The Cozy Mystery Book Club | March 29, 2022
The Cracked Spine A Scottish Bookshop Mystery #1 by Paige Shelton
Creator & Hostess: Angela Maria Hart @writerahart
Special Guest Co-Hostesses: Stephanie Richards @msrichardsreads89 & Lori Leaf @readingwithmrsleaf
Angela: (fingers crossed) YouTube, yes?
Lori & Stephanie: (smiling & waving)
Angela: Oh, my goodness! We have thirty-four people already here; that is so cool. And I see the poll is still going; looks like most people have enjoyed the book. So, a lot has been happening over here on YouTube. This is so exciting!
I am so excited. I made graphics for my guests tonight. I am very, very proud of these two women. I adore them. I have a returning guest host over here; where is yours, there we go! (displays images: Ms. Richards Reads Twitter & Instagram account profiles) Okay!
Stephanie: It’s so pretty!
Angela: I wanted to mention Stephanie’s Instagram and her Twitter account Ms. Richards Reads. She is so sweet and awesome. If you’re not Following her, please do. And we have a first-time guest host whom, I just adore this woman, her Instagram posts make me so happy. There’s just something so authentic and genuine about you, I just want to, again, I can’t help but Follow you, like, “That is a great photo!”
(picks up Max) I’ve got the dog on my lap and he’s like, “I want to talk about her.”
(displays images: Reading With Mrs. Leaf Twitter & Instagram account profiles) Okay, we have Reading With Mrs. Leaf and she is so sweet and awesome, and this is her Twitter and Instagram account, so please add her to your social networks. She’s awesome and I am so happy to actually get the chance to talk to you live because I’ve just been chatting with you through comments for what, two years?
Lori: Pretty much.
Angela: Oh, my goodness. I was like, “The comments are going,” it’s so hard to keep up with everything. Thank you, guys, for joining us tonight. I’m Angela and we have Lori and Stephanie, so I’m really excited. And we have our book of the month (displays images: Goodreads photo and summary plus four photos of the book) The Cracked Spine and I grabbed some of your Instagram photos because they’re so gorgeous and I just couldn’t help myself. So, when I said I was making graphics, I had to do something for y’all too.
Lori & Stephanie: (big smiles)
Angela: I am going to kick it off and ask you two, “What did you think of the book?”
Lori: I liked it, mostly. I would probably give it like a three and a half, four.
Stephanie: (nodding)
Lori: I think it jammed a lot into one first book.
Stephanie: Yeah.
Lori: But, overall, I liked it.
Angela: Oh, my goodness, there’s so many comments! (Stephanie) Welcoming you back! Oh, my goodness, everyone is so sweet over here. Okay! (displays comment by Little Bitty Delights “I felt a little all over with this book. I started it excited, got a few chapters in and started to feel all over the place. I felt like the mystery of the book and death of Jenny was lost”) We already have someone who agrees exactly with what you (Lori) just said. Yeah, “it was a little all over the place; got excited a few chapters.” Oh, my goodness! (displays and responds to comment by Sleepninja “This is my first time participating. I’m excited”) Hey, welcome! Welcome to The Cozy Mystery Book Club!
Lori: (smiles)
Stephanie: (smiles & waves)
Angela: This is so exciting. (reading comments) Oh, I’m so glad you guys are here.
So, Stephanie was mentioning earlier, before we went live, that she has already read this before, so this is her second time and she’s already read two other books in the series. So, you have more information than any of us. So, clearly, for you to read the next ones, you’ve enjoyed it enough for you to do that.
Stephanie: Yeah, I think if you liked this one, you’ll like the rest of the series. But I think if you didn’t really like this one, you probably won’t like the rest of the books. They’re pretty much in the same vein, but I just love the Scottish setting and the bookshop. I really, really liked it. I gave it four stars and I liked it a little bit more the second time I read it.
Angela: Oh, yeah, where was the comment, I was about to click on it. (displays comment by nsandoval7 “I will say I *LOVED* that it takes place in Scotland”) You love that it was in Scotland. I don’t know how many other cozy mysteries are set in Scotland. I even went back, I was going, “I know a Murder, She Wrote,” it’s in the episodes. I know she’s been in Ireland. I know she goes to England quite a few times, even to Scotland. I feel like that’s an underrated place when it comes to cozy mysteries so I had to wear my University of Glasgow sweatshirt in honor of Scotland. This is the only shirt I had though. I mean, it’s a pullover sweatshirt, obviously, but it’s the only thing I had that said Scotland and I was disappointed. I need to go buy some Scottish insignia.
Stephanie: (nodding) Got to represent.
Angela: Exactly!
Lori: Yeah, my ancestors, my god-side are all from Scotland. My grandma was the first one born here, so I loved that it was set in Scotland and I’ve kind of made my month, a Scottish month, and I’m reading a few other Scotland-based books.
Stephanie: I also have family that was from Scotland and they went to Nova Scotia; that’s so cool.
Lori: Cool.
Angela: I’m close by, the last name’s Hart, so I’m Irish. It’s so funny, too, because I’m one-eighth Irish, but I’ve got the blue eyes and blonde hair, and the rest, you know, my mom’s side is Italian with the brunettes and dark eyes; so, I look like the Irish portion and got the last name, so it works. (responds to comment by Lady Gizmo “Love your shirt, Angela”) Aww, thank you!
(displays comment by Little Bitty Delights “That’s next on my to do list read more books based on Scotland”) Yes, more Scottish books! Yeah, we got to look into that. I’m going to have to do some research and come up with a TBR for y’all. So, more Scottish. I mean, we were almost in Kansas though; we got a lot of Kansas references.
Stephanie: (nodding) Yeah.
Lori: Briefly mentioned.
Stephanie: I forgot about that.
Angela: I was kind of intrigued by the fact she just goes looking for a job, a Help Wanted sign sort of thing online, and her first thought is, “Yeah, I’ll just move to Scotland,” on a whim sort of situation. So, that was very intriguing to me because most people would just sort of go to the next State?
Stephanie: (nodding)
Lori: Right.
Stephanie: Or, I would have to have an extensive plan set out before I moved. I couldn’t just up and go.
Angela: Yeah, I did a lot of research with this one. The biggest regret of my life, again, wholeheartedly, a hundred percent, I was accepted to a PhD program at University of Glasgow and I did not go. I wish I did, wholeheartedly. I really wish I did but I did all the research and it is not easy to get over there and do things! And, so, she gets the Work Visa so quickly, I was so impressed. I was very impressed by that. All of a sudden, she’s just in Scotland and we have the best taxi driver in the world. So, we have to talk about Edwin.
Stephanie: (makes a heart using two hands) Love him.
Angela: Edwin’s the boss and then we have, what’s his name, Elias?
Stephanie: (nods) Ah-huh.
Angela: Okay, we have a lot of names in this book. I had to write them down.
Lori: (nods)
Angela: Elias and Aggie, we’ve got to talk about them. What did you think, Stephanie? I’m going to ask you first.
Stephanie: In real life, I feel like I would be more like ‘stranger danger’ if I met them and then they just invited me to live in their guest house; but it’s a cozy mystery, so I was all for it. Kind of suspend a little disbelief there, but I loved them. I thought they were so sweet.
Angela: They were adorable. What did you think, Lori? Fans? Again, I love how it’s one of those, if this was a Lifetime Movie that would be the premise of something very horrific happening; like, she would be locked in there with a webcam sort of situation. And then if it’s on Hallmark, it’s so sweet and endearing so, Lori, your thoughts on Aggie and Edwin.
Lori: Well, didn’t he, at one point, even say something, “Oh, don’t worry. I’m not going to hurt you or anything.”
Stephanie: (big smile, pointing to Lori “Yes”)
Lori: It’s like, “Yeah, that’s what all the Craigslist killers say before they kill too!
Angela & Stephanie: (laughing)
Lori: It’s the same thing, like, I love them, but, “You’re just going to go live in the backyard of somebody you just met?” That’s very weird.
Angela: I thought it was funny how he didn’t mention that the first time he met her, when she said she’s going to be looking for a residence, but then the second time around, then he mentions it. So, it was kind of, I don’t know, I mean, maybe he was testing the waters a little bit before he brought it up. But I thought that was intriguing how he sort of was holding back that information. I feel as if he’s also more than just the cabbie; they’re renting out their cottages, he’s her tour guide.
