don’t know if you just heard him (Max) burp.
Kelly: I did not. Oh, no, Angela’s frozen on my screen. Is she frozen on anybody else’s screen? Angela! Am I frozen? Who is frozen? Okay, she’s coming. She’ll get here. She probably just had a lot of really insightful, wonderful things to say, too, that we missed the whole time.
Angela: What’s going on? I’m so sorry! Can you hear me?
Kelly: I hear and see you, now; it was, you froze, and I was like telling them, “She’s probably having this wonderful conversation and talking about the book and we’ll never know what she had to say.”
Angela: I am sorry! All of a sudden, I think, the Internet just did that little thing like reconnecting, and I’m like, “I never disconnected. What’s going on?” I am so sorry.
Kelly: Technology. No, no, no, you are all good. (repeats comment by Aiko Bethea) Someone said, “Keep the party going.”
Angela: I’m like, “Oh,” because I didn’t know if StreamYard, I’m like, “Because I invited Kelly,” and I was like, “Oh, please, let her still be able to talk to them.” I was like, “I don’t want to have the whole conversation go away.”
Kelly: I’m here. Don’t you worry, girl. I host things all the time and let me tell you, it is never smooth; so, it is perfectly fine. I just feel bad because I’m sure you were saying wonderful things.
Angela: I don’t even remember where I left off because, all of a sudden, I’m going, “Oh, my goodness, what’s that?” I was saying something, “Oh, the perspective, that’s what it was.” So, Sully and Lindsey save Nancy, the landlord, and so, technically speaking, that scene didn’t really contribute to the mystery or anything else other than doing their characterizations. But we already see beforehand Sully’s thoughtful and caring when he helps Beth, and when he takes them home, and same thing with Lindsey. I mean, she paid for a meal, even though Mary said, “Hey, it’s on the house. Don’t worry about it.” She put the money in the tip jar so we had already seen those characterizations. But we get the backstory with Nancy, and so you’re like, “This is going to come back on her; maybe, not in book one but, you know, later on the series.”
Kelly: (nodding) Yeah!
Angela: And when Sully tells Lindsey and Beth the story about the island with the family and the fire; we don’t see that island again, but I know it’s going to come back.
Kelly: Okay, yeah, it better! Because, otherwise, I would be very upset. because the whole, let me tell you, I watch a lot more mysteries than I read, but I do read them. And the minute he pointed out the island with like the burnt-down house and like, “The family died, but they never found the dad.” I’m like, “Oh! Oh! Somebody murdered! Where’s the dad? He’s the murderer. Where is he?” – “Okay, who in this book is old enough to have been the father twenty-something years ago? Who could it be?” I kept trying to like tie every story into this one and I think it’s just because I’m a very greedy reader like I want every loose end to be tied. I want to know every single thing and if you set something up and it doesn’t pay off, I’m going to be upset. And, so, I just had to tell myself like, “You know what? I feel like there still has to be a reason that this is being set up and I’m going to believe that that’s going to be answered in future books.”
Angela: (nodding) Yeah.
Kelly: So, somebody is going to have to tell me all y’all who are on like book number seven or eight. I just, I don’t need to know the answer, I just want to know that there is an answer. Like, because, if there’s not, I’m going to be very upset.
Angela: I will admit, I didn’t want to spoil, when it comes to book one in a series, I learned this book inside and out. But when it comes to the rest of the books, what I’ll do is, I’ll look up the Goodreads pages to see how many there are in the series. So, I looked it up.
Kelly: There’s a lot.
Angela: Next up is book twelve and I could not believe, I’m going, “She is a very talented writer to be on book twelve.” So, I am very impressed by that, first of all, but I was reading the different summaries. I don’t want to do the spoiler-y because we’re going to have to talk about Sully, because they put a pin in their relationship, at one point. I’m going, “Ah! I might just have to pick back up when that pin has been taken out.” So, I might end up starting at book five or something.
Kelly: Okay.
Angela: But there are going to be twelve books right now. She has been pretty prolific because she writes multiple series, so I’m giving Jenn a little high-five praise there.
Kelly: Yeah!
Angela: I’m guessing, somewhere in these eleven other books, these are the storylines.
Kelly: There are people in the comments saying that there will be answers later on. Whew! “Thank you!” Like, that is, literally, all I needed to know! Just that there will be answers because I would be very upset if there wasn’t. So, that’s more of the writer in me is like, “Why are you giving us this storyline and this isn’t going anywhere?” Like, that would just really bother me. It’s like if anybody watches American Horror Story, every season of Ryan Murphy is American Horror Story. He just tosses half of the script out the window. But, yeah, so, no, I’m with you. I think the character development was great. I loved everyone! Like, well, no, I hated the mean people, but I loved
Angela: Miss Lemon?
Kelly: Ah! You know what? She gets a great ending!
Angela: I love that! I was so happy.
Kelly: She gets the perfect ending.
Angela: I was laughing out loud; that was great.
Kelly: But, Nancy, love her. Violet, the old actress that lives there, who volunteers to take over Storytime, love her. Sully, obviously, fantastic. And I feel like, maybe, I know women tend to be a little bit more judgmental of female characters in books. Like, this is something we talk about on Boobies & Noobies all the time, but I really liked Lindsey. Like, I found her to be very competent. I found her to be fun and smart, and she was a good friend. I really enjoyed her.
Angela: I have to admit, I think she, I had already been enjoying her, but I think she won my heart when she called the ex-fiancé, whom she spoke to never call, she said, “I’m never going to talk to this guy. I want all connections severed,” and she puts her friendship with Beth first
Kelly: Yeah!
Angela: and says, “I’m going to call this guy. I don’t want to talk to him, but I want to find out who the best lawyer is to help my friend and I’m going to do that.” And I’m going, “I love you. I am here for you. Whatever happens, I’m on your side.” I don’t know what happens in future books, but moments like that, I’m an ally, and you’re not going to lose me.
Kelly: Yes. I think the fiancé is going to come back at some point, too, in other books. (responds to comment by Stephanie Aurelio “I really like the friendship between Lindsey and Beth”) Yeah, Stephanie, I like the friendship between Lindsay and Beth, too. Uh, is anybody else hoping Beth hooks up with the hot naked art professor from the college?
Angela: That was in my notes! Because she seemed really into this guy, I thought that also.
Kelly: I mean, you and I are both romance readers too, so it’s hard for me to read a book and not try to fabricate a romance if it’s not already there.
Angela: Well, I saw, again, I only read the book blurbs for future books and it said that Beth got married, and I’m going, “To who?” And I’m going, “But I don’t want to know. I want to know. I don’t want to know.” So, I’m trying to figure out, but I kind of want it to be him because this, again, a little spoiler here, he gets shot, and I’m going, “This guy needs a good happy ending himself.”
Kelly: Yeah!
Angela: He needs to find love and comfort because he was awesome. This guy had zero qualms about anything and when it comes to mysteries, sometimes, you’ll have those characters of, “I’m not going to be helpful.” He’s like, “Just ask me a question, I’ll tell you whatever you want to know.” I was like, “Thank you! You’re moving the story along, and you’re nice to them.”
Kelly: Yes! Oh, and Milton. I liked Milton a lot as the old, okay, wait. You know what? I marked it in the book because they mentioned that this dude is well into his eighties and he’s doing freaking like yoga on his head in random places, and then she also says that any woman over the age of fifty has the hots for him. I’m just like, “How hot is this guy?” Like, this guy is eighty-two years old. Is he like, uh, he must be a young eighty-two; like, a very fit buff, but he’s also short with a wire rebuild and no hair on his head. I just, I have questions. I have a lot of questions about Milton.
Angela: I have to admit, I kind of, I didn’t know what to make of him at first because I’m going, “You’re in a public library doing a handstand, okay.” But when she came to him at the end of the day to ask for his help in regards to finding out who owned the island and doing the backstory for Rick, and he brings the food in to help, you know, feed her going, “I know you had a long day. You just came from work. You want to have dinner?” And she even said, “Oh, you didn’t have to go through all that trouble,” and Charlie’s like, “What? Putting food on a plate; that’s nothing.” I’m going, “You are sweetheart. I like this cozy community. I like that you’re in this cozy community and you cannot be a murder victim or a suspect at any point. You are fine; little angel Milton.” Again, one of those moments. I go for those random moments of she called the ex-fiancé, Milton gave her food, like, those are the details where I’m going, “I am here. I’m in the series now. I’m staying.”
Kelly: Crystal Tea Knits and Colleen both said, “Cary Grant,” which is so funny because my mind was not there, but now that you’ve said it, I’m like, “Oh, darn, if that’s the case, I can get on board with Milton.”
Angela: Ah, your description, but in your head, I mean, either way, he seems like a doll.
Photo by: @ellewrenburke.author
Kelly: Yeah!
Angela: You just want him to be your grandfather. I mean, again, I don’t really play chess. I haven’t played it in years but I’m like, “I will relearn for you Milton.”
Kelly: Yeah, that’s why this book gave me like Schitt’s Creek vibes was the fact that, like, this is a small town on the coast that clearly is mostly older people. Or like people who grew up there and they just kind of stayed as adults and, I don’t know, like they talk about how the restaurant is the only restaurant in the whole town. So, like, this is, it’s a very different picture of the small town that I feel we usually get in cozy mysteries. Like, most cozy mysteries I’ve read are, you know, the quaint small town that has the coffee shop, the bakery, the restaurant. But I thought this was a little bit different just in terms of the setting of, like, it’s a lot of fishing and boating and there’s like the Wharf with the one restaurant. It makes me wonder in future books, where things take place and what other things happened in this town. So, I don’t know. I’m definitely intrigued. It was different for me in it compared to like a lot of the other cozies that I’ve read.
Angela: I have to admit, I got the kind of idea that it was a very small knit, small place, in regards to that. I mean, it definitely gave me sort of home feels because I’m from Massachusetts and I always loved the water. I love the boats. I love everything about that area and so it kind of made me a little, not homesick, but reminiscent of, I remember going and doing whale watching.
Kelly: Yeah!
Angela: I think I really appreciated the setting and when you mentioned other places for murders, I’m going, “Well, technically, there are other little islands out there, so we have all these other places for murder.
Kelly: And that’s cool, like, I don’t think I’ve ever really read a story, you know, not just cozy, but like any kind of story that’s like set on a series of islands. I don’t even think about that being a thing because I have never lived there. I’ve never visited that; so, I’m like, “Oh, this is a real thing in like Connecticut and Massachusetts; there’s like all these little islands.”
Angela: I never really thought of that either and, again, I’m from the north shore. I wasn’t a member. I mean, it was one of those yacht clubs; all the high schools had their proms there at that sort of place. It’s not like a “yacht club” yacht club, but the local town one.
Kelly: Yeah.
Angela: I grew up near the water and stuff, but I never thought about the little islands and other things like that and even then, I think of Gloucester, and other places like that, and they’re much larger.
Kelly: Yeah.
Angela: And, so, the fact that it’s sort of a small town, part of the coast, I liked that it was separated from the tourists and it was its own little kind of entity and it had their own little, I don’t want to say they were isolated or insulated, but there was definitely a vibe for tourists.
