In the humorous
Accidental
Detective series by Kris Bock, a witty journalist solves mysteries in Arizona
and tackles the challenges of turning fifty. Book 1: Something
Shady at Sunshine Haven:
When patients are dying at an Alzheimer's unit, a former war correspondent must
use her journalism skills to uncover the killer and save her mother.
Kate has followed the most dangerous news stories around the world, but can she
survive going home?
Discussion Questions
Kate
1.
The book opens with Kate recovering from a serious injury. How did
you feel about her early thoughts and behavior? Could you sympathize with her
moodiness or did you wish she’d get her act together sooner? Have you had a
serious injury or illness where recovery took a long time? If so, did that make
it easier to sympathize with Kate or harder to read about her struggles?
2.
What did you think about Kate’s mental and emotional journey
throughout the book? Did she end in a different place from where she started?
Did you feel satisfied with how her attitude and plans changed? Why or why not?
What do you think she might do in the future?
3.
In many amateur detective books, the main characters seem to
stumble upon a lot of dead bodies purely by accident. How does Kate’s past as a
journalist set her up for getting involved with more mysteries? Does this give
the series a more realistic feel? Does it matter?
4. Kate doesn’t have a lot of belongings, but she carries small treasures from her travels. What does this say about her?
Generations
5.
Kate and her sister Jen are in midlife. Some characters are in
their teens and twenties. Others are in their seventies and eighties. What do
the generations add to the book? Did you prefer one generation over the other?
If so, why?
6.
Kate and her father both want to protect each other. Can you
relate to wanting to protect a parent or child? When is protection warranted?
When is it tempting but probably a bad idea?
7.
Kate and her father have to adjust to living with each other
again. Do parents and children tend to retreat back into earlier roles and
behaviors when together? How does this affect their relationship as adults? How
would you feel if you had to live with a family member once again after living
separately for years? How is living with a parent or adult child different from
living with a roommate or spouse?
Voice
8.
Kate narrated this book in the first person, speaking to the
reader. How did you feel about that? Did her mental observations add to the
story? Do you think you would have liked it more or less if it had been written
from an outside perspective?
9. There are many types of humor, several of which can be found in this book.
Observational: Kate makes wry observations about her life.
Wordplay: when Kate and her father joke about the Coffee Shop Irregulars in chapter 7, they use some wordplay. When her dad says, “We could call ourselves the Coffee Shop Irregulars. Although at our age, we spend a lot of time trying to be ‘regular’!” that’s a pun or ‘Dad joke.’
Physical humor: When she trips and gooses a man with her cane in chapter
15, that adds a bit of slapstick.
Did
you find parts of the book funny? Which parts? Which kinds of humor work best
for you? Do some types of humor work better than others in books? What
challenges do books have when it comes to humor compared to visual media such
as movies?
10. What impression did the title and cover give you before you started reading? Was that impression accurate? Do you think a different title or cover would work better?
Your Response
11.
What
did you think about Kate and her family and friends? Were they believable? Did
any of them remind you of people you know? Did you like them? Did you approve
of their behavior?
12.
Who
did you relate to the most? Who did you relate to the least? Who would you most
like to meet?
13.
Which
parts of the book stood out to you? Are there any parts you found particularly
interesting or enjoyable? Did any parts of the book make you uncomfortable? If
so, which ones and why?
14. Is
this book different from the books you usually read? If so, how?
15. Did
you want to keep reading the book or was it easy to put down? Why?
16. Did
the book affect your mood? If so, how?
17. Would
you consider rereading this book? Why or why not?
18. Of the people you know, who would most enjoy this book? Who would hate it?
Just for Fun
19. If
you had to carry all your belongings in a duffel bag, what would you be sure to
keep?
20. Imagine
this book turned into a movie or TV series. Who would you cast to play the main
characters?
21. Create
a playlist or soundtrack for the book. Which songs would you include?
22. This author also writes romance, romantic suspense, and books for children, including historical fiction and fantasy. When you have a favorite author, will you read everything they write or do you only read in certain genres or certain series? Why?
To learn more about the author, visit her Website. Get a free Accidental Detective short story and bonus material when you sign
up for her newsletter. You’ll
also get a free 30-page sweet romance set in the world of the Furrever Friends
cat café.
Kris Bock writes for children ages 9-14 as Chris Eboch. Learn more on her website. Kris also writes with her brother, Douglas J Eboch, who wrote the original screenplay for the movie Sweet Home Alabama. The “Felony Melanie” series follows the crazy antics of Melanie, Jake, and their friends a decade before the events of the movie. Sign up for their rom-com newsletter and get Felony Melanie Destroys the Moonshiner’s Cabin. Or find the books on Amazon US or All E-book retailers.
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