Lori: Yeah!
Angela: He’s like her body guard. I think this guy’s got all jobs.
Lori: He’s like her Welcome Wagon.
Stephanie: Yeah, he’s kind of like her adopted Scottish brother or something; he looks out for her.
Angela: Oh, my gosh. (reading comments) So, everyone seems to like them; that makes me so happy. I thought Aggie was adorable. Oh, my gosh. I love how she’s a grown woman, Delaney, our heroine, our protagonist, she’s a grown woman, and Aggie’s going, “Oh! Bus driver take care of her. You’ve got to make sure that she gets off on this stop.” It reminded me of like a first grader going to school for the first time.
Stephanie: (smiling & nodding)
Angela: Brilliant. I don’t know why that just made me so happy. It’s like nothing to do with the mystery, but I love that scene. Oh, my gosh.
Lori: Yes.
Stephanie: Yeah.
Lori: I was going to say, I like what Marta’s Magical Mystery Class just said that she “wonders if they’re part of a developing paranormal theme that’ll start coming.”
Angela: Yeah.
Lori: And that’s one thing, like, that was weird. Like, it kept mentioning little parts of, you know, the voices she hears and all the ghosts, but then nothing ever really came of that. So, it’s like, “Is this supposed to be a paranormal? Is that going to happen in other books?” That I thought was a little weird in this one.
Angela: I mean, usually, when someone says they’re hearing voices, you think asylum, butterfly nets coming after them. So, I’m hoping that there’s an actual paranormal component to this. I was a little confused and very glad when the voices came back erratically even though I was concerned about her mental health with that one.
Stephanie & Lori: (laughing)
Angela: The end came around, she heard voices again, and she was happy once more; but, yes, we’ve got to talk about that because even the boss, he talks about ghosts. You have the woman in the bookstore,
Lori: Everybody!
Angela: everybody was just pro-ghost, so, are we going supernatural with this?
Stephanie: Well, I think, too, like, that, (responds to comment by Karen Richards “Maybe things will go off kilt-er!”) oh, my god, my mother, (laughs) her comment.
Angela: (smiles & waves) Hi! (displays comment by Karen Richards, claps, & points down to comment on the screen)
Stephanie: In that culture they’re very into their folklore and history, and all of that.
Lori: (nods)
Stephanie: So, I think it’s more embraced, maybe, than it is in places here.
Angela: (nodding) Yeah, especially when in the juxtaposition her teacher thought she had a seizure versus just going with it, asking her if she was okay. She wanted to have a medical diagnosis.
Stephanie: (nodding) Yeah.
Angela: I thought it was cute, though, that she actually told her father. I mean, she mentions, she doesn’t tell the mom, which I do find slightly suspicious. I don’t know why she wouldn’t reveal this to the mother after years, but I thought it was cute that she had sort of that special bond with the father just telling him about her bookish voices.
Stephanie: Yeah.
Angela: (reading comments) So, the paranormal, it grows. So, by books two and three, as someone who’s read them, (Stephanie) it becomes more pronounced?
Stephanie: I think so; it’s been like a year and a half since I read them, but I think it is more explored in the second and third books.
Angela: (big smile) I just saw this comment by Kim P, “When she said, “I hear books” did anyone else think, “I see dead people” (everyone laughs).
Stephanie: I love that.
Angela: Can we also talk about the fact that it wasn’t just her remembering quotes; it was them having conversations as the characters, which is where I was getting a little confused for a moment. That was when I wanted more information about that.
Stephanie: (nodding)
Lori: Yeah.
Angela: (displays and responds to comment by Mary Huff “That was odd about the voices”) Okay, so, not everyone was there for the voices. We’ve got to figure that out.
(displays and responds to comment by Jeja admirerofwordsandcoffee “Shotgun Tom, haha”) Oh, okay, we have to talk about a certain Scottish man in a kilt.
Lori: (wide eyes, raises her eyebrows & smiles) Oh, yeah.
Stephanie: (laughing).
Angela: Okay, Lori made the face. I’m going with Lori. (laughing)
Lori: I saw someone else’s comment up there about “I want to have a pint with him.” Yep! (big smile)
Stephanie: (nodding)
Angela: Oh, my gosh. So, it was kind of cute that it, there we go, I found the comment by Lu G “I want to have a pint with Tom, in his kilt!”
Stephanie & Lori: (nodding) Yes. Yeah.
Angela: It reminds me, she meets him wearing the kilt. It reminded me of women who like firemen, you know, women who are like, “Oh, I like this certain type,” of whatever, “This is my crush.” I think she has a thing for kilts. I think Delaney likes kilts.
Stephanie: And I love that after their first date, he says, “I’ll wear the kilt next time,” (Angela laughing & Lori has a big smile) and it’s like, “I love you.”
Lori: Yeah.
Angela: I thought it was funny, she’s like, “Are you real? Did I imagine you? You’re just so perfect.”
Stephanie: (big smile) Yeah.
Lori: And she’s shocked when he’s not wearing one.
Stephanie: (nodding)
Angela: (reading comments) Everyone here is for Tom; yeah, there’s even a new show on Stars, I mean, new in the last couple of years. Isn’t it called Men in Kilts or something?
Lori: (nodding) Yeah.
Stephanie: Yes! It’s so good.
Angela: (laughing) Anybody else get Outlander vibes because of Scotland. I was waiting for that reference, but didn’t come. I was waiting for it.
Stephanie: Yeah.
Angela: We got a lot of Shakespeare, though, I mean, again, very different with the romance sci-fi components versus Shakespeare. So, yeah, we’ve got to talk about the fact with this mystery: the folio. Did people solve the mystery or were you guys surprised with this mystery? Were you invested in finding out who killed Jenny? What were you thinking about it?
Lori: I don’t know if I was invested as much as I am in most cozies about, like, “Oh, my gosh, who killed it, just because there’s so many different people, and I definitely wasn’t, I didn’t think it was, I thought it was going to be Hamlet the whole time, the way they were setting it up.
Stephanie: Yeah.
Angela: (reading comments) Okay, it looks like a lot of people did not solve it. Okay, because I was going down a totally different road with this cozy mystery. So, I’m going to tell you, my theory was, I did not buy that Jenny was just a drug addict. I mean, that was all we got. We didn’t really know the repercussions of it other than she, apparently, stole some items from her parents’ house and they disowned her. But they were multi-millionaires so I didn’t think that was enough of a bad moment. I thought maybe she had a baby or something, and that baby was going to be Hamlet; that is where I was going with that.
Lori: Interesting.
Angela: I don’t know why my brain was doing that. I was trying to fill in the gaps because he had the letters, and I’m thinking, “Oh, maybe he,” because he also seemed to really like her. I was thinking maybe he was trying to get the courage to tell her, “Hey! I was adopted with that and I’m actually,” and get into all of that but nope, that is where my mind went and I was totally wrong.
Stephanie: That is something that would happen in a cozy.
Lori: (nodding)
Angela: (reading comments) Oh, my gosh, okay, other people, “No clue.” – “Came out of nowhere.”
Stephanie: I didn’t remember who the murderer was.
Angela: Did anybody solve it? I don’t think anybody solved it. (reading comments) Okay, thank you! You like my theory! (displays comment by Shannon S “I also thought Hamlet might have been her son!!!!”) Oh, hey! Shannon, same wavelength.
Lori: That’s a good theory.
Angela: Thank you! I mean, I try. I make my little notes as I’m reading, I jot down my little thoughts of, “Oh, let me solve this mystery.” I did not solve this one. I’m just flat out admitting it; all my theories were wrong. I don’t know if that’s one of those credits of great writing; you totally threw me off or I was just, I don’t know.
Stephanie & Lori: (laugh)
Angela: But we do need to talk about this mystery. (reading comments) Oh, people are still commenting. So, what do you want to talk about when it comes to the mystery? I’m just opening it up now for you guys.
Lori: So, I don’t know, the whole thing was just kind of weird. Like, the whole folio of how they got it, just, it’s something that’s millions of dollars is just hiding under her bed?
Angela & Stephanie: (nodding)
Angela: I mean, was she sleeping on top of it? That’s one of my questions. She hid it under the mattress but was she sleeping on the mattress? On top of the folio?
