A statue of a man in a robe stands on the steps.

For Book Clubs

  1. Are you on Team Elliott or Team Graham?
  2. If you drew a graph of how much you liked Emma, what would the shape be?
  3. When was she most likeable to you?
  4. Will finding the Raphael heal her?
  1. Lady Anthea is back in Lewes, Delaware. As she is forced out of her comfort zone, we’re seeing her character evolve. The waterbed scene was probably just as difficult for her as the Jet Ski scene. Is Sue changing too?
  2. Rick Ziegler’s father, Martin, was such a fun character to write but would probably drive you up the wall in real life. Did your opinion of him change by the end of the book?
  3. Will Julie Berger and David Fourie’s relationship last?
  4. I’m on the board of the Delaware River and Bay Lighthouse Foundation, and we support the Harbor of Refuge Lighthouse. Never underestimate the ability of a lighthouse to charm, but they’re also strong and majestic. Some point the way to a safe place, while others direct you away from danger. Manuscripts are turned in far ahead of pub dates because so much else has to happen to make the work a book. Restoration was recently done on the Harbor of Refuge Lighthouse, and I have a detail about the light wrong. Have you been to HOR? Do you know what the error is?
  5. Support Your Local Pug launched in August 2018. How was your summer? Did you visit any beach towns?
  1. Sue and Lady Anthea’s have very different backgrounds. What did you think of that relationship? Did their differences help or hinder their investigation into the murder?
  2. I spend most weekends in Lewes, Delaware. We’re in what’s known as LSD, lower, slower Delaware. It’s a great setting for a cozy. Though Lewes is a small town, there is an influx of tourists during the summer. This is a detail I hope will prevent Cabot Cove syndrome. Do you have a favorite beach town? Is it like Lewes?
  3. Do Lady Anthea and Chief Turner see Lewes and its residents differently from Sue, Rick, and Dayle?
  4. Summer has its own routine, food, and clothes, so why not read a different type of book when the temps rise? Do you think the term beach read is dismissive? I don’t.
  5. What do you think of Sue’s taste in literature? This will be a running gag for the series.
  6. The dogs will be recurring characters. Okay, this one isn’t a question. It’s just a heads-up to look out for Abby, So-Long, So-Lo, Robber, and others. I hope you’ll enjoy keeping up with them.
  1. Leigh: A central theme of the book is midlife reinvention. For Leigh, was it reinvention, or actually a midlife return to her “real” self? To quote from Women Who Run with the Wolves by Clarissa Pinkola Estés, “What I needed was to gather myself, to pull the bones together, to find the lost ones, and to sort them and sing over them.” What aspects of her new life have brought her happiness?
  2. Victoria: All three detectives have a character arc during the series. What is Victoria’s?
  3. Tara: IMHO, each protagonist has a lot to recommend her, but everyone seems drawn to Tara. What gives her this much charisma?
  4. Here’s a bonus question: What is Leigh’s husband’s name?
  1. You learned the name of Leigh’s husband in this book. It’s Jack. What adjectives describe him?
  2. Will Leigh and Jack be happy once he retires?
  3. Do you think Tara will be happy married?
  4. The book ends with Leigh’s husband’s asking her to run away with him. Will she go with him? Where should they go?
  5. Most of us have had a friend who is married to someone we don’t like. Which husband is your favorite? Jack? Shorty? Paul?