Reading Like a Writer Book Club

This month the Scoundrels will be discussing When Cicadas Cry by Caroline Cleveland. Henry has already done his homework! Hopefully you all have had a chance to read the book. Scroll down to the very end of this post to see who the killer is!

Elaine and Bev will lead the book discussion in which they’ll focus on the writing and craft issues

All writing consists of a series of choices. As we read Cicadas, we’ll examine Cleveland’s choices in structuring the story she wanted to tell.

Just to get you started, here are a few thoughts that occurred to us on a second read:

• Bev thought she’d identified the killer by around page 68. Wrong! The author led us right down the garden path.
• Cleveland starts the book with a first-person scene in the killer’s head and continues to work these in. Would the book work as well if she’d left these out?
• The crimes involve a present-day murder and a cold case murder. Different characters focus on separate investigations that are deftly woven together to reach a climax. How did this structure affect your reading experience?
• Set in the Deep South, the novel uses racial issues not just as background but to drive the plot and increase tension. How do you feel Cleveland handled these themes?
• Does the romantic subplot detract from or add to the tension?

Date: October 11, 2025

Time: 11:30 am EST

Location:  This meeting will be zoom only

Zoom Registration Link

The Killer is . . . . are you kidding? I’m not going to tell you who the real killer is. Read the book!