Wine, cheese and Kristen Loesch's Mystery Thriller "The Hong Kong Widow"
Details
We invite you to an engaging evening of wine, cheese and lively conversation around the Edgar nominated author of The Last Russian Doll, Kristin Loesch's The Hong Kong Widow. This tale is a gripping mystery thriller of love, betrayal, and the quest for identity in the vibrant backdrop of Hong Kong's complex societal landscape during the 1950's. In a remote mansion, witnesses insist a massacre took place. The police see nothing but pristine rooms and declare it a collective hallucination. Until decades later, when one witness returns…
From Goodreads:
In 1950s Hong Kong, Mei is a young refugee of the Chinese Communist revolution struggling to put her past in Shanghai behind her. When she receives a shocking invitation—to take part in a competition pitting six spirit mediums against one another in a series of six séances over six nights, until a single winner emerges, in one of Hong Kong’s most notorious haunted houses—she has every reason to refuse.
Except that the hostess, a former Shanghainese silent film star, is none other than the wife of the man who once destroyed Mei’s entire life.
It is promised the winner will receive a fortune, but there is only one prize Mei wants: revenge.
Decades later, the final night of that competition has become an infamous urban legend: The police were called to the scene of a brutal massacre but found no evidence, dismissing it as a collective hallucination. Mei knows what she saw, but now someone else is convinced they know what she did. She must uncover the truth about that fateful night in the cursed house at last—even if the ghosts of her past are waiting for her there. . . .
As always, please feel free to join even if you have not finished the book - no stress :-)
All attendees are asked to please bring one of the following:
- A bottle of wine
- Cheese and Crackers
- An alternate beverage or nosh of your choice
Host will provide glasses, wine opener, plates & napkins.
To enhance the opportunity for great conversation, we would like to keep the group small. Please feel free to sign-up to meet us along with up to 2 friends.
📚 Exciting Updates for 2026 Book Club! 📚
Starting in January 2026, we’ll be implementing a new system for book recommendations that will make our reading selections even more collaborative and engaging!
Book Recommendations:
From January through October, members can submit book recommendations at each meeting, via email, text or Meetup DM.
All suggestions will be added to a shared Google Sheet, which will include links to Goodreads and other pertinent information for each book.
LINK to 2027 BOOK LIST
Voting for 2027 Reads:
Our voting for next year’s book selections will take place during the November 2026 meeting. Members in attendance will have the opportunity to cast 12 votes for their favorite picks. If you’re unable to attend the November meeting, you can still participate! Simply submit 6 votes via email, text, or DM through Meetup before the start of the November meeting.
Announcement of Selections:
The chosen books for 2027 will be revealed at the end of the November meeting.
We’re excited about this new process and can’t wait to see the amazing book recommendations you all have! 📖✨
PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU ARE COMMITTED TO ATTEND WHEN YOU RSVP FOR THIS EVENT. We ask that ALL folks honor their RSVP. If you are unable to attend after sending in a YES, please update your status so that others may join us. In the event you do not communicate and are a no-show, your ability to RSVP for future events will be restricted. Thank you in advance for your understanding.
If you are unable to join us in July, we hope you'll remain interested and join us for an evening in the future. Looking forward to wine & cheese with you soon - happy reading!