Kelly: You’re right, yeah, and there is something inherently spooky about that, like, something very, I think I get kind of Stephen King vibes. Yeah, he’s the one from Maine, right?
Angela: (nodding) Yeah.
Kelly: Where it’s, you know, it’s so isolated that you’re like, “Oh, this is like a beautiful picturesque place,” but also like, “If somebody gets killed or screams or something, nobody’s going to hear you sort of thing.” So, I think that’s what I liked about it is that just based off the setting, there’s already something kind of spooky and mysterious about that (laughing at comment) “One murder per island.”
Angela: (displays and responds to comment by Elle Wren Burke “One murder per island lol”). I saw that comment and thought, “This is amazing!” because she said there’s all sorts of dozens of islands, I’m going, “This series is going to be very long, if that’s the case,” but I like it and, again, I’m here for it right now.
Kelly: (reads and responds to comment by Regina Williams) Oh! Regina said, “I think the Thumb Islands are based on the Thimble Islands off of Connecticut,” which, again, I had no idea that was even a thing, (reads and responds to comment by Aiko Bethea) and, oh, forgive me if I get your name wrong. Aiko said, “Like Washington, Seattle area has the series of islands.” I do know that. I live in Portland right now.
Angela: (smiling) Her latest move.
Kelly: So, I’m familiar with that, yes, and, actually, I don’t know if you know this, but I’m from the San Francisco Bay area and I’m actually from an island. Like, it’s technically an island in the San Francisco Bay, but it’s not, I think island, I think tropical, that’s absolutely not the case, and it’s not the case in this book either.
Angela: I loved, I thought it was so cute, though, because this is unique when it comes to cozies.
Kelly: Yeah!
Angela: I don’t really see this as the typical cozy mystery, in a way, even though it hits the cozy check marks because we had our food, we had the clam chowder, we had our hot cocoa by our Navy man, Sully. Then we had the quirky characters with Milton on his head doing yoga. We had our librarian. There are all these check marks with cozies but, yet, were a different vibe to me, and I like that.
Kelly: I agree! I liked that. I liked that a lot and, also, I like have this expectation now that when I read a cozy mystery, there better be at least one recipe in the back of the book, because I don’t even care if it’s about food or not. Like, this one’s not about food. You better believe I was like, “If there is not a clam chowder recipe at the back of this book, I’m going to be very upset” and there was! And hot chocolate! And it was really clever; they had like discussion questions, but not for this book for the book that they read in the book.
Angela: (nodding) That was so clever.
Kelly: So, if you wanted to like create your own “crafternoon” you have like a schedule already ready; you’ve got what you’re going to drink, what you’re going to eat, your discussion questions, the book, um, there’s a knitting tutorial pattern fit. I mean, it’s really clever all the things that Jenn McKinlay put in here to include.
Angela: I had to go back because I wanted to get all of the literary references that she included, because I think that also broadened her sort of reach because she has all the different genres.
Kelly: Yes!
Angela: She has, again, with Romance; she had J.R. Ward’s Black Dagger Brotherhood thrown in the mix. And then she had Harlan Coben; again, our favorite leading man he reads. There’s a reason he’s the favorite leading man. Then we have Amanda Quick and we had C.J. Box. Then we had the children’s authors. I mean, she really went down the list. And she even had True Lies at the beginning. I lost it. I loved it.
Photo by: @what.susan.reads.
Kelly: I was like, that is, I love that they came in to rent a movie, which by the way, I forget that you can do it libraries, and she recommends True Lies to them. I was like that just shows our age, first of all, that we like know True Lies because and she is, I think, she’s like thirty-five in the book and that’s thirty-two. So, I was like, “Okay, this is in my age range.” True Lies, if people here haven’t seen that movie, you need to go watch it. It is so good. It is like the best, my opinion, best Arnold Schwarzenegger movie, and Jamie Lee Curtis is like a fox in that movie. Like, that woman, oh, my, so hot.
Angela: I always, because I grew up with her with like Freaky Friday,
Kelly: Yes!
Angela: I always thought of her as the mom, even though she’s iconic for her teen horror movies. I grew up with her in a different capacity. And then, I think, I probably saw that on one of those Stars or Epics, or one of those channels.
Kelly: Yes!
Angela: I’m going, “This is a very different movie and she’s amazing in it.”
Kelly: Smokin’ hot.
Angela: And I saw, what’s her name Eliza Dushku, she was Faith on Buffy, she’s the daughter (in True Lies).
Kelly: Yes!
Angela: So, I’m getting all the references. And then the book that they read was The Last Time I Saw Paris and the other option was The Sea, The Sea by Iris Murdoch. These are, again, real books.
Kelly: And Rebecca. Rebecca is the one that they’re reading at the very beginning.
Angela: I mean, sometimes, when it comes to just books, in general, they’ll have fictitious movies and fictitious social media platforms. I liked that she included real titles because you’re going, “Oh, I read that! Oh, I know someone who reads those books. Oh, yeah, I saw the Harlan Coben on Netflix. I saw that adaptation.”
Kelly: Yeah!
Angela: So, I think she kind of kept me going and feeling, not invested, because I was already invested, but she kind of gave me those little reader feels like, “Oh, I get this! Oh!” so you would have these little happy moments.
Kelly: Yeah, like, if you don’t get the reference, like if she says, “Harlan Coben,” and like that means nothing to you, then it’s like, she still goes on to say like, “He loves a good thriller” or whatever. But what I liked, and I saw a couple of people mention this in the comments, it was a great way of us knowing what she knows about, like, she basically is like, you know, like a baker romance, how they can see somebody and be like, “Oh, he is like an apple pie. This guy is everything that an apple pie embodies.” Like, in this case, the books that each of the characters like and the fact that she knows that these are the books that they like, it tells us so much about each of the characters as well as about Lindsey. Like, she clearly remembers everybody based off of their reading interests and that’s kind of what’s in the back of her head, like, “Oh, he likes mysteries. Oh, she loves historical romances, and nobody knows but the two of us.” I loved that she knew that about each person and it also tells you what a small town this is; the fact that she definitely knows every person.
Angela: I’m just nodding like, “Exactly, exactly, exactly.” I loved the moment when, I forget what the checkout girl was doing, but it might’ve been when she was buying the muffins, and she asked the girl, “Oh, did you enjoy The Hunger Games?” And the girl perked right up and says, “Yes, I’ve been reading them. I’m on book three!” and her entire disposition, and I’m going, “I’m reading this book.” This wasn’t when I listened to audio, I was just, again, reading the book, the eBook version, and her character came alive. I’m going, “You just made this character’s voice change in my head.”
Kelly: Yeah!
Angela: “Hello, great writing!”
Kelly: Yeah!
Angela: And that was because she asked about her being a reader. And I also love the reference, and I think everyone here being readers guessed it, she was like, “Yeah, I stayed up way too late reading.” I was like, “High five!” Right there with you. I know that feeling.
Kelly: So true. So true.
Angela: I love how she made them all feel special, though.
Kelly: Yeah!
Angela: Same thing with the woman going, “Nope, the book’s not in yet,” even before she asked the question. She made the readers and the people who visited her library feel important like they mattered.
Kelly: (nodding) Uh-huh.
Angela: It wasn’t just, “Oh, you’re another visitor, ugh!” which is what I think the Lemon kind of does. Like, everyone’s the same with the fines, “Oh, you’re going to have to pay, regardless of the fact that this poor kid is working on a,” I think she said it was a “school project at school.”
Kelly: Yeah!
Angela: I mean, if you deprive someone with books for school, you’re going to hurt his grade, the GPA, everything else. So, I liked the fact that these were real visitors with the library and she referenced them as you know, real people, not just the numbers. I love it.
Kelly: She didn’t like, she didn’t just like roll over either. Like, even like both with the Lemon, and then also with when people start coming at her; like, that awful reporter. Oh, my, I was almost rooting for her to die.
Angela: (laughing)
Kelly: I mean, she doesn’t back down! She’s like, “No, no, no. I support my employees,” and also nothing has been, no accusations have been formerly made like nothing has, you know, she was just, she was so strong, but not mean. Like, she was such a well-balanced like real person. I think that’s something that I have trouble with both in cozies and in romance; sometimes, is that because the cozies and the romance that I read are usually Contemporary, they’re set in our times. So, I just think about our times as reality, and so when I read a cozy or a romance that like something just goes against that? Like, whether it’s a character flaw or something that happens in the story, I’ll be like, “That’s not, that wouldn’t happen. This is a thirty-five-year-old woman.” Then it bothers me, because I’m just like, “You’re asking me to, like, you’re telling me this is fiction but, at the same time, it is set now. So, there are things that, like, if they don’t fall in line with what I’m used to in 2021, and I know this is from about a decade ago, then it’s just going to feel false to me and this one felt very current. This one did feel very current to me. Like, I mean, I know that they’re not a gay couple, but like they go to investigate at the apartment and the old landlady is like, “Oh are you a couple? Are you roommates?” And I’m like, “Great! I love this! We’re acknowledging the fact that there are same sex couples who exist in this world.” So, there were just so many things that felt so now that I would have believed this was a book written in like 2019, 2020.
Angela: I also have to appreciate the fact that, I mean, we only had one black character and, well, her daughter was black, too. So, we only had the two representations, but I’m going, “At least you have some representation because sometimes with cozies, it does lead very, very pale.”
Kelly: Yeah! And it’s Connecticut. Like, no shade to anybody who’s from Connecticut or lives there. I’m just saying like when I think of Connecticut, the demographic I envision is predominantly white. So, I mean, it doesn’t surprise me that like in this small town off the coast of Connecticut, that happens to be like the majority of the population. However, I’m always looking for more diversity in my reads, so there was at least an acknowledgement of it in this book because you’re right, it’s often missing from cozies, so I do appreciate that.
Angela: I mean, again, I always feel, it’s so funny that we’re talking about this, I was going to surprise y’all with something that I did. One of my latest things is I deal with insomnia.
Kelly: Oh!
Angela: Yeah, so I’ve learned Procreate. So, what I’ve done is, I’ve learned how to, I’ve learned it’s an App, so I learned how to do the designs, and so I was going to surprise y’all with a future post. So, when you guys see this, you’ll be like, “Oh, I remember she actually showed us!” because I wanted to show support for diverse sleuthing. I don’t know if you guys can see (holds phone screen towards viewers) I don’t know how to make the screen go.
Kelly: I can’t.
Angela: So, maybe, if I can make it darker. (holds phone screen towards viewers displaying an image of a colorful pride background with the word SLEUTHER centered).
Kelly: Oh, there we go.
Angela: So, when you guys see it, I used Procreate to do the design. I wanted to do the LGBTQ plus flag with SLEUTHER to say, you know, “Sleuthing and Supporting Diversity.”
Kelly: Yeah!
Angela: It’s just something I’ve been working on, too. I like how this kind of just dovetails right into there.
Kelly: No, that’s awesome! And you know what? Maybe you know, it’s probably a whole different conversation, but between you and everybody who’s here that reads a lot more cozies than I do, I would love recommendations for any LGBTQ rep in cozy mysteries. So, I mean, if I haven’t read one, I haven’t read one where they focus on predominantly like LGBTQ plus characters. So, if people have them and they want to recommend them to me, please do; if we don’t know about any, I think we need to find some or write some.
