Beneath the Stones is marketed as cozy mystery/Southern Gothic. A Cozy mystery is defined as a mystery set in a small, picturesque town or rural village inhabited by characters can see as their own neighbors and friends. Southern Gothics have a setting in the American South and usually involve an old house, ghosts and “grotesques,” characters who exhibit some sort of physical or mental quirk.
How does Beneath the Stones fit this cross-genre?
Family heritage and connections:
How do close and extended family connections figure in Ashby’s motivation and actions when the financial crisis at Overhome occurs? What other family connections lend strength to this theme? How important is family legacy to Ashby? To other characters? Does the novel say anything to support extending family to those not related by blood?
Civil War strife:
Though long over, The Civil War struggle in the South continues in many forms. How do these feelings affect theme in BTS? Consider both the normal and paranormal lives involved.
Layers of History:
This term is used frequently in the latter part of the novel. What does it mean and how important is the concept to theme? Which characters are most connected to this theme?
Nature:
At one point in the novel, Ashby and Luke both feel the need to “get back to nature,” in order to relieve their anxiety about a paranormal encounter. How else is nature essential to theme?
Other themes:
Consider immigrant cultures, education, bullying, and spirit agitation, literary figures and works.
The sequel:
BTS is a stand-alone sequel to A Red, Red Rose, which takes place 5 years earlier and highlights Ashby’s search for family roots her first summer at Overhome. Did you find BTS understandable without having read the first novel? Does it stand-alone satisfactorily? If you read A Red, Red Rose, does the sequel satisfy? Explain.
Symbolism:
The author uses recurring symbols to enrich the theme and move plot. What are some of these symbols and how effectively are they used? Consider stones, foul odors, the gazebo, antiquity. The author uses diaries and letters to tie the past to the present. Is this a good way to make such a connection?
The paranormal:
Ashby feels she has developed a “sixth sense” that enables her to understand the paranormal activity and resistance she encounters. Still, a medium is hired to clarify things. How do you feel about such out-of-the-ordinary happenings? Does the author make the unbelievable seem possible? If so, how?
Romance:
Sex and violence are generally off-stage in cozy mysteries. How does the author weave in the romance between Ashby and Luke? Is the violence too tame? Too graphic? Discuss with examples.
The conclusion:
Susan Coryell ties up most of the plot ends; however, there are some possibilities left for a third novel. Explain. Would you be interested in reading more, or is BTS a good place to end the story?