Murder by Cheesecake

Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

1. If you are familiar with the Golden Girls television show, did the novel feel faithful to the original text’s themes and humor?

2. Which of the four Golden Girls do you most identify with?

3. How does this book compare to other novels featuring older characters solving crimes, such as Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers or The Marlow Murder Club?

Encourage readers to connect the book’s themes and characters with their personal experiences.

1. Have you ever been involved in a family wedding or other event that involved navigating generational and cultural differences? Do you think Rose’s and Nettie’s differing approaches are understandable?

2. Have you navigated stereotypes and assumptions based on your age, as Dorothy and her friends do?

3. Rose struggles to balance her love for St. Olaf’s traditions with her life in Miami. Have you ever had to reconcile traditions from your family or culture with the realities of a new environment or stage of life? How did you navigate that tension?

4. The novel blends humor and heartfelt emotion as the four women confront crime, family conflict, and questions of belonging. Which parts of the story reminded you of moments when friendship or family helped you through a challenge, whether with laughter, love, or both?

Examine the book’s relevance to societal issues, historical events, or cultural themes.

1. How does Ekstrom Courage use technology and inventions to demonstrate how much the world has changed since the 1980s?

2. How do cultural stereotypes about the Midwest and its people add humor and tension to the story?

3. What is the overall effect of frequent references to 1980s pop culture, such as the police procedural Miami Vice?

Dive into the book’s structure, characters, themes, and symbolism.

1. What is the effect of having Rose and Dorothy be the main point of view characters?

2. Do Rose and Dorothy change significantly in this novel? How does the wedding and murder investigation force them to think about their values and goals?

3. How does Dorothy’s search for romantic love impact her friendships, or build on the novel’s theme that friendship is essential to personal fulfillment?

4. How does frequent attention to clothing and food build on the book’s themes and also reveal key aspects of the characters and their personalities?

Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.

1. Create a playlist of 1980s songs that capture the mood and settings of the book.

2. Imagine a future installment in the series where the characters solve a mystery. Does another character take the lead role, or does Dorothy continue to operate as a kind of lead detective?