Angela: I will give Victoria Gilbert a shoutout because I can’t remember his name off the top of my head, but she has a very, I love her character, I think, what’s his name, but she does have a gay male friend in one of her series, who is reoccurring.
Kelly: Okay.
Angela: I remember saying to her in person, I was like, “You cannot kill him. I love him.” So, people are getting better, so I’m going to give Victoria Gilbert a shoutout and she’s the first one that popped into my head. But I want to give you guys, I made the exact same note with this, MapQuest, I wrote that down
Kelly: I did, too!
Angela: because I printed MapQuest directions. I remember my mom doing that when I was in middle school. I just saw these comments popping up. I’m like, “I know this is a totally different conversation,” but I was reading these, and I’m like, “Yeah, same wavelength.”
Kelly: Yeah!
Angela: I thought that was hysterical.
Kelly: There were little things that definitely reminded me like, “Oh, that’s right, this isn’t 2021.” Just like, you know, as a reminder, there were like a few words they used that, in fact, I think it was just ones that aren’t technically like PC terms today. So, I was like, “Oh, okay, interesting.” But, again, things change over time. I totally get it. I will say I loved when they would go on their little short road trips to find out information, and she says, “Road trips required a couple of things: a well-balanced diet of caffeine, salt and sugar, and an excellent selection of tunes.” And it made me wonder what yours and what everybody else’s like go-to road snacks and road music is because I have like a very specific road snack that I get.
Angela: Well, you’ve actually done road trips. I wrote down that I thought it was funny that an hour drive was road trip. I’m like, “That’s being in traffic.” I mean, I thought that was hysterical, I’m going, “That’s not a road trip.”
Kelly: That is funny; like, they get snacks and everything.
Angela: I thought that was hysterical. I’m like, “That’s not a road trip.” That is just, you know, I thought that was funny because I’m going, “What’s your usual commute?” I mean, you must be very spoiled.
Kelly: Yeah, for real.
Angela: You got to love how I’m doing this because I remember being stuck in work-hour traffic for two plus hours.
Kelly: Oh, yeah, no, I mean, I lived in LA for five years and Chicago for two years. So, I mean, I definitely know like the city commute for sure. I will say when it comes to road trips, I am like a go to Bugles and mini-donuts fan. Those are like my two must-have eats on the road.
Angela: I mean, I can’t really remember if I’ve done road trip, road trip, because I don’t think I’ve ever been the driver for one. Also, you probably don’t want me as the driver for one.
Kelly: (laughing)
Angela: I just want to leave it at that. I know my parents, when they were driving me, I used to play my Country Music. I like Country. I don’t know if you guys like Country Music, but I love my Country Music. I remember Luke Bryan playing when I was stuck in my work-hour traffic. I remember that.
Kelly: Yep, yep. (responds to comment by Lyn McEnaney “Bugles yaaasss”) Oh, good somebody else likes Bugles (gives thumbs up) awesome, good. I’m loving all the snacks people are sharing by the way.
Angela: I think I would go with pretzels or, you know, something to munch on.
Kelly: Yeah, so I will say.
Angela: Not like a sandwich, you want like a snack.
Kelly: No, that’s, why would you bring a sandwich?
Angela: You don’t want something where you’re eating a meal sort of thing, you want like, you got to have that sort of like drug store run into CVS and bought my bag of Lay’s Potato Chips. Like, that’s where we’re at.
Kelly: Yeah, gas station! A gas station is like the place to go to for food when you’re hitting the road. Like, that is the best snacks right there. I will say as much as I love the fact that they have the Clam Chowder Recipe at the end, and the Hot Chocolate Recipe at the end, let me bring up what I thought was the dumbest meal I’ve ever read in a book before!
Angela: (laughing)
Kelly: You ready for this? Here we go! Spinach salad with hard boiled eggs and mushrooms with a drizzle of raspberry vinaigrette. What is this combination of food? What is going on here?
Angela: I thought it sounded good minus the mushrooms.
Kelly: But like with raspberry? I don’t know this egg-mushroom-raspberry. To me, these three ingredients do not go together!
Angela: I actually thought it sounded good minus the mushrooms. Because I go to sweetgreenÒ all the time, I get my balsamic vinaigrette, and it’s not like you just throw in a hard-boiled egg; you cut up the egg, so it’s not just like an egg sits on top of the salad.
Kelly: I don’t know there was something about.
Angela: I have an egg in my salad.
Kelly: No, no, no. I love egg in my salad, but I’m saying like, “Do you like egg with like something fruity?” Like, that just seems weird to me. I don’t know. There was something about the combination where I literally had to like reread it a couple of times. I was like, “Wait a second, she’s eating what?”
Angela: I’ve never had raspberry dressing, but to me that sounds really good, because I used to like, I don’t even think they made it, but like they used to have like a champagne sort of vinaigrette and that seems similar to me. So, I kind of want to try it, but maybe they should include that as a future recipe for the secret meals.
Kelly: It’s one where I was, like, I kind of want to make it just to try it. But, also, I don’t like mushrooms. So, like, already we’re at a loss, but it’s the combo of the egg and the raspberry that just throws me off. I’m sorry to like derail the conversation with this.
Angela: No, this is what Book Clubs are; we’re supposed to talk about our responses and this was yourresponse.
Kelly: It was like a visceral response, too. Like, I was outraged. I don’t know why, it just like bothered me so much. (responds to comment by Elle Hartford “I was okay with the salad too, just not the mushrooms haha!”) see just not mushrooms. Okay, cool.
Angela: Yeah, so, other people are like me. I’m not a mushroom person. I also don’t eat meat so a lot of times when it comes to some of the recipes, I think it was, I love how many of the Lee Hollis titles are in my head, but Krista Davis her Diva series,
Kelly: Okay.
Angela: they had recipes in the back and they were meat related. I’m like, “Ah! I can’t appreciate them like I wanted to.”
Kelly: (responds to comment by Senna Hollows “Angela with sweet and savory, hahahaha”) Yes. (responds to comment by Crystal Tea Knits “that salad is good but with honey mustard dressing, raspberry is just weird”) Yes.
Angela: So, I think I just appreciate, I mean, again, the clam chowder, I’m not really, I used to always just eat the broth. Like, I would never actually eat the actual food in the clam chowder.
Kelly: Ah! Girl, what you doing? That’s not how you eat clam chowder!
Angela: I know, but that one actually sounded fine to me, and I’m a very nitpicky, strange eater. So, yeah, there’s a lot of times I have responses to food and cozies. But I usually just, I know I’m peculiar with my little habits because I feel like a five-year-old sometimes, I’m like, “If I don’t like the way it looks, that’s not going to my mouth.”
Kelly: No and that’s really, well, and if anybody else watches Top Chef like I do, you know that they always tell them, “We eat first with our eyes!”
Angela: I like how you pointed to your eyes.
Kelly: And it’s like, yeah, because they’ll be like, “Well, it tastes good, but it looks like garbage, so we’re not going to have you win,” and I’m like, “Okay.”
Angela: Meanwhile, you have, what is it, style over substance with The Great British Baking Show.
Kelly: Yes, and that’s a lot more calm. And you know what? I love them both. I love Great British Bake-Off. I love Top Chef. One is a lot more angry than the other one and, sometimes, you need that, sometimes you need that. But, yeah, the food great, except for that salad, it really bothered me. But other than that, I did, let me tell you, who’s the guy that dies? Rick, right?
Angela: Yes. I didn’t even look down at my notes, I don’t even know. I’m like crossing stuff out like, “We talked about this, and we talked about that.”
Kelly: Oh, my goodness, the minute he is introduced, first of all.
Angela: You’re rooting for this guy to die.
Kelly: Let me just read you this small section and this was the moment, I think it was like the second page that we see him, and I was like, “Yep, he’s got to go!” [reading] “Eva stopped by the table and took Rick’s order; he was one of those on-the-side types. He wanted his salad with dressing on-the-side and a baked potato with butter on-the-side. When his meal arrived, he tucked into his steak after sending it back once because it was too rare and perceived to chew with his mouth open.” Oh, my! Like, she was with this guy for five years, which just goes to show 1. how bad the dating pool is.
Angela: (laughing)
Kelly: Not just in Connecticut but like, in general, she was willing to stay with this guy for five years, just so she did not have to go date again.
Photo by: @cozyuptocrime
Angela: I have so many questions about it being a five-year relationship.
Kelly: Uh-huh.
(Angela’s image is frozen on screen)
Kelly: Oh, no! You froze again, Angela. Okay, while we wait for Angela to unfreeze, I will just continue talking about Rick. Is she still frozen for everybody else or is it just me? She’s coming.
(responds to a chat comment) “Gaslighting,” glad someone had mentioned that because he, whew, this guy, he clearly was…
(Angela speaks briefly then image freezes again)
Kelly: Are you there?
(responds to comment by Stephanie Aurelio “It happened again! We still see you Kelly”) Okay, Stephanie can see me. We’ll wait for Angela to come back. But I’m assuming he must’ve done some like real emotional damage for Beth with the gaslighting and just constantly berating.
Angela: Okay, I’m back, hopefully.
Kelly: Okay!
Angela: I don’t know what just happened.
Kelly: It’s okay. I just continued talking about Rick and the fact that he was gaslighting Beth so much like that must’ve been one of the reasons she was like stuck with him.
Angela: Yeah, I mean, I don’t know what just happened. So, my apartment building, I lost Internet access for a day and a half and I thought something was wrong with my modem. I’m literally cleaning everything out around the modem. I’m disconnecting everything. I’m trying my different devices, and like three days later after I’ve been doing this, the apartment building’s like, “Yeah, Comcast has been having problems,” and I’m going, “I thought it was me,” like, “You didn’t tell me this before.”
Kelly: Good to know that it’s not just you but, at least, it’s not just you; it’s like, everybody is having to deal with.
Angela: After I thought it was me and I’m going crazy, and everything else.
Kelly: They were gaslighting you.
Angela: I’m so sorry that happened but I’m so glad that you’re here. See, this is why, I mean, I love you as like a human being and everything else, but I’m like, “She is talented as a hostess” because she goes, “There’s tech problems, I’m just going to keep going.” So, I appreciate that, instead of you being like a deer in the headlights like, “Oh, my gosh, what do I do now?” (Max barks, Angela leaves to go see him)
Kelly: I’ve got to put that Theater degree to use, you know? But, no, I’m with everybody in the comments who’s saying that like, “He had to go!” Like, he had to go, and that’s why I kept thinking the reporter might die, too. But I’m glad we got rid of him and I’m glad Beth is free of him. (Angela returns holding up dog treats) Oh, treats!
Angela: So, he (Max) dropped his treat into my purse. He tried to bury his treat but then he couldn’t get it back.
Kelly: Oh.
Angela: He was barking at my Michael Kors purse.
Kelly: What an attention seeker.