Lori: Right! Yeah, like, this is millions of dollars. Why are you, why is it not more protected?
Angela: Yeah, I don’t think, would you have trusted Jenny? This is a good question. Would you have trusted Jenny with this practically priceless folio?
Lori: (shaking her head) No.
Stephanie: (shaking her head) No.
Lori: Nope.
Angela: I thought, I mean, I understood why he was trying to do it, show his support, but, I mean, it’s not just an item that would be relevant to their family or have, you know, “I’m attached to it for my sake or the family’s sake.” I mean, Shakespeare has relevance to everyone across the board. I mean, museums and everything else. I mean, it’s not just a matter of him showing his faith in her, it’s him and every single English scholar in the world that was let down. So, I was disappointed.
Lori: And then they ruined it at the end. Like, “What? No!”
Angela: Can we just acknowledge, too, nobody really talked about that. He just kind of shrugged it off, like, “Eh, it was just money.” – “No! It was not just money!” That was Shakespeare! (reading comments) Okay.
Stephanie: Yeah.
Lori: So, one thing I do with almost all my books is go Google stuff. (holds up papers) So, I thought it was interesting, like, the actual Shakespeare first folios, there are fewer than seven hundred and fifty copies that were printed, two hundred and thirty-three survive today of which eighty-two are in the Folger Shakespeare Library.
Stephanie: That’s awesome.
Lori: Just for your information.
Angela: I actually did not know that, but I have to admit it is a little, when you go, they have the display case. I mean, so you can just see the page and I don’t know if they’ll actually change the pages depending on things, but you can just look and see the page. It was a little bit of a letdown, but it is cool that they have it. I got to go there when it was Shakespeare and Jane Austin as a hybrid combination.
Lori: Ooh!
Stephanie: Ooh!
Angela: Again, Jane Austin.
Lori: That would be cool.
Angela: Bow down to the goddess. That was one of the other motivating factors for that one. But yeah, when you’ve seen it and you know how important it is, I mean, the tour guide, I’m pretty sure it was just one of those emojis with heart eyes when she was talking about it. And, so, I had this image of the tour guide and then he stabs it and ruins it. And he also had the page, even before he stabbed it, he had that paper sticking out in the drawer, he was not taking care of this folio.
Lori: No, yeah, it was that part, whole part, was just weird.
Stephanie: But that hurt.
Angela: I mean, yeah, everyone in the comments. Yeah, I mean, “We’re the book lovers!” We get it. (reading comments) Oh, my gosh, you guys are so great with the comments; you guys make me so happy. Oh, yes, the date with Tom. We talked about loving Tom but he was super adorable in regards to just, he sent flowers, he went and made a special visit, and I thought that was really cute. And I thought the name of the pub (The Delaney Pub) was a great connection.
Lori: Yeah! I loved that it was her name.
Stephanie: Yes.
Angela: Did you like the adventure sort of thing? There were different characters for sort of different adventures. We had Tom getting to go to the pub. We got to go to the Irish restaurant. Then we had Hamlet who took her to the site where they supposedly found the folio. So, did you guys have a favorite outing or character sort of moment like that or was it the date?
Lori: I like the date.
Stephanie: (nodding) It was the date, but I did like the exploring that they did. I thought that was a nice way to tie in the city in the setting instead of just staying mostly in the bookshop,
Angela: (laughing)
Lori: Right?
Angela: I love Manon. I love this comment, “The bar is high.” Yes, remember the whole ‘you’re in a relationship with fictional characters’ yeah. Tom might be one of those book-boyfriends. I might have to read the rest of the series just so I can appreciate him and his adorableness.
(displays and responds to comment by Michelle “but then went to the police for something irrelevant”) Oh, yeah, we’ve got to talk about, thank you, Michelle. What about the police? (Lori frowns) What did you guys think about the, okay, Lori made her face. What did you think?
Lori: It’s just, I mean, with sleuthers and I know this one was funny but there are like, “No, we’re not going to go tell the police. Oh no, we don’t need to go tell the police. We’re never going to go tell the police.” It was just kind of, usually they’re working together a little bit to get clues with each other.
Stephanie: Yeah, or they’ll like find answers and then share it. In this one, it was very separate, which was very odd to me.
Angela: (displays and responds to comment by Renee “Why did we have the man hit by the car? I thought that was going to be our first victim but it was nothing”) Yeah, I just saw this comment too.
Lori: Yes!
Angela: Yeah, I was waiting for this to come back and then he doesn’t reappear until.
Lori: Never mentioned again!
Angela: (displays and responds to comment by Cooking With My Cozies “Jenny’s neighbor thought she was snooty”) Oh, yeah, we have a lot of side characters that were very memorable. The weird neighbor, Gregory, we didn’t even know the hit-and-run guy at first but we get a lot of context with him. So, any good side characters that you guys were just loving? I mean, even though he was super sketchy, I thought the fact that Gregory was, he was going, “Yeah, if you want to buy me a whiskey, I’ll tell you anything you want to know.”
Stephanie: (nodding) Yeah.
Angela: Of course he lied, but he was there for the whiskey.
Lori: (big smile) Yeah.
Stephanie: Yeah, that was a very kind of creepy scene.
Angela: (displays comment by Sonya Walton “The detective creeping by Delaney’s door freaked me out a wee bit!”)
Lori: Yes!
Stephanie: Yes, that creeped me to death.
Lori: Hanging out in the dark waiting for you.
Angela: (displays comment by SharonElizabeth “What’s with the police scaring the heck out of Delaney. Not cool.”) Yeah, that was one of those red-herring moments where you’re going, “Okay, now you’re on the suspect list because that’s not normal behavior.”
Lori: (nodding)
Stephanie: And nobody came to check on it and they knew he might’ve been there, but still!
Angela: (looks down) I don’t know if you guys just heard a little growl. I think Max agrees with you.
Stephanie: (nodding, looks down) Shh, sorry. Oliver’s down here too, if you hear meowing.
Angela: Well, we did have a dog who was, apparently, a little mini bear in shrug and scarf who had a bow in his hair at one point. (displays comment by Renee “The dog is always the BEST side character”)
Stephanie: (smiling) What was it, Hector?
Angela: I think so.
Stephanie: Yes!
Angela: I thought he was going to have one of those, I thought he was going to be Hamlet or Macbeth or some sort of other name that was literary.
Stephanie: Yeah, I think that was a missed opportunity.
Lori: Yeah.
Angela: (displays comment by Cooking With My Cozies “She was essentially set up not to succeed with that one”)
(displays and responds to comment by Michelle “What police officer with sense waits at someone’s door at night?”) Yeah, you don’t wait at someone’s door late at night, especially a woman.
Stephanie: (nodding)
Angela: You don’t do that. And then, yeah, the entire apartment building,
Stephanie: Yeah.
Angela: I even wrote his name down. We never see this guy again, but we have Waldo, the bodybuilder, which was just a very random interaction. I don’t think we see anyone else besides him, really mean neighbor, and then Gregory. But I don’t really want to meet anyone else.
Stephanie: Where was that one lady? I don’t remember if she lived in the building, but it was when she and Elias were in the car, and the lady was like, “You don’t want to go in there, just leave.” She was very odd too.
Lori: Yeah.
Angela: Yeah, everyone was saying, “Oh, that place is bad.” I mean, there was a TV show one time it was called 666 apartments or something.
Stephanie: (grimaces & covers her mouth)
Angela: I mean, did they think that was what this place was? The way they were talking about it, it was as if, you know, that was the middle of the pentagram. I mean, what was going on with this building?
Stephanie: (nods) Yeah.
Lori: Well, and I thought it was weird that they repeatedly brought up how quiet it is at night. Like, they clearly brought that up, but that was just one of those other things that they brought up and never even discussed any further. It’s like, “Are they all ghosts in there or what?”
Angela: (displays and responds to comment by Marta’s Magical Mystery Class “And there’s the guy with the traffic accident. I’m wondering if that goes away or if that little mystery develops later”) Oh, yeah, that would be interesting! You can make that paranormal.
(displays and responds to comment by Shannon S “I would love some more of Benny. He seemed fun.”) Oh, you want more Benny! Again, side character. We’ve got to have, we need more of the, I don’t even know what to make of this Flesh Market, bizarre club. What was this thing? The auction.
