Where the Light Shines Through Reading Kit

Where the Light Shines Through

Where the Light Shines Through is the first book in the Olivia Penn Mysteries by Kathleen Bailey. The amateur sleuth is Olivia Penn, an advice columnist visiting her hometown of Apple Station, Virginia. When a body is discovered at an old manor, Olivia's visit quickly spirals into a high-stakes investigation. She begins unraveling clues and races against time to save a friend. Read more about Where the Light Shines Through.

Where the Light Shines Through Reader Questions

Use these questions for a book club discussion or a chat with a friend after doing a buddy read of Where the Light Shines Through. If you aren’t in a book club, you can still use these questions to reflect on the story and themes.

• What three words would you use to describe Where the Light Shines Through?

• What qualities make Olivia Penn a good sleuth?

• How did Olivia’s job as an advice columnist influence how she approached the mystery?

• Would you try to solve a mystery to help a childhood friend?

• Which supporting character did you find most memorable, and why?

• Who was your favorite character in Where the Light Shines Through?

• What did you think of Apple Station? Is it a place you’d like to visit?

• Have you ever visited Virginia? What did you think of it?

• In what ways did the springtime setting influence the mood and atmosphere of the story?

• How does the title Where the Light Shines Through connect to the central themes?

• Which scene in the book stood out to you the most, and why?

• Were you able to solve the murder mystery in Where the Light Shines Through?

• What did you think of the ending? Did you find it satisfying?

• Have you listened to the Where the Light Shines Through audiobook? Did you enjoy the narration?

• Do you have any predictions for future books in the Olivia Penn Mystery Series?

• Do you plan on reading Silence Says the Most, the next book in the series?

Fun Activities for a Where the Light Shines Through Book Club Meeting

• Get together for a book chat to discuss Where the Light Shines Through. Talk about your favorite characters, scenes, and mystery moments. Use the reader questions shown above to spark conversation.

• Use the author-created recipe for Mexican Wedding Cookies (shown below) to make snacks for your meeting.

• Imagine that Where the Light Shines Through is being adapted into a movie. Take turns saying who you would cast to play Olivia.

• Write up a few “Dear Ms. Penn” letters asking for advice and then take turns saying what your advice would be. Or ask everyone to anonymously write their advice on an index card and then read the index cards out loud.

• Pretend you are an advice columnist and answer the most asked question that famous advice columnist Ann Landers received: should toilet paper hang over or under?

• Print and distribute the activities created by author Kathleen Bailey (shown below).

Recipes Card From Kathleen Bailey

Kathleen Bailey, the author of Where the Light Shines Through, shared her recipe for Mexican Wedding Cookies with us. These cookies are delicious, easy to make, and make the perfect snack to munch on while you read your next cozy mystery. Click on the Mexican Wedding Cookies image below to get a recipe card that you can print or save to your computer.