Angela: Yeah. (smiling)
Kelly: I definitely did not see it coming, though, with like the actual solving of the crime of like where things were going. And I think it’s because I kept thinking about all the stuff that we had learned about like, well, we didn’t really learn, but just like the mention of the family dying in the fire on the island, and I kept thinking like, “Oh, what is it going to tie into that?” Like, I didn’t know where it was going to go and so when they started like investigating his past, the minute they mentioned, (responds to comment by Renee) oh, yeah, Renee said, “Five years and you’ve never been to his place?” The minute they mentioned that and then also the fact that his books didn’t have a picture of him in the books, I was like, “Oh, something’s shady,” like, “He’s not writing these books, he’s taking something.” I knew that he was stealing, because if he’s done it once from his girlfriend of five years, he will do it again.
Angela: I have to admit, I love how I’m trying to flip through my notebook to find where it is, because that was my little going back to piece together the clues that she integrated.
Kelly: Yes!
Angela: I didn’t really think much of it at the time when he didn’t have the book blurb. It wasn’t until later I’m like, “Oh, that makes sense now,” whereas before you get that, before they go and investigate and find out about everything else, that was supposed to be that little clue of that little nugget that’s going to grow into the everything else.
Kelly: Yeah, yeah.
Angela: I have to admit the one problem when it came to the five-year relationship that probably either shows Beth’s lack of agency or just his complete manipulation control was, he doesn’t have a family so how did he explain not spending Christmas with her? Not spending the birthday with her? How did he explain not having the holiday.
Kelly: She doesn’t even get to go to his house! Like,
Angela: I didn’t really understand.
Kelly: Five years and she’s never been in his house? That is red flag number seven, twelve, and eighty-seven! Like, I mean, that is all the red flags right there.
Angela: I didn’t know what to do with that because I’m kind of going, “It wasn’t really addressed.” I mean, there wasn’t a, “Oh,” his go-to of, “I’m working in the creative process and you can’t disturb me.”
Kelly: Nope!
Angela: There was never any explanation of that. And, so, I was kind of curious how he accounted for the loss of time, because you think your significant other, you’re going to spend Christmas Eve or Christmas Day or any of the other major holidays with them.
Kelly: Yeah, (reads and responds to comment by Regina) Regina said, “I felt like she really didn’t resolve the plagiarism.”
Angela: Yeah.
Kelly: I mean, that’s totally true because when we find out Sydney isn’t Sydney, and real Sydney’s dead, but we’ve never actually meet real Sydney, I’m like, “Okay, well, that to me means like his book is probably not going come out?” Like, just because the author and the editor attached to it are now gone, I would assume that means the book would be shelved, but I don’t know.
Angela: I actually have questions about fake Sydney; that’s actually how I wrote about her in my notes, too.
Kelly: (laughing) Fake Sydney!
Angela: I actually wrote that in my notes, “fake Sydney” because I didn’t know what to call her after a certain point, because this might have been when I was doing the reread portion of this. This is sort of a Diehard 2 when you realize, “Why didn’t they just go to a different airport?” Hold on, like, you can’t really talk too much about it because when you do the little threads fall. But there was no reason for her to pretend to be Sydney because no one in the town knew Sydney, so she could’ve used whatever name she wanted. So, why did she even pretend to be Sydney? What was the point in all of that?
Kelly: I don’t know, because I assumed it was just her trying to get in touch, because she kept saying like, “Oh, he won’t come meet with me. He won’t come see me.” And I’m like, “Is she trying to just like tell him that she’s there as Sydney and expecting that he’ll come meet her?” I don’t know, because that was the same question I see a few people have had that question, too.
Angela: Okay, thank you!
Kelly: It’s just sort of like, “Why masquerade as Sydney, when you could just be like this stranger staying in town. Like, who cares?
Angela: I was kind of confused about that because we also, again, this is probably a very nitpicky thing, but we never actually find out how she killed him? How did she get to the island? How did she get away from the island? Was she on the island when the police were there? I mean, did they not notice her?
Kelly: Yeah!
Angela: I wasn’t entirely sure how that played out.
Kelly: Me neither.
Angela: Maybe, this is going to come up in book two. Maybe, this is just me being overly analytical because that’s what I do. But her entire sort of, as soon as you start pulling at it, it’s like the knitting, you’re going, “Okay, I’m pulling this and we’re losing the row now.”
Kelly: Whoa! Way to connect back to the story with knitting. No, I’m with you, though, because there’s like the brief mention that his boat isn’t parked where it’s usually parked the night that, the night before they find his body. So, I’m like, “Okay, did she kill him that night?” Because that’s the other thing is like the cops, there’s the one useless police officer, and then there’s the female police officer who kind of disappears after a while, and then there’s the detective from the state that is actually doing work, but also never tells anybody anything useful. They’re like, “Oh, do you know the time of death?” He’s like, “Yeah,” and it’s like, “Okay.” So, we never get to find out if he died the night before or if he died moments before they arrived on the island? You’re right, it isn’t very interesting that it’s like, in some ways, I love this book because it ties up a lot of things, but also there’s all these things put into motion, which everybody thankfully has told me happen in future books. However, I don’t think they’re going to come back to this particular murder in future books, so I’m just like, “Do we ever get answers to these questions?”
Angela: I think the only, I don’t want to call it saving grace, but I think the one bright spot is the fact that these are very, I don’t want to call them nitpicky, but they’re minor things in comparison to the motivation.
Kelly: Yeah!
Angela: Everyone, like, the means, motive, I mean, she has all the big checkmarks, so I think that’s the main thing. Readers solving something.
Kelly: I want juicy details.
Angela: That’s the thing like when you love something you want all of the stuff, right?
Kelly: Yes.
Angela: I think that’s actually saying how good the book is because we’re going, “But I want more. I want more. That’s exactly what good writing is supposed to do. It’s supposed to make you want more
Kelly: Yeah.
Angela: Because if you’re going, “I want less,” that’s the problem.
Kelly: Yes, very true. I will say, I think my only complaint other than all of these questions that we will probably never know the answer to, is that when I read a book, whether it’s a cozy or romance, because I feel those are like the two things I read the most. If it takes place in a bakery, in a park, in a library, whatever it is that the character is like, that is like their world, I usually want to see them use the skills that they use in that world to solve the crime, and I feel like that wasn’t done to its full potential. I mean, it’s because I’m like, “She’s a librarian,” she is all about research and organization and books. So, I was like, “Is there no way for her to incorporate these things into solving the crime?” Maybe, that’ll come in future books.
Angela: Yeah.
Kelly: I mean, I just, I don’t know. I kind of, instead of her asking all these people like Milton or Sully about things that they can find out the information, I wanted to find, and she does go find out more.
(responds to comment by Stephanie Aurelio “She kind of used her librarian research skills to figure out Rick’s past)
Yeah, exactly. Like Stephanie said, she does leave to go find out things but I was like, “I wish there was a way to incorporate her using the library more into solving the crime.”
Angela: (displays and responds to comment by Stephanie Aurelio “And the OED came in handy”) I was thinking the same thing as Stephanie. Using the Oxford English Dictionary did come in handy.
Kelly: Yes! Actually, I made a note of it. I was like, “You know what? She knows all the things about everybody and what they like to read,” and at the end, I do think the Oxford English Dictionary is like the one thing that really does tie in to the world of the library, and it’s a great call back to earlier when they mentioned getting rid of the Oxford English Dictionary as like a joke. I’m like, “Oh, well, now, they can never get rid of it!” Like, “Hello!”
Angela: It came back around! Someone mentioning something, and then bringing it back home; that was great.
Kelly: Yeah!
Angela: I think for me the skill with her is, this is my perspective with this, because when I go to libraries, again, I write in my books. I mean, if I pull those books out (from bookcase behind her), there’s going to be post-its, there’s going to be highlights.
Kelly: (nodding) Yeah.
Angela: And, so, I don’t really use libraries for the books. I would use them for the community element and I feel like that’s kind of what happened in this book. Rather than using her librarian, you know, knowing this sort of tactical thing when it comes to reference materials, she used the library community as her sort of network, so that’s kind of how she used her librarian skills.
Kelly: Yes, that’s fair. (reads and responds to comment by Elle Wren Burke) I do like, Elle mentioned, “He probably would have known how to check property records for the owner of the island, for example.” That’s exactly what I mean, and that’s what I thought of, too. I was like, “There’s got to be records, right?” Like, there has to be about this town, this small town, they have to have public records or like history of our town or something.
Angela: Who owns what house is public record.
Kelly: There you go!
Angela: I think my whole writer versus reader perspective, a writer goes like, “No, this is public record,” but a reader is like, “Hey, we just got to have an I Dream of Jeannie reference in here.”
Kelly: That’s right, see, and that, that I was like, “I love this lady that’s, you know, in the assistant care facility.”
Angela: I hope she comes back!
Kelly: I’m just like, “I would love to see her in more things,” but I don’t know. Maybe, she owns the other island; she owns like another island or something, and somebody else will die on that island. I don’t know. I want to see these characters get more of their own stories in future books. Like, I mean, we have Violet, who is like a retired actress. I’m like, “You better believe there has to be a book at the theater.” Like, if there’s not a community theater production,
Angela: (nodding) I looked up the book blurbs. I looked up the book blurbs and that’s one of them. She’s staging a production.
Kelly: Oh! Thank you.
Angela: That’s one of them.
Kelly: (nodding) Okay.
Angela: And another one, apparently, is set; it has to do with the library itself being a character. I didn’t read the reviews because I didn’t want to spoil it.
Kelly: Okay.
Angela: But someone mentioned in the book, I think, because it shows who your friends are and what their reviews are, and I didn’t, I scrolled a little bit too far, and someone, I just saw like the first couple of sentences, and so I’m going, “No, I don’t want to read anymore.”
Kelly: She’s like, “No, yeah, no.”
Angela: But, yeah, the library’s setting comes back around.
Kelly: Okay.
Angela: And I was really glad she did that because one of my notes, you got to love how I have my highlights (holds up notebook) it’s like, it just says library. It’s just all written down in pink. I was writing down the setting, the description, because it sounds so cozy. I wanted the library to be described more, so I loved that they’re utilized more in future books.
Kelly: Also, this is a huge library for such a small town. They mentioned that there is a children’s desk, a circulation desk, a reference desk, and I’m like, “This is the largest place in the entire town, is the library.”
Angela: I was very intrigued by this because I don’t mean this to sound bad, but they had a very large staff for a small-town library.
Kelly: Yes!
Angela: With all the part-time employees and volunteers and having multiple directors.
Kelly: There were so many people that worked there! I was just like, “Is this like the only, this, and the restaurant? Are they the only businesses that make money in this town?” And it’s a library; it’s not like its making money.
Angela: Yeah.
Kelly: Like, I mean, it just was so funny.
Angela: Well, they have two fines coming to them. We know that.
Kelly: Yes! That’s true, and then I mean, obviously, I love the Crafternoon things, so I’m worried like, maybe, there’s like a Crafternoon murder. And then she mentions like there potentially being like a Garden Club coming in, so I’m like, “Okay, that could be a book.” We could have like a Garden Club murder, which by the way, on the topic of Garden Club murders, if people here are not watching Why Women Kill? I think that’s what it’s called on Paramount Plus, you need to.
Angela: Oh, I haven’t seen it.
Kelly: Oh, my gosh, it’s so good. There are two seasons. They’re completely separate. They have nothing to do with each other, but the second one.
Angela: I thought you were going to say the Flower Shop Mysteries with Brooke Shields.
