Made Surya was found dead near the cliff that afternoon. A knife was lodged in his back, and undrunk herbal tea was near him along with unlit aromatherapy candles. The Bukit Literary Excellence, a group in which he was the benefactor, was supposed to meet that evening. Alas, Locca Sea House, where they found Made Surya’s body, turned into a crime scene. The group had to figure out who murdered Made Surya that very evening. A game is afoot.
That was the premise of the Cliffhanger Book Club: Chapter 1 hosted by The Bookit Book Club and Library with the support of Periplus Bookshop and Locca Sea House. This book club event was held on Wednesday, August 20th 2025 in the evening, accompanied by the setting sun scenery from the cliffs of Jimbaran. Hence, the name, which also derives from a narrative device used in many crime and thriller stories.
Although there was a murder mystery game, Cliffhanger Book Club is essentially a book club, first and foremost. The unique concept and immersion of the genre is what this book club offers. For Chapter 1, the book club discussed The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman, along with other cozy crime recommendations. Before the session started, each participants were assigned a character randomly. Complete with the name of the character, the background, and the alibi. Attended by fifteen people, the discussion ran in character, while they were trying to figure out the culprit of Made Surya’s murder.
Zahrah Ratna Sari, one of the participants, has something to say about the initial session of this book club, “I absolutely loved the Cliffhanger event! The whodunit game was so much fun, and the cliff?side view was to die for (pun intended). The book discussion themed around The Thursday Murder Club was so intriguing that I immediately picked up the book to read.”
Along with the book club session, Periplus Bookshop also opened a stall featuring a few titles around the genres of murder, mystery, crime, and thriller. Befitted the theme perfectly. While the sun is setting, the book club concluded with the two best detectives among the participants and figured out the killer among us.
An Invigorating Rise of Book Club Scene In Bali
In the past year or two, Bali witnesses the rise and boom of book club activities. Although some already has been active for years like Ubud Book Club, I have to admit that these days I have seen a lot more activities online and offline. These book clubs adopt various gimmick or genre-specific theme, nurturing diverse readership that is united by the love of books. The most notable ones are Bali Book Party, Vinyl Book Club, Denpasar Manga Readers Club, and Shelf Therapy.
sangkarbet
