Books like 'If the Coffin Fits'

Readers who enjoyed If the Coffin Fits by Lillian Bell also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.

mystery  romance  supernatural  cozy  female-mc  animals  dogs  amateur-sleuth

  • The Haunted Homecoming  (Southern Ghost Hunter Mysteries #10) by Angie Fox

    The Haunted Homecoming (Southern Ghost Hunter Mysteries #10) by Angie Fox

    Rated: 4.60 of 5 stars
    · 10 ratings
    Apple cider, bonfires, football, and—ghosts. It’s homecoming weekend in Sugarland, Tennessee and ghost hunter Verity Long is tickled to see so many souls—living and dead—back in town to celebrate. But not all reunions are happy ones, and when Verity stumbles upon a dead body by the football field, it appears someone has already evened the score...
  • Southern Bred and Dead by Angie Fox

    Southern Bred and Dead by Angie Fox

    Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars
    · 12 ratings
    A haunted church. A ghastly death. Can Verity clear up the case before she’s buried way over her head?Verity Long would really like a day off. Between uncovering the culprit who capped her gangster ghost housemate and dodging the bomb her boyfriend just dropped on their relationship, her spiritual calling has gotten complicated...
  • Give up the Ghost by Jane Hinchey

    Give up the Ghost by Jane Hinchey

    Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars
    · 12 ratings
    Never in my almost thirty years did I think my new normal would be talking to ghosts, yet here we are.After inheriting a PI business, I find my clients are more incorporeal than not and are relying on me to solve their untimely deaths. Unfortunately, being a magnet for ghosts has its downside. Hello? Lack of privacy, for starters...
    Categorized as:
    animals  cozy  female-mc  adult  audiobook  book  fiction  ghosts
  • Phantom Quartz by Barbra Annino

    Phantom Quartz by Barbra Annino

    Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars
    · 14 ratings
    It’s nearing Yule in Amethyst, and the witchy reporter, Stacy Justice, is consumed with only one thing—getting through her cousin Cinnamon’s baby shower. Everyone is anticipating the arrival of the newest, tiniest Geraghty. Even Stacy's familiar, Thor, is searching for the perfect gift...
  • Pecan Pies and Dead Guys by Angie Fox

    Pecan Pies and Dead Guys by Angie Fox

    Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars
    · 14 ratings
    Sometimes Verity Long would like to forget that she lives with the ghost of a 1920s gangster. But the reluctant housemates must once again work together when a dead detective blackmails Frankie into helping him solve a Great Gatsby-era cold case. Before she can say “bathtub gin,” Verity is dragged straight into a raging, otherworldly house party. Worse, every guest is hiding something...
  • A Tale of Two Tabbies by Kathi Daley

    A Tale of Two Tabbies by Kathi Daley

    Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars
    · 10 ratings
    Whales and Tails is a cozy mystery series set on Madrona Island, a fictional island within the San Juan Islands off the coast of Washington State. As a fourth generation islander Caitlin Hart is struggling to make her way as the economy and culture of the island evolves toward a tourism based industry...
    Categorized as:
    animals  cozy  female-mc  adult  book  cats  culinary  fiction
  • The Cat of Christmas Present by Kathi Daley

    The Cat of Christmas Present by Kathi Daley

    Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars
    · 10 ratings
    With less than two weeks until Christmas, Cait stumbles across a man who had been washed up onto the beach. The man is very much alive, but after suffering a blow to the head, he cannot seem to remember who he is or how he came to be on the island...
    Categorized as:
    animals  cozy  female-mc  adult  book  contemporary  culinary  fiction
  • Rival Secrets: A Whispering Pines Mystery, Book 5 by Shawn McGuire

    Rival Secrets: A Whispering Pines Mystery, Book 5 by Shawn McGuire

    Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars
    · 10 ratings
    What if your nemesis challenged you on your home turf? The sense of community. The quaint surroundings. The deadly rivalries. Welcome to Whispering Pines. As the weather turns crisp, Jayne O’Shea and the other villagers prepare for the last big tourist draw of the season: the autumn equinox festival...
  • Witch My Grits by Amy Boyles

    Witch My Grits by Amy Boyles

    Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars
    · 10 ratings
    Will Dylan marry Roman? Southern witch Dylan Apel’s to-do list is stacked high—decide whether or not to marry her boyfriend, try to stay sane amidst her crazy family’s antics, and make a quickie dress for a shotgun wedding. The easiest of those is making the dress—or at least it’s supposed to be. But when one of the bridesmaids confesses that she’s a witch, Dylan is immediately suspicious...
  • Dog Gone Ghost by Angie Fox, Tavia Gilbert

