Erin's pick: "The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio"

Married to a man with violent tendencies and a severe drinking problem, Evelyn Ryan managed to keep her 10 children fed and housed during the 1950s and '60s by entering — and winning — contests for rhymed jingles and advertising slogans of 25 words or less. This engaging and quick-witted biography written by daughter Terry relates how Evelyn submitted multiple entries, under various names, for contests sponsored by Dial soap, Lipton soup, Paper Mate pens, Kleenex Tissues and any number of other manufacturers, and won a wild assortment of prizes, including toasters, bikes, basketballs, and all-you-can-grab supermarket shopping sprees. Between contests, Ryan provides dry-eyed glimpses of her father's violence, family medical emergencies and the crushing poverty of everyday life, showcasing the resilience of a mother who, despite her own problems, spurned television's Queen for a Day for making victims of its contestants. The result is a quirky, heartwarming celebration of one woman's resourcefulness, and of the wacky enticements of 1950s consumer culture.

Gordon -- hero material?

If the Kingship clan had their flaws and endearing qualities, the author still chose to bring in an outsider to solve the mystery for them (instead of, say, Leo investigating on behalf of his daughters, or Marion growing suspicious of Bud on her own). Any thoughts on what Gordon brought to the story?

A FEMINIST?

Do you think Levin is sympathetic to women, as evidenced by his treatment of female characters? Or do you think he's just the opposite, or somewhere in between?

the parents

Were Mrs. Corliss or Leo Kingship culpable for the actions or fates of their children?

(I originally only focused on Leo Kingship, but I was struck by the author's decision to return to Mrs. Corliss in the end.)

the sistas

Staying on the sisters theme, did you favor or relate to any of the siblings best? Despite their differences, I thought all of them engaged in some foolhardy behavior based on their character ... Dorothy trusting Bud for love; Ellen investigating and showing off her pluckiness; Marion trusting Bud because she's lonely.

Oh, Dorrie

I had trouble liking Dorrie. She seemed clingy and a little dim to me ... a nice girl, but weak. Maybe I'm the only one to perceive her that way, but ...

Do you think her behavior was setting-appropriate (knocked up in '50s America), or did the author try to build favor for Bud because he had to be the protagonist for the first third of the book? (Dorrie's death wasn't nice at all, but I think it would have been harder to read a 65-page plot to knock off the spirited Ellen.)

Plot, suspense and "A Kiss Before Dying"

"A Kiss Before Dying" is probably the best thriller I've ever read. (And if you haven't read it but still plan to, don't read on ... it's too hard to talk about this book without spoilers.)

After sweating through the first 65 pages, knowing what would happen to Dorrie, I felt like I'd already read a complete novel. Then nothing else in the book happened the way I expected (more on that, though in a comment I'll post). For one thing, I think a traditional storyteller would reverse Ellen and Marion's fates.

How did the handling of the plot or characters defy your expectations of the book?