For October, we chose a book that we thought for be appropriate for spooky season. We were intrigued by the premise for this book, which offers a supernatural explanation for why so many murders need an amateur sleuth solve them in a small town.
Book
The Village Library Demon-Hunting Society by C. M. Waggoner
Description:
A librarian with a knack for solving murders realizes there is something decidedly supernatural afoot in her little town in this cozy fantasy mystery.
Librarian Sherry Pinkwhistle keeps finding bodies—and solving murders. But she's concerned by just how many killers she's had to track down in her quaint village. None of her neighbors seem surprised by the rising body count...but Sherry is becoming convinced that whatever has been causing these deaths is unnatural.
When someone close to Sherry ends up dead, and her cat, Lord Thomas Crowell, becomes possessed by what seems to be an ancient demon, Sherry begins to think she’s going to need to become an exorcist as well as an amateur sleuth. With the help of her town's new priest, and an assortment of friends who dub themselves the "Demon-Hunting Society," Sherry will have to solve the murder and get rid of a demon.
This riotous mix of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Murder, She Wrote is a lesson for demons and murderers alike: Never mess with a librarian.
Club
Snack suggestions:
While you could serve diner fair like would be found in Winesap, this is a prime time to serve spooky snacks.
We made stuffed peppers that we carved to look like jack-o’-lanterns.
We also recommend serving some autumnal tea.
For dessert?
Why, of course, we had DEVIL’s food cupcakes!
Check out Cozy Crimes’ book club questions that can be used for any mystery.
Here are our questions targeted to The Village Library Demon-Hunting Society:
1. How did this story play into tropes found in other mystery books and shows?
2. When did you begin to realize something was wrong in Winesap? Which details did you pick up on immediately, and which needed time for you to realize their significance? What did you suspect the unused room in the library was for?
3. How much did you know about Lord Thomas Cromwell as a historical figure? How did this affect your reading of the scenes with Lord Thomas as a cat?
4. How did Sherry’s backstory influence her decisions throughout the book? Do you agree with the choices she made in her past and during the story, both in regards to investigating and with Caroline?
5. How did Sherry fit the archetype of a cozy-mystery-librarian-investigator? How did she differ?
6. There were many mysteries to solve within this book. Which was your favorite?
7. What did you think about Alan throughout the story?
8. Did you trust any of Sherry’s new friends as they formed the Village Library Demon-Hunting Society? Who was your favorite character?
9. Who was most helpful to Sherry during her investigations? Was it Father Barry, Charlotte, Sheriff Brown, Lord Thomas Cromwell, or someone else?
10. What do you think of the demon’s motive for creating this scenario? Do you believe the killers were fully responsible for their actions?