Kelly: No, the only reason I mentioned it is that the second season is all about this woman, who’s dream is to join this elite Garden Club, and it takes place in like the forties or fifties. But it’s so good! Both seasons, so good.
Angela: I mean, I have to admit too, with the library, it’s not just large and has a lot of people in its employment, it’s very well stocked.
Kelly: Yeah!
Angela: And the children’s area, Beth re-did it. I had to write it down. They have the parrot that they can teach like phrases to. They have the Palm trees. Then they have the couches that look like sand dunes. They have the pirate treasure chest, and then they have the blue carpet they had redone. They have all these elements in the library. So, I don’t know what the taxes are, but a lot of money is being allocated to the library.
Kelly: It is all going to a library! Like, any money in this town is going to the library because we know it’s not going to staffing the police department. There are two police officers and one of them is completely incompetent, and so I’m just like, “I don’t know.” You know what? There should be another book, too, where it has something to do with like the water taxi or like the ferry system, because I was really into all the guys who work with the boats. I was like, “Oh, I want more on that.”
Photo by: @cozymysteryclub
Angela: I mean, the more Sully, the better. I’m all for more Sully.
Kelly: Oh, my gosh, there need to be more like young, hot sea captains, in general. But I need them more in books, because that’s what I do with most of my time. But between this one and the Tessa Bailey book, I’m like, “I’ve had an overload of hunky sea captains in the past month,” and I’m just like, “Where are they? Where are they?” Like, I’m clearly in the wrong. I’m not by the ocean that’s why.
Angela: I had to write it down because he just sounds too good to be true.
Kelly: Yep!
Angela: So, we have Captain Sully, who’s a former, he was in the Navy.
Kelly: Of course.
Angela: He has dimples, a square jaw, mahogany curls, blue eyes, and he’s tall with broad shoulders; and, he’s well-read.
Kelly: He probably wears like a beanie, off the back of his head, like not too far back like a hipster, but like enough to see some of his curls peeking out. I can see it. Yep.
Angela: And he’s also kind and thoughtful, and makes the best hot chocolate.
Kelly: Yeah. I was reading the recipe because I was like, “What makes this hot chocolate so good?” Like, “What is so different about this hot chocolate?” So, I’m going to have to make his hot chocolate and see how it measures up to other hot chocolate.
Angela: I mean, when it comes to hot chocolate, I’m just usually a packet person.
Kelly: Ah!
Angela: So, this is an effort, actually making hot chocolate. So, the fact that he put in the effort is also very telling to me.
Kelly: That is the sexiest thing. Let me tell you, as a single woman, the sexiest thing is a smidge of effort on their behalf.
Angela: (laughing)
Kelly: Literally, that’s all I’m looking for. Like, I don’t care, if you have a great job. I don’t care, if you own a house. I just want a smidge of effort. I feel like it’s not too much to ask but, apparently, it is.
Angela: I love how it’s one of those, when it comes to, again, with the whole single woman idea, Lindsey is smart, she is capable, she has her own job.
Kelly: Yep! Yep.
Angela: She doesn’t need someone to support her. And thank you, hello, we are, you know, living in a certain day and age here. And, so, it is very much about his personality, and who he is.
Kelly: Yeah!
Angela: If you want to try to marry up, trying to establish, whatever. So, I love the fact that she is placing emphasis on the characterizations.
Kelly: Yeah, no, I’m a fan. Like I said, “I am definitely interested in reading more in this series.” So, if people want to do it, if people want to buddy read, like, I’m here for it.
Angela: It’s so funny too, because I think someone had mentioned or asked about how does this work because “you guys read the first book in the series.” And, so, we had done a couple of follow ups with livestreams, but I can probably figure something out in regards to doing a buddy read hashtag or something. So, I mean, I’m all for it, if you guys want to do a buddy read. I mean, there are more books in the series, it is rather large. So, I would have to figure out the timing of it, but I am all for trying to figure something out, if you’d like me to.
Kelly: We’ll just do one a month for the next year. (laughing)
Angela: (laughing) I was going to say, so, the second Tuesday of the month is officially Cozy Corner Chat night, where you get to ask your favorite cozy authors, all of your cozy questions.
Kelly: Yes!
Angela: I’ve been trying to do things across platforms, so no matter what you utilize, if you can’t watch any YouTube live, but you can do this, I’m trying to spread things across. So, in my head, I’m trying to figure out, “Is there a way to utilize Instagram and make that the third Tuesday of the month?” I’ll have to brainstorm and figure something out for y’all.
Kelly: (big smile) What’s one more Tuesday, right?
Angela: (laughing) Or at least come up with a hashtag or something in regards, so you guys can post across on Instagram and Twitter.
Kelly: Yeah.
Angela: And we can all follow the same thread. I can work on it. I can do that.
Kelly: I’m game. I’m definitely game.
Angela: I mean, I’ll also have to have a hamster detective for y’all because, you know, homage to Beth.
Kelly: That sounds like a cute book too. Like, I would totally buy that book for like a friend’s kid. I liked the idea of that book.
Angela: Again, I don’t tell y’all everything I’m working on as I’m working on it. There’s a lot on the back, going on behind the scenes that I reveal. So, Casey, our latest addition to the sleuthing family, I don’t know if you saw him, but he is on Twitter. We now have a sleuthing penguin
Kelly: Yes!
Angela: dressed as Sherlock Holmes and he’s named Casey. So, technically, my mom kind of named him because I was going to have another vote off, this is a total tangent off of the book, but this pertains to the Book Club. So, y’all created the names Purrlock for our mascot and you guys named it, MoriarTEA, t-e-a, tea, the logo.
Kelly: Which both are ridiculously clever; so, kudos to anybody who came up with those names.
Angela: I mean, I was so impressed, because with Purrlock, what I did was, I put up the four ones that were most repeated or most commented on, and then did a vote off with the Twitter. And then when it came to MoriarTEA, it was a little more organized, so I kind of did the brackets, and I kept watching that one go the different rounds. I’m going, “He’s going to make that name; that one is going to make it to the end.”
Kelly: (nodding) Yep!
Angela: I was so happy because, otherwise, I was going to be like, “I’m going to create something else because we are going to need this name.” I loved it. I was going to do the same thing with Casey, but my mom was so excited and she goes, “Oh, you should name him Casey, oh, you solved the case,” and I’m kind of going, “I feel as if by naming him Casey it’s paying sort of respect to all of our friends and family who support us and our side characters.”
Kelly: Yes!
Angela: I kind of thought that was more of an inspiration for what he would represent in the sleuthing family because people will buy us books or give us gift cards or leave us alone for hours to go read. So, our little, you know, thank you to our friends and family for supporting us in our cozy community; so, I kind of like that.
Kelly: Well, see if my mom watches this, she’s going to get mad then at me because she’s going to be like, “Listen to Angela doing all these nice things for her mom and letting her name stuff. Kelly, what are you doing for me with Boobies & Noobies?” And I’ll say mom, “You are the one who turned me on to reading Romance in the first place, so just the idea of Boobies & Noobies is tied to you.”
Angela: Oh, that’s so sweet.
Kelly: Not quite the same, I don’t have cute characters named after her.
Angela: Well, it’s so funny, though, because when I mentioned it, she just got really excited and came out with it and she got so happy with it. I’m going, “I have to use this.”
Kelly: That’s so sweet.
Angela: And I just loved the idea of kind of having a character named in honor of the friends and family who let us be who we are.
Kelly: Yeah!
Angela: There is something to people leaving us alone to read or leaving us to go do what we want to do with our bookish world.
Kelly: Yes!
Angela: So, I kind of think it’s more of a, we’re adding something to pay credit to them.
Kelly: Yeah!
Angela: But, again, there is another detective animal that I have been working with another artist on; and, again, I have a list of things that I’m working on and doing. And I had this moment of, “Oh, thank goodness, I didn’t choose the hamster,” because I had a hamster on my list.
Kelly: Oh, my goodness, how funny.
Angela: I had a hamster; it was one of my animals.
Kelly: I like the penguin. I like the penguin; and if there’s a hamster someday, great. If not, (shrugs).
Angela: Well, if we do the hamster, it’s going to have to be in honor of our Buddy Read for this book. So, it’s going to have to do exactly with this. So, now, if there is a hamster detective, it’s for this, there’s a reason, but I have another animal in addition to our penguin. I don’t know if you guys want me to tell you what kind of animal or not. But I had a list of animals, and I was slowly weeding them down, and there’s additional ones after this next edition. And, so, there is a hamster on the list and I’m so glad I didn’t have it randomly.
Kelly: Oh, my goodness.
Angela: Because I felt so bad thinking, “I’m stepping on toes. Someone had this idea.” I’m just very glad that I did not do the hamster and that timing wise.
Kelly: I think you made the right choice because Casey is very cute. Also, we’re coming up on the holiday season, penguins are like super, not holiday-ish, but cold. I associate cold and thus penguins with holidays. I don’t know.
Angela: I pictured it as a penguin, but for some reason, I cannot explain, I pictured a penguin for Cozy Corner Chats. I don’t know why, but I kept thinking of a penguin detective. I don’t know why.
Kelly: (reads and responds to comments in the chat session) People want to know, though, in the chat, they want to know about the other animal.
Angela: So, technically, I don’t know if I have, I don’t know if there’s a screen share; it is an otter. He looks really cute; it’s an otter.
Kelly: That’s very cute. I have a special attachment to otters because my uncle who was, basically, like my nanny growing up, would sing me the song he made up about Herbie, the sea otter. And then I had a stuffed animal that was a sea otter; so, that became like Herbie the sea Otter. And, so, we send each other like Herbie gifts, not Herbie, sea otter gifts, and everything. But, yeah, anytime I think of sea otters, I think of my uncle, Chris, and Herbie, the sea otter.
Angela: Aww, I just kept thinking how otters tend to make people smile and that’s what cozy mysteries do.
Kelly: Yeah!
Angela: I have my list of animals and it’s so funny that we’re talking about this, because I literally handwrote a list of animals, and I googled, you know, list of animals, animals like this. I mean, I even went through like different types of horses, different types of bears. I mean, I really got into this.
Kelly: Oh, wow.
Angela: When I tell y’all I do research for you, I am not kidding. I really go, I deep dive; the librarian kind of components, you know, this is why I relate to them.
Kelly: Yep!
Angela: But I have my list; there’s the bunny on it, and I have the, what is it? There’s the hamster, there’s the guinea pig, there was a porcupine, I mean, I was making the list.
Kelly: Ah! I love porcupines. So, I will say, you know what? I’m not usually somebody who watches like cute videos of animals probably just because I’m dead inside. But the one that I’ve been watching videos of lately are baby hippos. (laughing)
Angela: I don’t even know if the hippo made the list, but that’s really cute.
Kelly: They’re so cute and, I mean, yes, I know in real life hippos will take your head off, but at the same time, they’re so cute!
Angela: I might have to add that to the list; baby hippo, because I know I had the list of things and I just thought the otter because that’s the animal that people always go, “Oh, it’s cute.”
Kelly: Yeah, very cute. No, I agree. (responds to comments in chat session) People like otter.