Stephanie: It was very off-putting as well.
Angela: (displays comment by Hannah Yopp “For some reason I kept picturing Hamlet as Timothee Chalamet”)
Stephanie: (laughs) Timothee Chalamet.
Lori: (smiles)
Angela: (displays and responds to comment by Mary Huff “I was thinking MOVE OUT if it is that bad!”) I love this, “Move out of the place.” I don’t think there was one person who was like, “Go there. Hang out.” Ah! I was really concerned.
(laughs at comment by Bookish Benz “yes, nosy Americans”) “Nosy Americans.” I was really concerned about that place. I thought maybe there was going to be some sort of, I mean, yes, the manager was a terrible person and he was the one distributing drugs, but I almost thought after everything, that was a little bit of a letdown. Like, I thought this place was going to be, you know, the Hellmouth of Buffy, like one of those things or something.
Stephanie: (nodding)Yes.
Lori: Yeah. (smiles) Yep.
Angela: What did you guys –
Lori: So, the other character I really liked was Hamlet, even though he was suspicious. I liked him.
Angela: I liked him. When he went missing, I was concerned.
Stephanie: (nodding)
Lori: Yeah.
Angela: I didn’t want him to be the bad guy. I didn’t want him to die and be the next victim. I mean, you’ve read the future books. I don’t want anything to happen to him. He might be my little, you know, “We’re going to protect you.”
Stephanie: He’s such a cinnamon roll.
Angela: (big smile) That’s exactly what I was thinking. I think that’s even in my notes.
Lori & Stephanie: (laughing)
Angela: Aww, all the animals. I love how everyone here is like a fur-mama; we’ve got the fur-babies.
Stephanie: (looks down at her cat) She’s very opinionated today.
Angela: Yeah, I don’t know if y’all can see, (Max) I got the little tail here and his treat is bigger than his head that he’s gnawing on, on my lap. So, I’m just hoping, fingers crossed, he stays quiet.
(displays and responds to comment by Bookish Benz “omg Hellmouth”) Thank you for getting the Hellmouth reference! I appreciate that. My inner Buffy fangirl, appreciate it.
(displays and responds to comment by Mary Huff “The book was long for NOT having a second murder. I kind of wanted another one.”) Oh! You wanted another murder, okay, that would’ve been interesting.
Lori: It would have been interesting.
Angela: As long as long as it wasn’t Hamlet, I would’ve been okay.
(displays and responds to comment by Cookint With My Cozies “Do not mention the folio to the police”) Yeah, would you have told the police about the folio?
Stephanie: I probably would have just because I would’ve been scared to death of getting in trouble because I’m a chicken like that.
Lori: (smiles)
Angela: Yeah, when Edwin withheld that information, was he impeding their investigation? I’m not sure because technically speaking, she was killed, but it wasn’t because of the folio, but he did steal the folio that was evidence of the crime; so, maybe?
Lori: Yeah, I mean, it’s a huge motive right there just because of how valuable it was. I would have told him.
Stephanie: (nodding) Yeah.
Angela: (displays and responds to comment by Lyn McEnaney “I got to the end of the book and still wondered exactly what Delaney’s job was.”) Okay, Lynn, I agree with you. What is Delaney’s job description?
Lori: Yes!
Angela: Because she seems to make up stuff as she goes along.
Stephanie: Well, and at the beginning, I kind of set it up like he was getting ready for not being at the shop.
Lori: (nods)
Stephanie: So, she’s like getting ready to take over for him? They didn’t really mention it that much.
Angela: And she’s organizing a shelf here and there? I love how she’s going, “Oh, there’s a shelf of thirty-six, I organized twelve,” and I do not know why I remember those numbers and I can’t remember side characters names either.
Stephanie: She could make her own hours.
Lori: Yeah, like, she just makes her own hours.
Stephanie: Dream job.
Lori: So, one thing I wondered with this one is, you know, you hire an American, which has got to be expensive to put her up in a hotel, to pay for her Visa, travel over there. What are all these special talents she had to sort a few books?
Angela: I wrote it down. It said she had the master’s degree in History and another master’s in English. Was that it?
Stephanie: (nods) Yes.
Angela: So, she’s not an archivist. I mean, she’s not classically trained in that regard, but she worked the museum.
Stephanie: Right.
Angela: But based on her description of the museum, and then the, I mean, I was just picturing like The Lost Ark of the Covenant with, you know, I was thinking Indiana Jones or National Treasure and they all of a sudden put the lights on and it just keeps going with the treasure. He has a warehouse of things; that seems a little bit more in depth than what she was originally expecting.
Stephanie: (nods) Ah-huh.
Lori: Yeah.
Angela: (displays and responds to comment by Bookish Benz “How she has the audacity to make an executive decision to close the shop after she relieves Rosie?! Lol”) She had to make executive decisions about closing the shop. Yeah, I like how she actually says executive too. Oh, my goodness, you guys are so cute. (Stephanie) go ahead.
Stephanie: (reading comments) Oh, I was going to say, uh, somebody, Tracy, yeah, “Was wondering if she was somehow hired because Edwin sensed her special gift,” which would fit in with the paranormal-ish stuff.
Lori: Yeah.
Angela: (reading comments) I love how you guys are so amazing. (displays comment by Kim P. “I agree it would have been more interesting if the murder was related to the Folio instead of drugs.”) Yeah, I thought it was interesting, it kind of gave me Rebecca vibes not for the same reasons, but we have a murder victim and she never actually meets Jenny. She just learns about Jenny secondhand. So, yeah, the murder was a little different. Yes, Max. (holds Max up) He wants to apparently say “Hello.” I don’t know if you can see his little face.
Stephanie: Hi, Max.
Lori: Hi. Not only the books or the murder being different with someone she didn’t even know, but how she went about sleuthing. It wasn’t the normal, tricky sleuthing. It was more like, “Oh, I’m just writing an article or whatever, just asking some questions.”
Stephanie: Yes.
Angela: (reading comments) Oh my goodness. (displays and responds to comment by Mary Huff “The murder wasn’t connected to any storyline in the book.”) Yeah, so, the murder was definitely different than what I thought it was going to be. Again, I did not solve this, as he, (Max) he’s on my notes, he’s balancing his treat on my notebook, so I’m going to move this and he’s going to get mad.
Stephanie: (laughing)
Angela: Okay, I had the microphone far enough away where I don’t think you just heard him growl.
So, there was a comment on Twitter. I actually did not know to whom she was referring. There was, oh, I lost it. Oh, no, here it is. Different window. Because I asked if there was something in particular people wanted to discuss, and the tweet is, “I would like to discuss how it seems like a certain character was in the book so little, so it was mind-boggling when they revealed what they did about that character. I’m trying not to give spoilers in case some are still finishing up the book, but I hope you know which character.” (looking straight at the screen) I don’t know which character you’re referring to, but I’m guessing it’s the killer because he was not in the book as much.
Stephanie: (quizzical expression)
Lori: Probably.
Stephanie: That’s what I would think, yeah.
Angela: What did you think? Because, again, he’s really not in the book that much; so, nobody solved the mystery as far as we can see in the comments and with our discussion. So, yeah, I was thrown off by that one.
Stephanie: I think it would have been a much better constructed mystery if he had been more in because, normally, with cozies, I feel like in these discussions, you get a mix of people that solved it and didn’t solve it. And in here, everybody’s like, “I had no idea,” which includes me. So, I feel like if we had gotten him more, maybe we would’ve gotten more clues and it would have tied in better.
Angela: (holds up an enormous treat for Max) I’m moving. I’m trying to just arrange my legs and sit in a different way, and he’s growling at me; all the fun. Can we just also appreciate how big this treat is in comparison to his body?
Lori & Stephanie: (laughs)
Angela: Okay, I’m going to hold you up. (shows Max & the treat side-by-side)
Stephanie: The look of pure joy on his face when he looks at that treat, it’s hilarious.
Angela: I think, yeah, “You gotta do, what you gotta do.” It’s one of those, I feel as if it’s the equivalent of putting the kid in front of the TV for a little bit going, “Oh, Mama has something to do now. I need to do the laundry. You’re going to sit there. I’m going to give you a treat. You’re just going to mind your own business for, you know, while we’re doing the livestream.”
