2022.10.24 Meeting Notes

Thanks to everyone who joined in this festive meeting, and special kudos to Nicole for not only bringing a delicious salad and decorations but also picking up the pizza on her way. Thanks, Nicole!
We had some creative, fun, and scary costumes – a classy cowgirl, nurse Joyce from The Thursday Murder Club, a clown, a serial killer, a friendly ghoul, a cool dude, an elegant flapper, a candy corn lady, an astronaut, and a devil. Cobweb shirts and leggings completed the look. Jeff took pictures and will post on the club wiki site.
The winner (by a vote of her peers) for best costume was Heather Blois (aka Joyce), followed very closely by Jose (aka “Cool Dude”). Congratulations!
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=== The 6:20 Man Discussion ===
Things We Liked About the Book:
* We liked that Baldacci explored the topic of international dark money. The issue was revealed but too massive to be resolved, which was both frustrating and realistic, Melissa and others noted.
* Julia and others enjoyed Baldacci’s writing and the fact that he deals with contemporary issues in his book research.
* Members like Susan and Cindy who’ve done train commutes in big cities could relate to the routine and glimpses from the train.
* The signal code using different color bathing suits was clever. Who was receiving the signal each day? 
* Jose and Marilyn thought the portrayal of the grueling hours, cutthroat atmosphere, and overall world of NYC finance hit home. Jay also could relate to this depiction from his Northeast memories. 
* Twists and turns kept the reader interested, and Kelly praised the book’s “stickiness” even after she had read it weeks ago.
* Everyone’s favorite character was the Russian tech guy. Hoping that he’s not really dead since no one saw the body!
* We liked how Baldacci pulled together all the loose ends. Sometimes we had to not be literal, follow the red herrings, and overlook some amazing coincidences.
* Very high body count, so much so that the dead seemed to outnumber the living!
Things We Didn’t Like So Much:
* Although we have some Baldacci fans in the group, many prefer his other books and protagonists. Amy described it as “middle of the road.” 
* Allie and Jeff questioned Travis’s poor decision-making skills, like visiting Sara’s parents, randomly sharing information with people, walking into confrontations, etc.
* Lisa thought there were too many storylines, as if the author had a lot of ideas to fit into one book. Others agreed, while some liked a lot going on at once.
* Sharon was impressed with Travis’s ability to fight the bad guys with his scrappy killing techniques (and Tom Cruise looks). We debated our mental images of Travis until Susan researched and clarified for everyone.
* Except for maybe the Russian computer whiz, Nicole had a hard time relating to any of the characters.
* Several people were surprised that Jill the roommate was the main culprit; some were happily surprised but others wished the dark money angle had caused the murders instead of the love triangle / square relationships.
* Tara and Allie said the audio version was tough to follow, with many characters and only a few voices. 
Scores!
For one meeting only, we allowed decimal points and half scores, gasp!
Our scores ranged from 5.45 to 9.0, with an average of 6.82.
Melissa had a great idea to call the average score 6:20 in honor of Travis’s favorite train.
We missed Kerry and our other new friends and regulars. Look forward to seeing you on Monday, Nov. 28 to discuss Nine Lives by Peter Swanson.
Cindy
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