    Dog Gone Ghost by Angie Fox, Tavia Gilbert

    Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars
    · 12 ratings
    Who let the dogs...and cats...out?Verity Long's new ghost-hunting career has gone to the dogs - literally. A spirit is releasing animals from their cages at the Sugarland Animal Rescue Center. It's an unusual haunting that gets even more bizarre when she uncovers a new clue in a case of a missing child. Verity vows to reunite the lost boy with his family...
  • Shades of Sunshine by Gina LaManna

    Shades of Sunshine by Gina LaManna

    Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars
    · 12 ratings
    Lola Pink is all shades of concerned about the state of her wedding plans when her world is shaken as someone close to Dane Clark—her billionaire fiancé—goes missing. When the news of a kidnapping rocks the Clark Castle, Lola finds herself entwined in a mystery that could require a trip down memory lane. However, a missing persons report is not the only thing on Lola’s plate...
  • The Mint Julep Murders by Angie Fox

    The Mint Julep Murders by Angie Fox

    Rated: 4.48 of 5 stars
    · 21 ratings
    For Southern girl Verity Long, friendship means sitting down to stories and sweet tea on the front porch. For her gangster ghost housemate, it means dragging Verity out to a remote haunted asylum during a raging thunderstorm to do a favor for a long-dead mob boss. But Verity is always ready to help out a friend, even one as eternally eccentric as Frankie...
  • What to Expect When Your Demon Slayer is Expecting by Angie Fox

    What to Expect When Your Demon Slayer is Expecting by Angie Fox

    Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars
    · 8 ratings
    They say you can’t go home again, but demon slayer Lizzie Brown sure is going to try. However, when she rolls into town with her friends in tow, Lizzie finds her mom in the clutches of a demonic entity they accidentally left behind all those years ago. Now, it’s up to Lizzie, her talking dog, and the Red Skull biker witches to make things right...
  • The Hitwoman Takes a Road Trip by J.B. Lynn

    The Hitwoman Takes a Road Trip by J.B. Lynn

    Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars
    · 8 ratings
    Some people just can’t outrun trouble.Overwhelmed hitwoman Maggie Lee thinks she’s leaving her family worries behind when she’s convinced to take a road trip with her buddy, Armani.But pretty soon an old friend, a pesky relative, and even her pet, are asking for her help...
  • Six Feet Under by Tonya Kappes

    Six Feet Under by Tonya Kappes

    Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars
    · 8 ratings
    Too many cooks in the kitchen spoil the broth. And let me tell you, this broth is in trouble. Get ready for a Southern showdown. The residents of Cottonwood, Kentucky are sent into a tizzy when the Culinary Channel comes to town to film an episode of Southern Home Cookin’ with celebrity chef Frank Von Lee. Especially Sheriff Kenni Lowry...
    Categorized as:
    animals  cozy  female-mc  adult  audiobook  book  fiction  ghosts
  • Diggin' Up the Dirt by Tonya Kappes

    Diggin' Up the Dirt by Tonya Kappes

    Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars
    · 8 ratings
    Sweet as honey, soured by murder!Everyone in Cottonwood loves the new bakery, Sweet Shop. Until a Cottonwood resident is found dead with a half-eaten donut in her hand.Sheriff Kenni Lowry has her hands full. With a new murder in town and a new deputy to train, she’s not sure if she’s ever gonna get this booger solved.Sheriff Elmer Sims comes to the rescue, stepping up as Kenni’s ghost deputy...
    Categorized as:
    animals  cozy  dogs  female-mc  adult  audiobook  book  fiction
  • A Whisker in Time by Kathi Daley

    A Whisker in Time by Kathi Daley

    Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars
    · 8 ratings
    It is Halloween on Madrona Island and the entire gang is knee deep in the annual festivities. When a body is found in the storage room of the bar Danny and Aiden recently purchased, Danny is considered to be a prime suspect in the woman's death. When it looks as if Danny had both motive and opportunity, things go from Halloween eerie to down right terrifying...
    Categorized as:
    animals  cozy  female-mc  adult  book  cats  culinary  family
  • The Catsgiving Feast by Kathi Daley

    The Catsgiving Feast by Kathi Daley

    Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars
    · 8 ratings
    A murder, a wedding, and a holiday feast converge in this warm and memorable Thanksgiving Mystery...
    Categorized as:
    animals  cozy  female-mc  adult  book  cats  culinary  fiction
  • The Cat of Christmas Future by Kathi Daley

