I had the good fortune to cross paths with a brilliant book group who read an early manuscript of Murder on Maternity in the spring. They even let me sit in on their (zoom) discussion group and it was so inspiring hearing their conversation and gathering their feedback.

So I thought… what could I do to help more book groups read Murder on Maternity together?

The below prompts may help you to have conversations about the book and I’d love to see photos or hear your feedback!

And I’m always happy where I can to join a discussion to answer questions or share more information about the book and how I wrote it, drop me a line.

Is Murder on Maternity right for your book group?

Not all book groups are alike, I get it. Based on feedback, it sounds like Murder on Maternity is suited to those who enjoy commercial fiction, women’s fiction, crime and thrillers or have an interest in mental wellbeing. It is most suitable for mixed-gender groups, women-only groups and particularly mums (it’s worth making clear there is no child jeopardy or endangerment in the book!)

The main themes

New motherhood
Female friendship
Dealing positively with depression
Classic whodunit plots
Male and female roles in the workplace/at home
Trigger warnings: murder, post-natal depression.

Set the scene:

You may want to pick up (or prepare at your own houses if on zoom!) some of the drinks and snacks from the book:

Rose Zinfandel
Pinot Grigio
Black coffee
Cupcakes
Grab bags of Doritos

Suggested Book Club Discussion Questions

NOTE: There are no spoilers below!

Cover of the novel Murder on Maternity by Holly Greenland

What did you think of the title and cover before you even opened the book – what did you expect from the story?

The story has been described as belonging to the ‘cozy mystery’ genre – does that fit to you? How does that sit with the mental health issues raised in the book?

(A good description of what a cozy mystery is can be found here: www.ingramspark.com/blog/what-is-a-cozy-mystery)

The writer was influenced by the murder mysteries of Agatha Christie – can you see any similarities? And what are the differences?

The book starts with Emily becoming a mum – what did you think about this backdrop for the mystery? How did it help or hinder the detective characters?

Emily finds the mystery, and her friendship with Tabetha, a distraction from her struggles with motherhood – how did that make you feel about her character?

Emily’s husband, Dan, takes a back seat for much of the story – how did this make you feel about his character? Did you like him? Did you suspect him?

Mothers and fathers of different types, approaches and backgrounds appear throughout the book, did you recognise yourself or people you know in there? Were there any missing for you?

Time to talk about the ending. Did it come as a surprise? What do you think the final solution says about men and women and their relationships?

What do you think might happen for Emily and Tabetha next? What would you hope for in book two (and would you read it?)

Further discussion: If you enjoy detective fiction, you may also be interested in the ’Ten Commandments for Detection Fiction’, created by Ronald Knox in the early 20th Century and an inspiration to detective fiction writers ever since.

Be warned though – once you know them, you spot them used (and more often now, broken) everywhere! My favourite is - “Twin brothers, and doubles generally, must not appear unless we have been duly prepared for them”.

What to read next?

Front cover of Mysterious Affair At Styles

If your book group is looking for more fiction to enjoy, here are a few that are complementary to The Maternity Murders as recommendations:

If you haven’t read Christie before, you can’t go wrong with her own first novel, where you also get to meet Poirot for the first time - A Mysterious Affair at Styles.

Sophie Hannah is a bestselling author who was also influenced by Agatha Christie. So much so, that she has worked with the Christie estate to produce some new Poirot Mysteries! The first has great twists and turns - The Monogram Murders.

If you are looking for the opposite of the cozy mystery, you could go for a classic hard-boiled thriller, which focuses on a grittier, harder (and perhaps more traditionally masculine?) approach. Dashiell Hammett’s Red Harvest or The Maltese Falcon, with private detective Sam Spade, are both classics of the genre.

Hello Book Groups!