(displays and responds to comment by Elle Wren Burke “I have a theory that Edwin arranged for her to be laid off (with his money), then paid for the ad somewhere he knew she would look, because they’re secretly related.”) I like this theory.
Lori: I like this. I like that theory you just put up; that’s a good one.
Stephanie: (reading the comment and contemplating) Hmm, that would be a cool theory or a cool storyline.
Lori: Yeah.
Angela: (displays and responds to Jackie Layton “Yeah, that treat is HUGE! Haha, he must love it!”) Yes, Max and his treat. I’m glad you guys get a kick out of him.
(displays and responds to comment by Michelle “I wish the killer were in the book more too. I don’t like when authors throw a random killer in there and because of drug money at that.”)
The one character I wanted more was Hector (dog). I wanted more of the adorableness; he just sort of was there and then he went away. And we’re also not talking about the fact that she, apparently, brings this dog with her everywhere, including the hospital at the very end. I don’t know how you get an animal in the hospital, unless it’s a service animal.
Stephanie: Well, the first time I read it, I assumed the main character was going to have Hector because he’s on the cover.
Angela & Lori: (nodding)
Stephanie: And then she doesn’t have him, and it’s like, “Oh,” because everybody loves cozy companions.
Angela: I mean, even if he was just at the bookstore, I mean, this place is also not a bookstore. I’m not even sure what that shop is. I know he’s rich, but it does not feel as if they make money because he’s actually giving items away too. So, that’s a whole separate conversation topic, but I thought maybe a bookstore dog or something like that because we had Oliver from And Then There Were Crumbs who was the town dog. So, I was thinking, “Oh, maybe, it’s the bookstore dog,” but no, this is Rosie’s dog. This is not anyone else’s dog.
Stephanie: Man.
Lori: Yeah.
Angela: I’m just looking down (at notes). Yeah, there was an entire little gossip section with our little session with a police officer. So, there were a lot of characters and a lot of moments.
(reading comments) Aww, you guys are so cute.
Lori: A lot of characters.
Stephanie: (nodding)
Angela: Yeah, did you ever, I’m not trying to pontificate, but like, did you ever get confused going, “Oh?” Because there were two inspectors and I kept getting them confused; like, which one is the one who thinks, you know, who’s the one who’s trying to be her friend, and then he was at the door. There were a lot of characters in this book.
Lori & Stephanie: (simultaneously) Yeah!
Lori: It was hard to keep track of them all.
Angela: Okay, so it wasn’t just me.
Stephanie: (shaking her head)
Lori: No.
Stephanie: Well, I listened to it on audio and I think not seeing the names makes it a little harder when there’s so many characters to you; there’s something about actually reading the name that helps it stick more.
Lori: (nodding) So, I will say I went back and forth between the audio and the book.
And I loved the audio, especially for the accents of the different actors. And I love the narrator. I don’t know who it was, but I loved her.
Angela: I thought she had a sort of stern tone near the beginning, so I was trying to get used to her, but then as soon as she slipped into doing the accents, I’m going, “Nobody else is the narrator for this book,” she nailed, I was so impressed by this, and I don’t mean this in a bad way, but she nailed the men’s voices.
Lori: Oh, yeah!
Stephanie: (nodding)
Angela: I don’t how she changed her voice like that. I cannot make my voice sound manly in any way, shape or form. And the fact that she was able to do different male voices with accents was so impressive to me.
Lori: Yeah, so, the narrator was Carrington MacDuffie.
Stephanie: She did great.
Angela: (reading comments) Okay, yeah.
(displays and responds to comment by Marta’s Magical Mystery Class “I suspect she’s set up so many minor characters because future stories will focus on different clusters of them.”)
So, it is the first book in the series, so I will give you that. I think that it’s very difficult when it comes to cozies and I’ve got to give her credit, too, because she did make them all unique. So, even if I got confused by which name, I knew who she was referring to in the scene.
Lori & Stephanie: (nodding)
Angela: So, I think that’s really fair but, yeah, that’s something a lot of first books in the series have to deal with; it’s very hard to do that, so I always give credit to authors who are able to make the characters, you know, stand apart from one another. So, even if I didn’t remember Gregory’s name in that scene, I knew he was bathrobe guy. I knew who he was! (laughing)
Stephanie: (laughing) Yes.
Lori: (laughing) Yup.
Angela: (responds to comment by Michelle) Oh, interesting, you “liked the narrative’s voice for everyone except Delaney.” I think I agree with you a little bit because I think she sounded a little stern for some reason. Maybe that’s just my interpretation but I think that was just (shrugs) maybe because she was the American accent and just stayed, you know, between going back and forth with the Scottish. I just wanted more Scottish.
Lori: (big smile) Right, yeah.
Stephanie: (smiling & nodding) Yeah, I can understand that. It didn’t really bother me that much, but I think I’m less picky than other people when it comes to audiobooks.
Lori: (big smile)
Angela: (displays and responds to comment by Colleen “Yes, she was better at male voices than I think any other female narrator I’ve heard.”) She was, yeah.
Stephanie: (nods) Yeah.
Angela: I always love the YouTube delay. I love how we’re talking and the comments come in.
I want to throw it to you though. When it comes to, was there something in particular that jumped out at you, a scene, dialogue, something where you guys are going, “We’ve got to talk about this tonight.”
Lori & Stephanie: (big smiles)
Angela: Was there something, Lori, that jumped out at you?
Lori: No, I think, the big thing that just jumped out of me was like just introducing all this kind of paranormal stuff that was never addressed. That was just the big thing that I wanted to talk about, which we already have, like, “What? Is this going to be paranormal? Is it not?” We will see.
Stephanie: Yeah.
Angela: Yeah, so, (reading on her phone) we had for the Instagram, because I asked the question as well. So, @reginathesouthernista (Regina Williams) said she had questions at the end. So, did you have any lingering questions at the end of the book that you wanted more information on? I mean, I want to know more about Hamlet just because I love him and Hector.
Lori & Stephanie: (nod in agreement)
Stephanie: Yeah, and then like you already said, more of the paranormal. Like, more of how that works.
Angela: (displays and responds to comment by Bookish Benz “Elias saying he’ll bring his wife for dinner to make sure she knows he’s not a creeper and then showing up without her, lol.”)
Lori & Stephanie: (laughing)
Angela: Can we just talk about that? Again, if this was any other book aside from a cozy mystery, you’d think that something terrible is going to happen to her.
Lori & Stephanie: (big smiles) Yeah. Yeah.
Angela: Abducted? She becomes their surrogate daughter in a weird conspiracy theory sort of way.
Lori & Stephanie: (laughing)
Angela: If this was anything but a cozy mystery, it would be very, very problematic or, you know, red flags everywhere.
(displays and responds to comment by Patti C “I wanted more of her bookish voices”) So, (Stephanie) maybe, you can answer this question about more of the bookish voices for books two and three. Do more books talk to her in two and three?
Stephanie: I feel like they do. It’s been so long since I read them, but I think I remember it gets explored more in the following books. I’m going to have to reread them because that was when I was kind of first starting to get into cozies, so I didn’t really –
Angela: (big smile) Like you were converted.
Stephanie: Yeah.
Lori: (big smile) Yes! And I think I was looking it up earlier, but I think there’s like seven books out now in the series.
Angela: That’s impressive. So, people have definitely stayed with the series because otherwise there would not be that many in the series.
Lori: Yeah, I thought, maybe, I’ll give it a few more.
Angela: (displays and responds to comment by Mary Huff) Oh, this is interesting. Mary’s question, “Do Tom and Delaney have a real relationship?” because it does seem very much of an instant attraction. I mean, lust is not the same thing as love.
Lori & Stephanie: (big smiles)
Stephanie: I think they’re just like approaching a relationship. I don’t think they really got enough time to get into one.
Lori: They need a page.
Angela: (big smile) I love how at the very end, when he goes, “I can go tell your parents in person,” and she goes, “Oh, yeah, sending a hot Scottish guy to my parents, who I’ve kissed once, that would be a real conversation between us. Yeah, good idea.”
Lori: Yeah, hopefully.
Angela: (displays and responds to comment by Madelene Lundgren “Yes, why did the books become silent all of a sudden? No answer was given.”)
Stephanie: Oh, yeah.
Angela: Did anyone know the answer to this?