Angela: And I already have a sloth. I put the sloth for my Classically Cozy Conversations. So, we have a detective sloth. We have Max. In my own little head, I know when it comes to cozy companions, it’s usually the cat and the dog, so I have the secondary Twitter account Celebrating Cozy and Max; he’s dressed up as Sherlock. So, we have the dog for Celebrating Cozy and then we have the cat Purrlock for the Book Club. So, we have our cat and dog, I made sure. I was very particular with that.
Kelly: Yeah!
Angela: So, we will soon be getting the animal kingdom.
Kelly: You’re creating your own cozy mystery menagerie.
Angela: I know Beth, if she wasn’t fictional, we would be friends.
Kelly: Yes, no, for real, I feel like I’ve also like shared all my notes that I have for this book. So, I mean, if you have anything else, hit me, but I just overall really liked it and she better get together with Sully, otherwise, I’m going to be very, very sad. And I hope there’s more hot naked art teacher in the future.
Angela: I mean, so I’m just trying to figure out where I want to start with the notes. So, I just want to mention, I thought that Lindsey having her academic studious side come out when she was upset about her knitting, I thought that was an adorable detail.
Kelly: That was fun.
Angela: And the part that I appreciated was that it wasn’t just a quirk; it was something they all knew.
Kelly: Yes!
Angela: So, I think that was what really tied it and made it important and gave it that sort of fun component. Because same thing when she went to visit our, I forget her name off the top of my head, but the woman living with dementia in the assisted facilities home.
Kelly: Uh-huh.
Angela: When she went and visited her and she came home, the Crafternoon ladies are all freaking out, “Where have you been? What’s going on?” I loved that she was a part of their group and they cared about her and they knew her.
Kelly: Yeah!
Angela: And I like them knowing that quirk shows, that it’s not just a matter of, “We just hang out together.” They know her and for some reason that just really kind of gave me the warm, fuzzy feelings that they knew that.
Kelly: It pretty much is a profound family story. Like, I mean, and that’s not to say that they don’t each have their own families like outside of this group, but like this town is very much like a found family. Like, the whole Crafternoon Group really cares about each other. Nancy is like a mom to her. I love Nancy’s son too, who plays the rock music, but only on Saturdays or whatever. Like, he is willing to, he’s not a bad kid either.
Angela: No.
Kelly: Like, he’s very good to them. And, so, yeah, very much a found-family story, which I love. I love seeing different family dynamics in stories because I’m an only child.
Angela: Me too!
Kelly: I don’t get to see that. Yeah, we don’t have that experience of having like the sibling relationships and so I love to see when that is explored.
Angela: I have to admit too with when you mentioned Charlie, I love the fact that (a) she called him, because she knew the police would say, “Yes,” to help her.
Kelly: Yes, smart!
Angela: But I love the fact that he actually answered the phone and he didn’t just, you know, hang up like, “Ugh! I don’t know who this is. I can’t figure this out.”
Kelly: Nope.
Angela: He got up, he tried to help.
Kelly: Yep.
Angela: He ran after, he confronted the person. He wasn’t just standing by; he actively tried to help her, protect her. And when she didn’t want to go to the police, he wanted her to go to the police; he wanted to have her back, but he respected her wishes too. So, I’m going, “I’m on your side Charlie. I like you. You cannot be a victim in these books.”
Kelly: Yeah! I liked, I mean, we’ve said it, but I really enjoyed the characters. They felt real, they were very respectful; except for the three mean people, two of whom died anyway. So, I’m just like, “I’m here for this.” I feel like this is going to be a very like Cabot Cove kind of series where it’s like instead of killing off people who live in the town, they’re going to bring in outsiders from outside of town and they’re going to die. Because everybody we’ve met so far is wonderful and I don’t want them to die.
Angela: I wrote down, so, again, this is me, I love Jane Austin. This woman jumped out at me from the beginning.
Kelly: Yep!
Angela: Her dog was Mr. Bingley.
Kelly: Yep!
Angela: I thought this woman was adorable and I related to her so hard because she bought food for her dog and I do that with Max, sometimes, because if he’s not eating his dog food, I’m like, “Fine, I’ll buy you a hamburger,” and I don’t eat meat, but I’m ordering a hamburger.
Kelly: (laughing) Yeah!
Angela: So, this lady’s bringing home food to the dog and I thought that was great. I’m like, “You, please, you’ve got to come back in another book. I’ve got to meet Mr. Bingley.”
Kelly: I highlighted it. I was like, “Excellent choice.”
Angela: I thought that was great. I’m going, “You need to come back. I need to meet Mr. Bingley in person because he sounds adorable.”
Kelly: (nodding) Yep!
Angela: Her little rescue Chihuahua. And I also wrote down with Beth, I thought this was an adorable introduction; the first time we meet Beth, she’s dressed up as a giant teacup. This is how we meet her.
Kelly: Yeah! It was amazing to me that she was not like the theater person in this book. I was like, “Oh, yeah, she must have a theater background.” But no, she works with kids. I’m like, “Okay, like, that’s basically the same thing.” She’s adorable, what a great character introduction.
Angela: Again, I have to give Jenn McKinlay all the writing credit with this, because as I’m looking down at the notes too, you brought up Rick. The first time we meet him is in the restaurant and he’s not exactly, you know, Mr. Respect, chivalry, whatever you want to call it. He’s not exactly, you know, ten out of ten.
Kelly: Yeah!
Angela: And I loved it when…
Kelly: He’s got two out of ten; like, he’s a negative out of ten.
Angela: He wanted free food. He wanted free food and Mary said, “No, I’m gone.” You rock, Mary.
Kelly: Yep.
Angela: But the first time we meet all these characters, I don’t want to say first impressions are the best, they’re spot on. But every time she introduced a character, that was how the character portrayed and it stayed kind of consistent throughout the book. So, the first time we meet Beth, she’s the teacup; when I meet Ms. Lemon’s face there, she’s got that scowl. So, every time someone was introduced, she did it in a way that was memorable and represented the character throughout the remainder of the narrative.
Kelly: Yes, that’s what it was, because I know that this is something just from having been here with you before that we’ve talked about is that in cozy mysteries, we love that there’s like a tribe of characters, but also there’s usually a lot of characters and so the more you introduce these people, you can lose track of certain people and be like, “Who’s that guy again? Who’s that person?” And this was one where I was like she gave each character such a memorable introduction and something that was so uniquely them that you were like, “I can’t mix up Violet with Nancy. I can’t mix up Charlie and Sully,” because like they each had their very specific things about them and that’s hard to do. Like, I think, that’s something that even just as a writer, I really appreciated and was like, “Oh, this is something I can work on in my own work.”
Angela: I was very impressed with the fact that every single character to me felt different and very developed.
Kelly: Yes!
Angela: I was very impressed by that. I always look at Goodreads and some people said they reminded them of stock characters. I’m going, “You’re entitled to your opinion,” but I didn’t let it sway me, because for me, I was impressed how we had Charlie. We knew he was the musician. We knew he had all the tattoos. We knew everyone’s description and you remembered it.
Kelly: Uh-huh.
Angela: And, again, I like the fact she didn’t also overkill; the Crafternoon Group was small and it was manageable for you as the reader. Sometimes, people will give you, “Oh, we had all this group. We had this,” and you’re going, “I cannot remember all these character names. There are too many people; they all have ‘S’ names. Why are you doing this?”
Kelly: That is one of my biggest pet peeves is when everybody is named with like the same letter. I’m just like, “Why was this a choice? Why was this a choice?” Like, “You could have picked any name in the world.”
Angela: I’m not going to mention the title, but we had a book; it was Shiloh, Shannon, and I can’t even remember the other name. Stacy! And there was another ‘S’ name in there, and I’m going, “Ugh!” I’m just going, “The cousin. The woman in town.”
Kelly: Right.
Angela: Because I couldn’t remember the names. I just kept referring to them as their titles.
Kelly: Which is funny because at the beginning of this book, they’re reading Rebecca and they’re like, “What’s the name of the main character?”
Angela: (laughing)
Kelly: And they’re like all flipping through their books and I’m like, “That’s, for sure, me.” Like, every time I do a podcast, every time I do an interview, I could have finished the book twenty minutes before we started recording, and I guarantee, I will forget some of the characters names. So, it is no diss, whatsoever, to the book or the author. It is just very much like such a real thing! I’m sure I’m not alone in this.
Angela: No, that’s why when I say, you know, I try and do my research. I try and read the book multiple times because I know, even though I am prepared and I’ve got my notebook, I know I’m going to be going, “I can’t remember that character’s name. I can’t remember that place.” So, it happens. Basically, we all know that too.
Kelly: Yeah!
Angela: Because, sometimes, we will just remember the feeling of a book or you remember the one character. So, it has nothing to do with liking or not.
Kelly: No.
Angela: You just reminded me, I actually really love the title of this book because it was one of those I realized it upon the reread, I’m going, “The book that he wrote was deceiving because it was Beth’s work.” And I’m going, “This title is actually brilliant when you think about it in context, it’s not just a fun little pun, it is actually reminiscent of what goes on in the plot. I thought that was so intelligent.
Kelly: Well, and books can be deceiving as opposed to like looks can be deceiving. Ha, ha, ha, we love puns. But because, also, like, I mean, with the photograph like between, you know, that she finds that has the real, what’s her name? I already forgot. Sylvie? I don’t remember anymore.
Angela: I was just reading the comments; I was trying to catch up which one?
Kelly: The picture that Lindsey finds that ends up having a pic; it’s Rick, and then it’s the two women and what are their names?
Angela: Astrid.
Kelly: Astrid, and who is she pretending to be? Sylvie?
Angela: Sydney.
Kelly: Sydney, oh, I was so close. See, its right there. But, I mean, even the picture, she’s like, “Oh, this is what this is, and this is who this is.” And when she meets, who we think is Sydney in real life, and it’s not. But we believe she is because she says her name is Sydney. Why would we not believe that? So, yeah, I think it definitely ties in because, and you know what? I’m sure some people are like, “Well, of course, it ties in.” But there are plenty of books that I have read where you’re just like, “Why is this the name of this book?” Like, “Did you just pick this name because it’s cute?” Like, it has nothing to do with the story.
Oh, no, Angela froze again. Third time’s the charm. I’ll give her a second. (repeats comment by Stephanie Aurelio) “Astrid,” yeah. Part of me loves the name Astrid and part of me is like, “That’s an evil name.” (singing) Angela is frozen.
(repeats comment by Susan Smith) “deceiving all around,” yeah. If anybody has any questions or anything at this time or something that we haven’t talked about that you wanted to bring up, I would say pop those in the chat and then when Angela comes back, we can like hit on those. But, otherwise, I know I’ve covered everything that I brought. But I did really enjoy this book.
(Angela disappears from the screen; it’s just Kelly) Oh, no, she’s gone; it’s just me now. Ah!! I’m sure she’ll be back in a second. But, yeah, we’re still live. Okay, cool.
Well, at this time, I will say (reads comment by Colleen C) “I’m so glad you’re the person co-hosting today.” Well, if people don’t know me, I do host a podcast called Boobies & Noobies. I guess I should have said that earlier. Oh, Angela did. But I do a lot of hosting and interviewing and stuff, regularly. So, this isn’t too far out of my wheelhouse, but if you want to hear me talk about Romance, check out Boobies & Noobies. I’m at (pointing down towards screen) oh, no, it’s over here. Wait, it’s all turned around. I’m trying to point to this (Kelly @boobiespodcast) there it is. I’m @boobiespodcast on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, all that jazz. (Angela appears) there she is!
