Book Club “The Marigold Cottages Murder Collective”
For June, we chose a book we were sure would be a charming summer read and we did enjoy meeting all the eccentric residents of this neighborhood.
Book
The Marigold Cottages Murder Collective by Jo Nichols
Description:
Mrs. B, the landlady of The Marigold Cottages is a stubborn idealist who only rents to people she cares about: Sophie, an anxious young playwright with a dark past; Hamilton, an agoraphobe who likes to overshare; Ocean, a queer sculptor raising two kids alone; the perfectionist Lily-Ann; and Nicholas, a finance bro who’s hiding secrets.
The tenants live contentedly in their doll-house bungalows in Santa Barbara, just minutes from the beach, until their peace is shattered when Anthony, a quiet, hulking, but potentially violent ex-con moves in. Three weeks later, a dead body is discovered on the streets of the peaceful neighborhood. Anthony is arrested, and the tenants heave sighs of relief. Until Mrs. B, convinced that he's innocent, marches down to the police station and confesses to the crime herself. The tenants band together and form “The Marigold Cottages Murder Collective” to save their beloved landlady. As clues are unearthed and secrets are revealed, the community of misfits only grows more tight-knit...until a second body is found. Full of eccentricity, humor, community, The Marigold Cottages Murder Collective will keep you hooked until the last page.
Club
Snack suggestions:
The food found within the pages is as eclectic as the residents of the Marigold Cottages! If you’d like to include some treats from the book, consider:
oranges
spanakopita
chicken skewers
salad
shortbread cookies (bonus points for Sophie’s chai flavored ones!)
However, since this book is about different personalities coming together, this is also a prime evening to have a potluck, where every book club member brings a dish.
Don’t worry! If you feel uneasy about what to bring, have faith that you’ll have better snacks than Hamilton’s spoons of peanut butter.
Check out Cozy Crimes’ book club questions that can be used for any mystery.
Here are our questions targeted to The Marigold Cottages Murder Collective:
1. Who was your favorite resident of the Marigold Cottages? Did you suspect any of them of being the killer?
2. How did everyone’s secrets come into play within the book?
3. How would you describe everyone’s sleuthing style? What was everyone’s motives for investigating?
4. How did the setting come into play? Why are the Marigold Cottages home to each of the characters?
5. What did you think of Sophie’s play – both as it relates to her story and as a literary device in the book?
6. How did the switching of points of view play into how you gathered clues throughout the book? Did any character’s impression change what you originally thought of someone?
7. What tropes remind you of classic mysteries? What was unique to this story?
8. Why did all the characters agree to help her prove Anthony’s innocence? How did this play out in the plot?
9. What did you think of Detective Enible’s crime-solving philosophy?
10. Would you read more in the series? What do you think happens to all the characters after this book ends?