Lori & Stephanie: (simultaneously shake their heads)
Angela: Because they did just go silent on her; her paranormal gift failed.
Stephanie: (shaking her head) No.
Angela: Did you solve that? I mean, that’s a secondary mystery in a way.
Stephanie: No, it just went away and then, all of a sudden, it’s back.
Angela: (displays and responds to comment by Venessa Arthur “The 7th publishes in April”) Venessa’s on her game. She knows that the seventh one is coming out in April. She is on it!
(reading comments) Yeah, other people are curious. Why did they go silent? I mean, was it just because of the folio? I don’t know what her connection to the folio would be. I mean, that seemed to be, the reason is, as soon as she found the folio, she was able to hear them again. But unless she was named, I mean, I was thinking if her name was Cordelia or something Shakespearian, and there was a connection or something along those lines, but I’m not really sure why her gift was connected to the folio. I’m hoping that’s explored more later.
Stephanie: Yeah, that was. Yeah, this definitely feels like, which I know it is, but the first book in a series, because I feel like there’s so much she had to set up that some of these things just don’t get answered so you’re left with questions and sketchy people.
Angela: Yeah, a Flesh Market? Okay, again, I’m originally from Massachusetts and Salem is right next door. I mean, you don’t call it Witch-Murderville or something like Witch-Up-in-Flames. Yes, I understand, it’s a part of the history, but that’s not exactly a very attractive part of the history. You’re all very wealthy people, hire creative individuals to brainstorm better names. Also, where did they all get their money? Were they all just family money? Because that I forget how many people are in, is it seven people in their little random group? They’re all very wealthy people. That lady dropped, what, fifty thousand dollars on a random painting that she had no idea about until two minutes before she spent the money. What?!
Lori: Yeah.
Stephanie: Yeah.
Angela: (displays comment by Renee “The books going silent is why I wish we leaned more into the paranormal cozies for this one.” And comment by Kim P “Leslie – the author will probably drag the romance out for books and books like some tend to do.” And comment by Shannon S “Fleshmarket” felt like an innuendo”)
Yeah.
Stephanie: Yeah, it doesn’t really fit in with the cozy vibe.
Angela: (looks down at Max) What’d you do? He knocked something off the chair. There we go. It was my phone. It did not break. I have the cover on it. Cute and functional. (holds Max & his treat) Apparently, we can just put the little guy up there.
So, was there something else that you wanted to talk about? Something about the story, the mystery? I mean, I thought that this had a little bit more of a, I think someone used the word grit. I saw that at some point with the comments and I think that’s a very fair way of saying it because we have the lighthearted fun cozies, but as soon as you start saying she has the drug history and, “Oh, that building is,” you know, as soon as she would go anywhere near it my antenna’s up. It was not a lighthearted, “Oh, let’s go skipping,” sort of, I don’t know where that came from, but what did you think about that? Was it a little darker for you?
Stephanie: (nodding) Oh, yeah. This kind of reminded me more of Julia Buckley’s Writer’s Apprentice (Angela nodding) that one’s a little more dark too. Like, it’s kind of on the edge; outer edge of cozy to me.
Angela: (holding a treat up for Max) As I’m trying to move him a little bit, I crossed my legs and he was like, “Okay, babe, you’ve got to reposition yourself.”
(displays and responds to comment by SharonElizabeth “Maybe there’s a dead body in the warehouse.”) Oh, that’s a good one!
Stephanie: Ooh.
Angela: (displays and responds to comment by Shannon S “No. It’s mostly special occasions. Tom had a wedding and Benny wanted to dress up for the auction.”) Yeah, who was the person in all gold? I mean, that’s one way to flaunt your wealth saying I have gold everywhere.
(displays and responds to comment by Patti C “It was a little darker but I still liked it.”) Okay. So other people did think it was a little darker. I thought maybe it was just me because I had gone from reading … (distracted by Max) Yes! He just licked my hand like I’m part of the treat that I’m holding for him.
I had just gone from reading more Eve Calder with And Then There Were Crumbs and I’m reading, what is it, Sugar and Vice. So, I was very much in the lighthearted cozy and then we go to this one. So, it does have a different feel because yes, there’s coffee, which we have referenced, but we don’t actually have, “Oh, I love baking. I love this.” We get Shakespeare.
Lori: (smiling) Yeah!
Angela: He’s dark; even his comedies are dark.
Stephanie: (smiling) Yes.
Angela: So, I think maybe that plays into it a little bit too. I mean, I think Titus Andronicus (a tragedy by William Shakespeare) traumatized me. So, I don’t know if you get that reference; yes, thank you for laughing. That one scared me so, maybe, I think Shakespeare is darker anyway.
Stephanie: (nodding) Oh, yeah, and I didn’t think this one was too dark though because there’s another series that it’s advertised as a cozy, but it doesn’t feel like a cozy because it’s just so dark. So, I think this was a good balance.
Angela: (displays and responds to comment by Regina Williams “I really feel the star of the book is Scotland.”) I like this comment, “Scotland was the star of the book.”
Lori: Totally, yeah. I totally agree.
Angela: I mean, everyone in the Outlander family, I think Outlander somehow made Scotland. I think it kind of goes up and down randomly with pop culture. We have Braveheart, there’s a spike. I think certain things will randomly draw interest to Scotland, and I think that’s great. We need more kilts, apparently. (big smile)
Stephanie: The world will be better with more kilts.
Lori: (smiles & nods)
Angela: Yeah, for Delaney, I think that would be her dream having men on a runway with kilts. I think that would be her ultimate.
(displays and responds to comment by Sarah Hualde “I love slightly darker cozies!”) Okay! So, you like the slightly darker cozy.
(displays and responds to comment by Manon “Are there any other cozy series that take place outside the US?”) Yes!
Stephanie: There’s another cozy mystery series by Hannah Reed (Scottish Highlands Mystery) that’s set in Scotland. The first one is called Off Kilter and it’s really cute.
Angela: (looking at bookcases) I have it around here somewhere. Carlene O’Connor, is that the one you just said?
Stephanie: No, but that’s another one, yeah.
Lori: (excuses herself) I’ll be right back.
Angela: Bye! With my library, I was trying something new for y’all because I always have the same backdrop, and I love, and I didn’t even realize this with the positioning of the camera, but you got Shawn Spencer like right behind me. (pointing to shelf) It’s just his face right there.
Stephanie: (laughing)
Angela: Perfectly in the corner like he’s going to join the livestream.
Stephanie: Yes, he’s excited to be here too.
Angela: (displays and responds to comment by Marta’s Magical Mystery Class “Alexia Gordon’s cozies are all set in Ireland and also edgy paranormal vibes for a cozy.”) Oh, yes, thank you!
(looking at Lori) Oh! She’s got books. What’s she got? (laughing)
Lori: (holds up Murder at a Scottish Social by Traci Hall)
Stephanie: Oh, yeah! I loved that one.
Lori: I haven’t read that one; that’s in my month of Scottish. I know that series is in Scotland also.
Angela: (glances at bookcases, holding Max) I know I’ve got one here somewhere. I’m losing track. I’ve got the little guy on my lap. I have some, but yes, Tracy Hall, the writing duo. Because there’s Tracy –
Lori: Yeah.
Angela: Okay, I don’t want to mess this up and I don’t want to get it wrong. So, there’s Patricia and Tracy; so, they do the writing duo for Tracy Hall, I think. So, they’re two women but they’re both super sweet, who do the writing. I mean, they joined 12 Days of Cozies. They were probably one of the first to join the last time I organized it. I love their emails because they’re just so sweet and supportive. They’re not just, you know, writing a series outside of Scotland; they’re great people too, so shoutout for them.
Lori: (holds up Murder at a Scottish Social by Traci Hall) I believe I won this at 12 Days of Cozies this year. (big smile)
Stephanie: (big smile)
Angela: (big smile) Did you, now! Oh, well, speaking of giveaways, you just reminded me. So, if anyone is going to Malice, I have two things here. I put this aside. I’m donating one of the auction baskets. (holds up a large beautiful basket filled with cozy swag: bingo boards, colored markers, mug, stickers, bookmarks, lapel pins, etc.) This is the auction basket.
Stephanie: Oooh!
Lori: Oooh!
Angela: Let me make an angle for this properly. So, we have a basket put together. So, if you’re going, we have that; the basket there with all the stickers and swag.
