For those of you that haven't or couldn't attend book club lately, we're publishing this months' discussion questions here. All previous book club selections have been posted, complete with summary, discussion questions and, when necessary or appropriate, additional resources to better understand the topic or context. Here are the questions from our current title, Agatha Raisin and the Quiche of Death. We hope these questions spark discussions of your own.
Agatha Raisin and the Quiche of Death
by MC Beaton
Summary:
Revenge is a dish best served warm...
High-flying public relations supremo Agatha Raisin has decided to take early retirement. She's off to make a new life in a picture-perfect Cotswold village. To make friends, she enters the local quiche-making competition - and to make quite sure of first prize she secretly pays a visit to a London deli.
Alas, the competition judge succumbs after tasting her perfect quiche, and Agatha is revealed as a cheat and potential poisoner. Definitely not the best start. So Agatha must turn amateur sleuth - she's absolutely got to track down the real killer and clear her name! -- Publisher Description
Discussion Questions
Were you able to connect with the main character? Why or why not?
What are some of the best (or worst) characterizations the author uses in creating and illustrating the characters in this book? Did you have a favorite character? Who and why?
Do you think the characters are fully realized or flat? What about their personalities and motivations?
Unlike many cozy mysteries, Agatha Raisin doesn't start by trying to butt into the investigation. She has to be found a cheat, accused of murder, and then convinced to investigate by different people before she begins her investigation, piling on the motivation rather than having the traditional nosy do-gooder. She might not even be all that good. Did this work for or against her in your view? Did you like this approach? Why do you think Beaton chose to write Agatha this way?
Would you ever go about "making friends" the way Beaton has Agatha?
Cheating in a village bakeoff: For or against? Same goes for stealing neighbors' cleaning personnel.
What is your first impression of the cops in the Cotswolds? Does your opinion improve or degrade over time? Any standouts one way or the other?
When did you figure out who killed Andy? Do you think Beaton had the right character for the job or would you have liked to see someone else as the villain?
The concept of fidelity _______________
Did you feel for the victim? For the killer?
This was a book that was voted on. What made you want to read it? Did it live up to your expectations? Why/not?
How important is the setting to the story? Was it believable?
An often quoted fact is that Agatha Christie wrote in her autobiography about her dislike of mysteries having a romantic subplot. Do you agree or disagree with her views? Did this book have an element of romance? If so, do you feel the love aspect enhanced or detracted from the story?
Good crime writers embed hidden clues, slipping them in casually, almost in passing. Did you pick them out, or were you...clueless? Once you've finished the book, go back to locate the clues hidden in plain sight. How skillful was the author in burying them?
Talk about the twists & turns—those surprising plot developments that throw everything you think you've figured out into disarray.
Do they enhance the story, add complexity, and build suspense?
Are they plausible or implausible?
Do they feel forced and gratuitous—inserted merely to extend the story?
Would you recommend this work to a non mystery/thriller fan simply on the basis of its literary merit? Would you endorse it purely because of the skillful writing and the well-developed characters? Or do you think the work would strictly appeal to fans of the mystery/thriller genre.
What did you like or dislike about the book that hasn't been discussed already? Were you glad you read this book? Would you recommend it to a friend? Do you want to read more work by this author?
Discuss the mystery aspect of the plotline. How effective is the author's use of plot twists and red herrings? Were you able to predict certain things before they happened, or did the author keep you guessing until the end of the story? Did you find that the novel held everyone's interest throughout the story, or were there times when it failed to totally engross members of the group?