Second Friday of each month, September through June, 10 a.m. – 12 noon
First Fall 2024 meeting: September 13
Bethany Congregational Church 556 N. Hope Avenue, Santa Barbara
VISTAS members only: $25 for the year; enrollment limited to 12

Mysteries! Spies! Detectives! Private Eyes! If you want to add a little intrigue to your reading list, this is the book club for you! VISTAS is pleased to announce the formation of our newest book club, dedicated to the popular genre of mysteries, spy/counterspy novels, and thrillers. Mysteries are the oldest form of literature within this arena, going back to the 19th century with the works of Edgar Allan Poe and Wilkie Collins. Spy novels began growing in popularity starting around the era of World War I, and thrillers as we know them today began to come into their own shortly after the end of World War II with books by Mickey Spillane and others.
At our first meeting, we will become acquainted with fellow group members, review the types of novels we’ll be reading, and discuss our first selection, The Key to Rebecca, by Ken Follett. Group members also will receive a complimentary copy of the book The Brass Ring, by local author Lance Mason. Dr. Mason will attend our second session, on Oct. 11, and will lead the discussion of his book. Time permitting, we’ll also dive into our next novel, The Foreign Correspondent, by Alan Furst. Starting with the third class, two books will be discussed at each session. Enrollment for this book club is limited; in case of over-enrollment, a wait-list will be created.