And then I have something else. I love how to keep losing stuff in front of me. (holds up swag bags) I put together little bags so that if you see me and say, “Hi,” I have a little gift for you for being a part of The Cozy Mystery Book Club, and because you’re awesome, and I just love you guys.
Lori & Stephanie: (smiling)
Angela: So, there’s little candies, there’s the tea. I have different gifts in here. So, we have an enamel pin, we have, I am obsessed with these pens. I almost didn’t want to give them away because I love that they have the diamond on top and they say Sleuther on them.
(holds up swag bag) So, the bags are all different but they all have the similarities of having something special inside; something, but they’re cute.
Stephanie: That’s awesome.
Angela: So, please say, “Hi” to me if you see me there. I’m really excited for the event. Jackie Layton in the comments, she’s going too, so shoutout to Jackie.
(reading comments) Oh, thank you. I’m glad you liked the basket. I worked really hard on it. Aww, thank you. Okay, so it’s called Malice Domestic. (looks down) Yes, Max. He went on the floor but I think he wants back up on the lap. So, I believe it’s going to be in Bethesda, Maryland. I think it’s also the 22nd to the 25th, if I’m remembering correctly, off the top of my head. (Max barks) Yes, where’d your treat go? Okay, I have to throw it, I think. I’m talking to my dog and he’s answering me.
Lori: (moves camera angle to show her beautiful dog resting its paw on her) Say, “Hi.”
Angela: (big smile) Oh! So cute.
Stephanie: (big smile) I love the paw.
Angela: That is adorable! You have such a cute little fur-baby; he’s so beautiful.
Stephanie: Adorable.
Angela: Can I hug him virtually, somehow?
Lori: Yes!
Angela: I did also want to mention, (displays beautiful chart: The Cozy Mystery Book Club TBR January (checked) February (checked) March (checked) April TBR) so we have next month is On Borrowed Crime and I’m very, I love these graphics. I spend way too much time doing them but I am so happy with how they came out.
And we officially have our entire 2022 TBR (displays beautiful chart: The Cozy Mystery Book Club In 2022 January – December Cozies designated for each month) and I feel as if that’s a mic drop. I am so proud of us. I am so happy with the response on Twitter. I think we broke a hundred votes for pretty much all of them, except for like maybe one or two; and my mind was just blown by that fact. The participation, the people chatting about them, it has just been amazing, and I’m so appreciative of that. So, I have the list for you guys that is now the pinned tweet, and there’s a lot of coziness here to enjoy. So, please add these, please add them to future book hauls, library visits; there’s a lot going on.
Stephanie: Yeah, I love that you have the whole rest of the year planned; that makes it so easy.
Angela: I think it’s been a very interesting progression. So, it went from having sort of, what is it, two weeks? So, then, as soon as the livestream happened, then that was when the voting ended, and then you had a week to get the book. And then that was the system for a while. And I liked the quarterly system; that was working out very well, but I think that this whole doing it a whole year and letting each poll be live for a week at a time, (Max barks) he wants me to throw his toy. I think that this is going to work out well, and I’m happy about that. (Angela leaves her chair to take care of Max) I love you. He’s running away. He doesn’t even want me to throw it. He just wants me to know that he has the toy. He’s so cute. Apparently, I’m not allowed to talk to you. (Angela returns to her chair) He’s very possessive.
Lori: You’re done.
Angela: Yes, he’s in charge. (holds up chew toy) Okay, can we also appreciate the fact that this toy is pretty much his size. (tosses the toy) Okay, now he’s going to run and, hopefully, that will keep him busy for a minute. I was like, “Go enjoy yourself.”
Stephanie: It’s like having a toddler.
Angela: Yes, but he does not grow out of the toddler phase. He’s a happy toddler and he’s eight years old.
Stephanie: A forever toddler; that’s a good way to put it.
Angela: We’ve got to do that as a new cozy mystery theme, “Cozy Companion: The Terrible Twos.”
Lori: (laughs)
Stephanie: Oh, my goodness.
Angela: (displays a large beautiful chart titled #SHERLOCKHAMSTERS with ten Jenn McKinlay books for The Cozy Mystery Book Club Buddy Read #SLEUTHINGTUESDAYS) So, we also have, I know some people are still doing it, but we do have #SleuthingTuesdays with your #SherlockHamsters. I am, again, very proud of this graphic so I’m almost shouting out the graphics; but yes, I did want to just mention that as well. So, if you’re a Jenn McKinlay person, I’ve got you covered with that one too.
So, I think those are the new graphics that I added for the most part. Although we do have a giveaway tonight, which I am super pumped about. (displays a large beautiful image of seven Bree Baker books provided by Poisoned Pen Press)
You guys are awesome with the comments. I love your comments, and I get to go through them all and randomly choose a winner for the entire Seaside Café Mystery series, seven paperback books. I think that is an incredible giveaway and Poisoned Pen Press, I want to bow down to you and thank you and give you all the shoutouts and love, because that is so generous and kind; and whoever wins this, I don’t even have all the books in the series. I’m jealous, so whoever wins this, I hope you’re happy.
Stephanie: It’s such a good series too.
Angela: (big smile, pointing next to Lori)
Lori: (holding & hugging Pleading the Fish by Bree Baker) I just finished this series last night. (sad face)
Stephanie: Did you cry?
Lori: I cried! But whoever wins, this has been one of my favorites. I love this series.
Angela: I’ve read your caption and, again, this is why I’m going to put you up on there. (displays Lori’s Twitter & Instagram bios) She had a post and I thought it was absolutely adorable the way you said, “All of the things must come to an end.” I’m going, “Oh, my goodness, that’s a perfect way of saying that.”
I’m just going to put up Stephanie’s as well. (displays Stephanie’s Twitter & Instagram bio) So, Stephanie’s is up.
Lori: Well, like you, my introduction to cozy mysteries was Hannah Swenson. I started with my grandma and she’s like, “Oh, you need to read this book,” and I’ve read every single book
Angela: (holds up Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder by Joanne Fluke)
Lori: and I love it to death, but there are some series I think need to wrap up. So, I was very glad to see this one wrap up, but I love, it was a perfect ending.
Stephanie: (nodding) Yeah.
Angela: I actually have three of them over there. I only have three. I have the first three as paperbacks, but the rest are eBooks. I think you just hit the nail on the head with that one. So, there’s something about International television channels, and International authors when they just, I know Bree Baker aka Julie Anne Lindsey is local, but I always get the biggest kick out of how they know like, “Oh, we’re just going to do a season here. We’re going to do a mini-series,” and Americans are going, “We’re going to have Grey’s Anatomy on forever. We’re never ending this TV show.”
Lori & Stephanie: (laugh) Yeah. Yep.
Angela: I’m getting Julie Anne Lindsey aka Bree Baker aka Jacqueline Frost aka whatever other name there is because I know I’m forgetting one (Julie Chase), give credit for knowing it’s time to, “We’re going to tie a pretty bow on this,” because sometimes you’re going, “Okay, now they’re together, they broke up, now we have this random character who was introduced, now they’re gone.” So, the way you said it was perfect. Giving her the shoutout.
Lori: Yeah.
Stephanie: And I watched an interview with her and she said that she actually got lucky and knew that would be the last book. So, she got to, she knew it was going to end whereas some authors they don’t really know; so, she was able to make it special.
Angela: That is the worst when authors don’t know that a series is ending and they leave cliffhangers; that drives me nuts as a reader.
Lori: Yup.
Stephanie: (nodding) Yeah.
Angela: (smiling, displays comment by Little Bitty Delights “Love this series!!!!”)
Lori: Whoever wins, you are very lucky, and you better let me know what you think.
Stephanie: Right, keep us posted.
Angela: (displays and responds to comment by Cooking With My Cozies “I was crying at the beginning!”) Yeah, I think it’s one of those, so I haven’t read the last one in the series yet, but again, it’s one of those, you want to be able to savor it because you’re not going to be able to read it for the first time again.
You want them, you want it to sort of, you just got to be in the mental-health space for “this series is coming to a close” so, it’s like losing a family member or friend or something, but at least you can always go back and reread.
Stephanie: (smiling) Yeah.