Angela: I don’t know what happened! All of a sudden, I got the spinning wheel, and I’m going, “Oh!”
Kelly: Spinning wheel of death. It’s all good. I was just telling everybody, while you were gone, I was doing shameless self-promo, where I said, come listen to Boobies & Noobies, and if you like hearing conversations with authors, I do a lot of author interviews, both on the podcast and on Instagram; on IG Live.
Angela: I saw you’ve been doing those. I wanted to be able to join some of them but I always, I miss them.
Kelly: There is a lot of good stuff too, if anybody here is a writer, just like nailing, sort of like the behind the scenes like writing process; it’s really fun to talk to writers and just kind of see what goes on in their heads. So, yeah, I do have a YouTube channel. I barely use it, but it’s there. I’m not as gifted with the on-camera as Angela is, so you can come (laughs).
Angela: I’ve listened to your podcast since the beginning. Her podcast is hysterical. I was on, I was a guest during her Christmas Extravaganza, which made me so happy,
Kelly: Yes! Yes.
Angela: I was still honored to be a part of it. She does a great job with the podcast, so you have to listen to her new, like, the Instagram videos, and you also have to check out the podcast!
Kelly: Thank you. Yeah, and go listen to the episode with Angela because it was a fun, it was a holiday-ish one. It was a pretty like PG-ish Romance for the most part.
Angela: Yeah!
Kelly: So, I mean, if people are like, “I don’t really want to hear anything that’s like graphic or whatever,” it’s a great episode to start with, and we talk about all the cute holiday stuff.
Angela: I, actually, I love how we’re talking about this because I actually just bought one of the other books in the series; it was on sale. There was one of those 99-cent sort of sales going on.
Kelly: Yes!
Angela: I get all the emails in the morning, “Hey, today’s deal is this,” and I saw The Highlander in his kilt and I’m going, “I recognize that book cover,” and I’m going, “Oh, we got book two in the series, yes!” So, I have that on my TBR right now too.
Kelly: Yeah, it’s a cute one, it’s a cute season. (responds to podcast comment by Colleen C) Oh, Colleen says, “Love that episode.” I’m glad, yeah, it’s a fun one. And I know, when you do the twelve, is it 12 Days of Cozies? And I do the 12 Days of Boobsmas and so December between the two of us is just way too much fun.
Angela: I had the best time at being a guest. I felt so honored. That was the very first podcast I’ve ever been on, and so, you know, I get to give her the credit. So, now, no matter what I do, I can always say, “She was my first.”
Kelly: Aww.
Angela: She’s awesome. I’ve been doing The Cozy Mystery Book Club long enough where I feel comfortable with doing the livestreams.
Kelly: Yeah!
Angela: Even though this technology, apparently, tonight is not my friend. But I’ve been through enough where I know how this works, how to maneuver things, how I can now show comments.
Kelly: Yep!
Angela: When it comes to new technology or doing something different, you know, I’m an anxious, nervous person.
Kelly: Sure.
Angela: But I trusted her so much when it came to doing a podcast audio. (Kelly blowing kisses) I trusted her to, you know, lead the conversation, to do the editing.
Kelly: (laughing)
Angela: I feel perfectly fine and confident putting my trust in her. I believe in Kelly and all of the things she does.
Kelly: (uses hands to make a heart) I believe in you. I believe in us.
Angela: I felt so honored to be a on it and, so, it was one of those, I had never done a podcast before, and I’m going, “I’m going to be doing something. I trust her. I’m fine with this.” I was not nervous and, usually, I’m nervous about everything.
Kelly: I got you and (reads comment by Madelene) somebody asked, “What is the 12 Days of Cozies?” and I will tell you, if you don’t find out about it now, you’re going to hear a whole lot about it in the upcoming months, because it is quite the event; and, there are so many giveaways! There are so many like fun books and author talks and like oh, my gosh, it’s so much fun.
Angela: I’ve been working on it. I’ve actually been working on it since literally the last 12 Days of Cozies.
Kelly: (laughing)
Angela: Because I kid you not, I wanted to have all of the content ready, because I do the morning Newsletters, and I wanted to have unique content for every single day. So, there’s going to be adult coloring book pages and there’s going to be word searches.
Kelly: So cool.
Angela: I’ve been working with graphic designers, and I was doing all this before I even said authors, you know, “Hi, do you want to sign up?” So, I had all these things already ready to go, and, so far, there are fifteen cozy mystery authors, and I am so honored and happy to have a lot of people returning. I know she was here earlier, Jackie Layton, she’s going to be one of the returning authors, and Marta, I think she’s still here. I don’t know if we lost her or not. I saw her pop up in the comments before, but she’s going to be participating as well, and there’s so many great people. Winnie Archer, she’s joining, Melissa Bourban, aka, she’s got the two names, and Cynthia Kahn.
Kelly: Melissa Bourbon? What an amazing name!
Angela: That’s her second name. So, right now, I believe there are fifteen, but I’m always adding more. So, basically, every single day, again, this is me trying to make sure that no matter what platform you do, no matter what capabilities, there’s going be a giveaway for the email Newsletter, a giveaway for Twitter, a giveaway for Instagram, and so I’m trying to make sure that every base is covered. In the morning, there’s going to be the email Newsletter. Then there’s going to be the Twitter giveaway, and this time around, I’m offering Instagram Live TVs so Cozy Authors can pick the time during the day to go Live and hold their own Chat. But, again, I will incorporate it and add it to the, I’ve already been designing everything, I already have like a sort of layout that I want to use. So, every day is going to have the time slots of what’s happening.
Kelly: You’re an organizing nerd like me! I love it so much.
Angela: But the highlight is there’s going to be the Reading Sprints every evening from Five to Eight (EST) and they’re going to be increments of Twenty Minutes. I even worked out like the breakdown so that you got Twenty Minutes of Reading; you can chat, you can post, you can go get a treat, you can stretch, and then you pick right up on the half-an-hour mark. And then after that, we have the evening author chats, so you can ask your favorite Cozy Authors, all sorts of Christmas and Cozy questions. And I’m pulling up Day One, right now. We have for the Twitter Chat, we have Jackie Layton, Wendy Kendall, and Ellen Byron for the first night of 12 Days of Cozies.
Kelly: Twelve days of fun festivities! I mean, you make the 12 Days of Boobmas sound like an amateur hour because it’s nowhere near as fun as that. But I will say I do put out twelve episodes; twelve podcast episodes in December.
Angela: You do a great job! I mean, this is just, again, for me when it comes to this, I want to try and offer as much as I can, first of all, because I want to be able to, you know, do giveaways for everybody. I wish I could do everything for everyone all the time. For me, when I do something like this, the more giveaways, the more chances I can spread the joy, the more chances people have of winning, so you can kind of spread that out too.
Kelly: Yeah!
Angela: I always feel awful when someone’s like, “I’m not on Twitter. I’m not on that.”
Kelly: That’s okay.
Angela: So, that’s why I wanted to make sure that I have different platforms covered. So, again, that’s why I’ve been planning this since January.
Kelly: Yeah, I definitely don’t do as much as Angela does for the 12 Days of Boobmas, but I do do giveaways. I love sending mail. I love sending mail to people. So, yeah, if you’re not following Boobies & Noobies, come on over and it’s all Holiday Romance that we’ll be talking about in December and I’m not talking about just like Christmas. Like, there’s also, I think, I have done at least one Hanukkah or like non-Christmas Romance every year for Boobmas; so, I hope to keep that going, there’s just not enough of them out there.
Angela: So, for me, with the 12 Days of Cozies, what I did was I incorporated winter-themed books.
Kelly: That’s good.
Angela: I don’t want to mispronounce his last name because he’s so sweet. So, he has a winter, she’s a skier, I included that. For the Instagram challenges, one of them, I’m going to include the same one, again, this year of a non-seasonal colored cozy mystery book cover. So, you got the blues. Right now, I was looking at Plum Pudding Murder because it has the blue book cover.
Kelly: Yeah.
Angela: Other covers, Lauren Elliott, I believe, she has a winter-themed cozy.
Kelly: Cool.
Angela: So, I was trying to think of other ways so that it’s not specifically related to the holiday itself, but you can celebrate; that’s why I call it 12 Days of Cozies, The Cozy Christmas Extravaganza. But in my own head like, sometimes, I will be like, “The Cozy Extravaganza.” In my head, that’s how I call it.
Kelly: Yeah!
Angela: Sometimes, Christmas is in there. Sometimes, I just think of it as like a holiday sort of celebration.
Kelly: Some people don’t want like the over explosion of holidays; my mother included, who I saw pop into the chat at one point tonight. I don’t know if she’s still here, but this is a woman who doesn’t want to listen to Christmas music until Christmas Eve. Like, she, “No,” and see me, I’m like, “Give it all to me.” I want the tinsel. I want the food. I want all of it. But if you just like the winter and like the snow and like the cooler tones and hot chocolate, I can see where that would be really appealing for a lot of people, so I think that’s cool that you do that.
Angela: Again, I try and make it as inclusive as possible. Last year, I started trying to look into Hanukkah-related cozies. I’m having a little bit of trouble with that. So, if anyone wants to write one, I’d appreciate it.
Kelly: (thumbs up) Yes!
Photo by: @neverloweonbooks
Angela: I want to try and incorporate as much as I can because I wanted to, again, I think of the cozy community as a place to just be happy.
Kelly: Yeah!
Angela: So, if I can make people be happy, that’s exactly what I want do with this. It’s just meant to be something fun. Again, that’s why I did the otter for this Cozy Corner Chat. I want this to be positive, I think of things that want make you smile.
Kelly: I’m excited for the next like few months. Like, October through January are my favorite months of the year for all of the holidays and all of the, I like colder weather. I like the hot drinks. I like sweaters. So, I’m excited for all of that and I’m loving all the picks of books for the upcoming months. So, I’m super jazzed.
Angela: I am so happy to see people taking part in this Book Club. I posted the Instagram Stories; with Instagram, I never know how you want to call the terminology because there’s the highlights, there’s the IG Live. So, I just wanted Stories and recorded it, and I was getting emotional going, “You guys made me so happy,” and they’re all happy tears because you guys mean the world to me. I was just grabbing the cozy you guys voted. So, for December, we don’t do a livestream. November is going to be the last livestream of 2021, and that livestream is going to be Death of a Kitchen Diva by Lee Hollis; food-related for Thanksgiving. Again, I organize stuff. I take your titles and I’m going, “Here are all the food cozies. Here are all the paranormals for Halloween.
Kelly: Yep!
Angela: Back to school ones for September. I believe there was another winter read in the mix, but the Christmas one won. So, this (holds up paperback copy) is going to be the Buddy Read and, so, I kind of thought In Peppermint Peril by Joy Avon. So, because its 12 Days of Cozies and everyone’s traveling for the holiday season and, obviously, everyone has so much going on, I don’t do the livestream. My birthday’s January 1st, high five. So, I know people are dealing with New Year’s and everything else and, so, there’s no livestream. But because there’s 12 Days of Cozies, I don’t feel too bad. I don’t think you guys are missing out in December, but there’s the Buddy Read (holds up paperback copy of In Peppermint Peril by Joy Avon). You guys can talk about this on Twitter and Instagram and still enjoy some cozy Book Club fun with that.
