On Season 2 Episode 25, we celebrated Friday the 13th, or perhaps in these times of Covid-19, we should say Beware the Ides of March. Whatever it is, we had fun discussing Catriona McPherson’s newest novel, Strangers at the Gate.
This haunting book set in Scotland is a Mary Higgins Clark award finalist. We paired it with the yummy 3 Girls Cabernet. This wine also played a part in the food recipe, Host the Toast’s Balsamic-Red Wine Roasted Chicken Thighs. This made a warm and cozy book club in contrast with the dark and dreary setting that Catriona described so beautifully.
Catriona McPherson is also the Guest of Honor at the upcoming writing conference, Sleuthfest. We love this conference for both craft and fun. So far, it is a small enough conference that it isn’t cancelled (they are following CDC guidelines). If you haven’t yet, you can still register online during the next few days. Hope to see you there!
For the Writer’s Perspective, we delved into writing settings that draw the reader in. Here’s an example we loved from Strangers at the Gate when the protagonist is describing the trees around her new house:
“If only they looked a bit less like a silent army of strangers standing dead still and watching me … if only there weren’t faces etched into the swirl of the bark, knot-hole mouths wide open and black eyes weeping resin tears.”
Cheers and stay healthy!
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