Angela: (displays comment by Sleepninja “And then there’s authors like Janet Evanovich that never end their series”)
Stephanie: Sleepninja, yes. I absolutely love that series, but it needs to end. I’m sorry.
Angela: (displays and responds to comment by Jeja admirerofwordsandcoffee “Whoever wins purchase tissues”) Oh, yeah, whoever wins, it should come with a little kit of chocolate and maybe other things to brighten your day once you hit close on that book.
Stephanie: Right.
Angela: Oh, my goodness. I’m trying to think if there’s any other announcements, but if you guys have any questions, please comment with them now. I will just mention, I know one of the other comments was, “How to sign up for the Newsletter.” (Lori disappeared from the livestream) Where’d she go?
Stephanie: Uh-oh.
Angela: Where’d Lori go?
Stephanie: Maybe, her Internet dropped
Angela: Okay, I did not kick her out. I’m looking at a totally different screen; that was not my fault.
Stephanie: (laughing)
Angela: Just for the record that was not my fault. I have my iPad set up here and I’m looking at the images. I’m not taking the fall for that one. That is the Internet. So, hopefully, she’ll be able to come back and say goodbye before we wrap up. So, fingers crosses, she can rejoin.
But while we’re figuring that out on this side, I will just post (displays a beautiful image from thecozymysterybookclub.com website that shows the box located in the lower left-hand corner of the page BE SURE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR MONTHLY NEWSLETTER) that if you want to sign up for the Newsletter, there are quite a few different ways to do that. So, there is The Cozy Mystery Book Club website (thecozymysterybookclub.com) at the very bottom of the page, you can submit your email address and go that way.
I have it on my own personal website, right on the Home Page. (displays beautiful image of Home Page: amh @WRITERAHART with JOIN MY READING & WRITING FAMILY with an email address box to SIGN UP) That is the giant pink box there for you.
And then if you’re on Instagram, (displays a detailed image of The Cozy Mystery Book Club @CozyMysteryClub’s Link Tree) there’s the Link Tree. I love how it’s called the Link Tree link; that feels very repetitive. I don’t like saying that, but there is a Landing Page there to click on as well, because I do have some really cool things coming up in this Newsletter, and so excited to announce, I work on things behind the scenes and I wait until they’re all perfectly ready to go, and then I announce things and (Lori appears) she’s back!
Lori: My WiFi died so I’m on my phone, now.
Angela: I was looking at the screen and I’m going, “I did not touch anything.”
Stephanie: Everybody in the comments is like, “Oh, this is the next book. This is the next mystery. Where did Lori go?
Angela: Yeah, that would actually be a really good title, “What happened to Lori?” It sounds very cozy mystery-esque.
So, I know that was one of the questions that I wanted to answer because I get that in DMs (Direct Messages) sometimes, but there is a lot of exciting stuff coming up that I’ve been working on and I love how I’m just kind of excited to tell you guys when it finally happens.
So, there’s things that have been happening and I’m really excited to finally reveal them because one of the things has been on the back burner for going on over like two years. And it’s funny because I finally was talking, so Ben is involved in the first installment of this, @botanyandbooks, I love him. He’s adorable, shoutout. And, so, I pulled up the Fiverr Order for one of the things and it said August 2021, and I’m going, “That was when that went through,” so I can actually look back at the dates and see the progress that has been coming. So, I’m really excited to finally, you know, I try and do things to keep you happy and all cozy.
You just reminded me too. If you guys posted a photo of the book of the month, where is it? (reaches for a cozy) This is not the book of the month. (reaches for tonight’s cozy) There we go. (holds up The Cracked Spine by Paige Shelton) That was when Max was doing stuff.
So, if you posted a photo of The Cracked Spine, let me know, send me the link, whether it’s a DM (Direct Message) on Instagram, Twitter email, I will send you a bookmark as a ‘Thank You’ and I’ll include extra swag because that’s just what I do. Let me know, because you’re entitled to a hashtag #Sleuther bookmark and they’re somewhere on this table, at this point. I’ve lost track of them.
Did anyone have any other comments about the book or about the Book Club? If there’s something you guys are thinking about, you want to know more about it? If there’s something you guys want to mention when it comes to the book? I’m throwing it out to you.
Stephanie: Thanks for having us on; that was super fun to talk about. I’ve been looking forward to it.
Lori: Yes, I was so excited to finally be a part.
Angela: I’m really excited to get to chat with you guys. It was so funny too. So, I told my mom and she goes, “Oh, I actually went on the Instagram and I saw Lori.” She goes on every so often, she’s not a Follower, but she’ll click on the link. She goes, “Oh, was Lori the one who posted that photo?” and then I mentioned Stephanie and she goes, “Oh, she was really great, the last time you had her on.” So, even Mama Hart was excited you guys were joining.
Lori & Stephanie: (smiling & laughing)
Lori: Yay, thank you!
Angela: I was so happy when you said, “Yes,” because when I ask, I always get nervous. You can see the little hurted, you know, baby-eyes bunnies going, “Are you going to say yes?” I was really, really excited when I got your response. And I also plan on inviting you for future livestreams and this side project. I am going to be asking you to potentially do something.
Lori: Yes, I’m definitely in for all of it!
Stephanie: Yes, to all things cozy.
Angela: And I’m going to put you guys on again. (displays Stephanie’s Twitter & Instagram bios) So, if you guys are not already Following Stephanie, we got her Twitter, Instagram, and then again, I love my graphics for you guys (displays Lori’s Twitter & Instagram bios) because you guys are so great and you deserve all of the graphics! We have (Lori on Twitter) Reading With Mrs. Leaf (Lori on Instagram @readingwithmrsleaf). Apparently, Max wants to agree with that; he gave you a little growl. Apparently, Max is like, “Stamp of Approval.”
I’m so grateful and so appreciative that you took the time to join me and chat about this book, and I love how you guys, whenever I ask people to do the guest hosting, they’re then responsible for reading the book, so I appreciate you reading the book, thinking about it, trying to make notes of, “Oh, this is what I want to mention. Oh, this is the character.” So, I appreciate you putting in the little extra effort with that. So, shoutouts, gold stars for that one.
Oh, my goodness. And I just want to see if anyone has any other comments or questions. (reading comments) Oh, you guys are so sweet. So, if there’s any other questions, comments, please let me know.
What I am going to do is, this video is going to remain Public, and I’m also going to, I’ve been working on this as well, now, I’ve been trying to make sure that the episodes remain accessible because there was an incident this Summer where my YouTube Channel was down, but I got it back up, “Thank God.” That was really traumatizing, but I’ve been converting all of our livestreams into podcast episodes so that they’re in a different platform, different space, so that if anything ever happens to YouTube, we have a backup system.
And we’re also having all the livestreams transcribed (Max barks, looks down) “Yes,” starting for the 2021 livestreams. So, for 2021 and 2022 transcriptions. I’m going to keep you guys up-to-date, so if you ever need any information, it’s there. I got you covered. So, all the coziness!
So, just a shoutout, again. I’m going to post this, so please make sure you go check out Lori and Stephanie’s pages. (displays both Lori & Stephanie’s Twitter & Instagram bios again) They are awesome and so sweet. And when you read their comments, they’re so, you guys just have an authenticity that I appreciate so much, and you have the love of literature that speaks to my heart. So, again, shouting out thank you for joining me tonight and reading this book and you guys are welcome back anytime.
Stephanie: Thank you.
Lori: Thank you so much.
Angela: And, so, I just want to say, thank you guys for joining. It has been incredible to see the number of comments. I am so excited to go look for the entries for the giveaway and organize. I actually write them up by hand, so every single person’s name with the comments, I always write your names down, and I’m so excited to go read your comments because there’s been so much participation tonight, and I just want to say, “Thank you for that!” That makes me so happy, and it makes me feel as if you know, the time and energy I spend organizing things is so worth it! More than worth it.
You guys taking part in this, you guys commenting, so thank you for brightening my day. I appreciate it! So, I don’t know if the microphone picked up on that, but Max, he did a little kind of bark, so he agrees as well.
Unless there’s anything else you guys want to add, are we ready to say goodnight?
Lori: (big smile) Goodnight!
Stephanie: (big smile, waving) Bye!
Angela: Thank you, guys, for joining and happy reading, sleuthing, and stay safe and cozy. Have a nice night, guys. (big smile, waves)