Kelly: Yay! (reads and responds to comment by Marta’s Magical Mystery Class) I’m also going to check out this book that Marta just mentioned. She said, “Denise N. Wheatley is a black writer whose Love at the Icicle Café from Tule Publishing was a huge hit last year and she has another holiday romance coming out.” That’s awesome. I’m for sure going to check that out because also I’ve done a lot of books from Tule Publishing for Boobies & Noobies before. I love the books that they’re publishing. So, yes, give it to me.
Angela: You guys, I didn’t mean to just start talking about 12 Days of Cozies, but I’m so glad you guys are excited and you are so welcome! I’m seeing the comments. I really enjoy doing this. I really look forward to working on the content and the Book Club has really become my positive place.
Kelly: Yes!
Angela: As sad as it is a lot of other readers, my dissertation is on the Romance genre fandom, so for me, Romance has sort of become work.
Kelly: I get it.
Angela: I have not had the most positive experience for my dissertation. So, the cozy community and cozy mystery reading has really become my safe place. So, it is my absolute honor, and I enjoy doing this! So, you are welcome. It is my pleasure.
Kelly: (big smile, clapping)
Angela: I really just hope you enjoy what I’m working on and doing for you; that’s my hope though, that it just makes you smile and brightens your day.
Kelly: It makes me smile.
Angela: As I look down at the notes, I’m pretty sure we’ve covered a lot. I know this livestream has gone longer than like most of them.
Kelly: Well, that’s what happens when you invite me, because I never shut up. We all know this, anybody who’s seen me here before knows it. (laughing)
Angela: I love you.
Kelly: I love you.
Angela: I love the conversations. Sometimes, you know, you’re looking at your notes, you’re going, “Okay, we’re going to talk about this. We’re going to do this,” but it’s so much fun when it’s just a free-flowing conversation because it’s not meant to be literary, “Let’s talk about point A and point B and let’s do this, you know, let us highlight this passage and take it apart.” That’s not what we’re doing; this is just meant to be fun and, again, positive.
Kelly: We’re going to complain about the ingredients of this character’s salad; (Angela’s laughing) that’s what we do here.
Angela: I mean, that’s part of what you responded to, though, that’s the whole point of Book Club! What jumped out at you, and if that’s what jumped out at you, let’s talk about it.
Kelly: And I’ve never made clam chowder, but I will say I’m very tempted to give it a try after seeing the recipe. It looks simple, and it looks simple enough for somebody like me who’s not the best chef to take it on. So, if I do give it a try, I will absolutely tag you, and then, well, I’ll tag you if it goes well, and then you can tell other people; if it doesn’t go well, I’m never mentioning it ever again.
Angela: I love how I’m smiling. I’m thinking for some reason, I thought that recipe sounded more simpler than the hot chocolate one.
Kelly: Uh-huh!
Angela: I just wanted to throw that out there. I honestly thought that that one sounded simpler.
Kelly: Yeah, but thanks everybody who’s hung out tonight. I see people heading to bed and everything because I know it’s later for other people, but I’m so thankful to be here again; it’s always fun to hang out with you guys.
Angela: You guys are the best! The only other random notes I had, had to do with the fact that I loved the pun, “A Shore Thing” with Beth naming her house that.
Kelly: Yeah!
Angela: “A Shore Thing,” I thought that was cute. And then I thought Ava, the waitress at the very beginning, was going to come back around and be Rick’s love interest or something; like, the ring on the finger.
Kelly: Yep!
Angela: I thought she was going to be the other woman because Beth and her had lost touch and he wasn’t bringing Beth around. I was thinking she was going to be the other woman; that (points to a ring on her hand) was his ring. I thought that was going to be something, but we never saw her again.
Kelly: Yep.
Angela: But I really thought Ava was going to come back around and be a part of Rick’s back story.
Kelly: Maybe, we’ll have a wedding in a future book. Maybe, we’ll get to see the twenty-two-year-old waitress get married. But I’m with you, that was a thought that crossed my mind as well, and I think it was kind of like the age gap that made me realize like, “Oh, I don’t think this is going to tie in.” I don’t know.
Angela: I have that down and then I had two other random, well, they’re kind of, well, I love how capable the women were in this book. I loved that Emma was the best cop for the local hometown representation. She was the smart capable one.
Kelly: (nodding) Yep!
Angela: Once we had Detective Trimble come in and look at the case, but I saw in a book blurb that she becomes the Sheriff, and I was so happy when I read that.
Kelly: (wide eyes) Oh, good!
Angela: I was so excited and I loved that she was the strong female officer and she respected Lindsey. Sometimes, when it comes to cozy communities and cozy mysteries, in general, with this, they have the sleuther and the police officer butting heads, but she was nice to her.
Kelly: Yeah!
Angela: There was this sort of camaraderie. But there was definitely a familiar element, and I appreciated the fact that it wasn’t us (versus) them.
Kelly: Yeah.
Angela: I just wanted to throw that out there. But I also thought it was interesting with the levels of cheating with this book because, again, the two out of the three here, because of Rick, but we had Lindsey who was cheated on. We had Beth who had her creative work stolen, and then we had fake Sydney aka Astrid, who was cheated on and had her work stolen. And I thought that was really, really interesting to show the different ways that you could experience hurt in a relationship and how it would impact you. I mean, again, I don’t think Sydney’s impact was normal so I’m not going with that.
Kelly: Well, I noticed that all of the offenders are men, so I would have maybe liked to have seen a little variation in that just because I don’t want the story to always be, “Men are the bad guys and women are great.” But I will say the women in this book are painted in a very positive light, for the most part, and with the exception of Rick and the ex-fiancé, all the men are actually painted in a pretty positive light too.
Angela: (nodding) Yep.
Kelly: So, I don’t know. We’ll see moving forward, but you’re right, there is a lot about cheating in this book in different ways.
Angela: I thought it was interesting because it shows the different elements of relationship and how you can hurt someone in a different way.
Kelly: Yeah.
Angela: I thought it was interesting in regards to having your work stolen and why your work was stolen because Beth was thinking maybe he was the artist who was having writer’s block. But then it was a level of deception that was different and that caused more hurt than thinking of him that way. So, I just thought it was kind of interesting from that kind of psychological perspective, but I just wanted to randomly throw in those two notes in there, because there was so much with…
Kelly: Oh, no! (covers her face with her hands) Angela! Okay, Angela’s frozen again (Angela’s image now leaves the screen) and it’s me. Let’s see, I feel like I should perform something for you, at this point, because I’ve gone through my notes. (Angela reappears)
Angela: Okay, so, I’m just going to end up saying, “Goodnight!”
Kelly: This is our sign to call it a night. This is it!
Angela: I was going to say my only other notes were on the Sheriff and we do not need to talk about him because he’s not positive. That was why I was putting my notes down. I was like, “We don’t need to end the conversation on him. We don’t.” (holding up a paperback copy of Books Can Be Deceiving) We can just end on saying how brilliant of a writer Jenn McKinlay was.
Kelly: And we will read more books in this series; that’s it, that is all anybody needs to know.
Angela: I will look into figuring out the Buddy Read. I saw someone mention, it said #sleuthingtuesday. I thought that was really cute. So, if that’s available, I’ll do a little bit of research on that to make it happen. But if you guys want that, I will do it. (responds to chat comments) Okay, everyone seems interested; that’s all I need to know.
Kelly: Yeah! Yeah, sounds like fun to me, and I will totally read more of these. So, I am down, even if it’s just like three of us. I am there. But thank you guys for hanging out tonight; it’s been super fun.
Angela: You guys are so amazing. I really am so honored that you guys are taking time out of your day to celebrate cozy mysteries with us to talk about books. It blows me away that you read a book with us that was chosen and you take part in this, and I am so honored, as I get emotional. I think every single time I talk about how much I love you guys, I start crying happy tears.
Kelly: Every Book Club ends with Angela crying.
Angela: Because I just appreciate you guys so much. I love that you comment and take part in the conversations.
Kelly: Yeah.
Angela: It’s not just Kelly and I talking back and forth.
Kelly: Yeah.
Angela: I love that you guys are posting your thoughts and responses and every single time I go back to do the giveaways, because every comment translates to a giveaway entry, and next month we’re reading Class Reunions Are Murder (by Libby Klein) and tonight’s Book Club giveaway is Beauty Expos Are Murder, which is the sixth book in the same series.
Kelly: (gives two thumbs up)
Angela: I always get to read the comments and see the things that I missed during the livestream, and I’m always, it just touches my heart, it really does. So, I look forward to going through the comments for the giveaway. I’m going to be reading your comments again for the giveaway, and I know I’m going to get all the feels. You guys just mean the world to me, and I just want to give Kelly, again, a shoutout. Subscribe to her podcast. Check out those Instagram TV videos or Live Chats, however, it has very interesting terminology. So, do what you do on Instagram,
Kelly: (pointing down to the screen) I’m also having trouble like realizing because everything’s like backwards for me on video. So, I’m @boobiespodcast; there it is.
Angela: She’s also hysterical. I’ve noticed this with your Instagram; she’s been posting her tweets and other tweets that she finds that are relevant to genres and reading and Romance. So, her Instagram’s great, her Twitter’s great, just follow her across all the platforms because she’s amazing!
Kelly: You’re a blessing!
Angela: So, a shoutout to my co-host tonight, and I also want to give her the virtual hugs, because I am so apologetic that I had the Internet issues tonight.
Kelly: (shaking her head) No.
Angela: Totally out of my hand, but she handles things like a pro, so I am giving you ALL the shoutouts for not, you know, for dealing with this in the most positive, sweet, and entertaining way. So, thank you for keeping your head during the little glitches; so, more shoutouts and love to Kelly for that one.
Kelly: It’s all good. I feel like if the pandemic has taught us anything, we’ve all become a lot more patient and accepting of technical issues. So, I will never judge anybody for having technical issues ever,so from this point forward.
Angela: I got to love how it’s during the livestream, the highlight of month, and it happens during it, of course, timing.
Kelly: Of course! You handled it like a pro; it’s all good. You came back, we did it and, yeah, it was fun.
Angela: We talked about our Book of the Month, and next month, I’m going to grab the book. Next month, we will be talking about Class Reunions Are Murder by Libby Klein.
Kelly: Love it.
Angela: So, please mark your calendars, the last Tuesday of the month is always Book Club night, and the second Tuesday of the month is Cozy Corner Chat night. I believe, this time, we have four cozy mystery authors for September and I’ll be announcing those tomorrow in the Newsletter email, so be on the lookout for that. So, September, we have two more things coming up, and it sounds as if we might have a Buddy Read going as well for this series, so I am excited.
Thank you, guys, for joining. I love you guys so much. (Kelly waves) Please continue to stay safe and healthy during this time and happy reading and sleuthing. You guys are amazing!
This is also the book that inspired our Buddy Read! Please visit the Buddy Reads page for additional information!
<><><><><>
This is also the book that inspired our buddy read! Please visit the Buddy Reads page for additional information!