    The Cat of Christmas Future by Kathi Daley

    Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars
    · 8 ratings
    As with The Cat of Christmas Past and The Cat of Christmas Present, while this holiday cozy features a mystery, it does not feature a murder. It is Christmas on Madrona Island and the spirit of Christmas is out in full force. A cat who looks a lot like a cat from Cait's past comes to visit just as Cait and Cody are getting ready for a full lineup of holiday events...
    Categorized as:
    animals  cozy  female-mc  adult  book  cats  culinary  fiction
  • A Humbug Holiday by London Lovett

    A Humbug Holiday by London Lovett

    Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars
    · 8 ratings
    It's holiday time in Firefly Junction but not everything is sweet sugarplums and glittery tinsel.Sunni Taylor has been too busy to get into the holiday spirit, even with her mom coming to town for a visit. Her festive spirit gets a spark when Detective Brady Jackson asks her to attend the town's production of A Christmas Carol...
  • Ax To Grind by Tonya Kappes

    Ax To Grind by Tonya Kappes

    Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars
    · 10 ratings
    Southerners keep their secrets swept under the rug, but what happens when that rug goes up for sale? Bestselling author Berlye Stone, the most famous citizen to ever come out of Cottonwood, Kentucky, has died and put all her worldly possessions up for auction, but not without leaving one more manuscript behind. A hidden tell-all about Cottonwood that’s got more gossip than a ladies’ luncheon...
    Categorized as:
    animals  cozy  female-mc  adult  audiobook  book  contemporary  fiction
  • Southern Fried by Tonya Kappes

    Southern Fried by Tonya Kappes

    Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars
    · 10 ratings
    In the South, it's better when the food is fried and the secrets kept buried...After the dead body of a beloved Cottonwood resident is found tangled up in an electric fence, Sheriff Kenni Lowry has a hunch that somethin' ain't right...
    Categorized as:
    animals  cozy  female-mc  adult  audiobook  book  fiction  ghosts
  • Original Secrets by Shawn McGuire

    Original Secrets by Shawn McGuire

    Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars
    · 10 ratings
    The Northwoods village of Whispering Pines used to be a safe haven for outsiders, but after three deaths in two months, it’s become a hotbed of murder.Exhausted from being the only law enforcement official on duty, while also trying to open a bed-and-breakfast, Jayne O’Shea welcomes the escape she finds in her grandmother’s journals...
  • A Winter's Tail by Kathi Daley

    A Winter's Tail by Kathi Daley

    Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars
    · 10 ratings
    Three secrets, first revealed in Grimm's Furry Tail, A Tale of Two Tabbies, and The Cat of Christmas Present, collide in a single horrific moment that leaves one person dead and one fighting for their life. This fast paced cozy mystery will have you glued to the page as Cait and Cody join forces with a cat named Moirai in a race against time to track down a killer...
    Categorized as:
    animals  cozy  female-mc  adult  book  cats  culinary  fiction
  • The Great Catsby by Kathi Daley

    The Great Catsby by Kathi Daley

    Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars
    · 10 ratings
    Cait's friend Alex who we met in The Cat of Christmas Past returns to Madrona Island a vastly changed man. It seems that wealth has made an impact on his personality and not in a good way. During one of the legendary parties Alex has become famous for throwing one of the guests dies and it looks as if Alex may have blood on his hands...
    Categorized as:
    animals  cozy  female-mc  adult  book  cats  culinary  fiction
  • Ghosts, Alibis, and Apple Pies by J.A. Holder

    Ghosts, Alibis, and Apple Pies by J.A. Holder

    Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars
    · 10 ratings
    Michelle Bishop has spent most of her life hating her nemesis, Georgia Beauregard. When the town beauty queen herself suddenly dies, Michelle is the only one who isn’t mourning. But Michelle has just discovered there is something far worse than a living, breathing bully. Try being haunted by a dead one...
  • Murder on the Sugarland Express by Angie Fox

    Murder on the Sugarland Express by Angie Fox

    Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars
    · 26 ratings
    Ghost hunter Verity Long is overdue for a little R&R (rest and romance) with her boyfriend, Ellis, and a vintage train trip through the Tennessee mountains seems like just the ticket. The Sugarland Express carries history and nostalgia in every compartment, and Verity is determined to enjoy it—without ghostly interference...
  • The Witch and the Dead by Heather Blake

    The Witch and the Dead by Heather Blake

    Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars
    · 14 ratings
    When Darcy moved to Salem, Massachusetts, she never expected her life to change as drastically as it did. But within a short time, the Enchanted Village has become her home, its mystical residents have become her family, and As You Wish, the personal concierge business formerly run by her Aunt Ve, has become her calling...
    Categorized as:
    amateur-sleuth  animals  cozy  dogs  female-mc  adult  audiobook  book
  • Final Catcall by Sofie Kelly

    Final Catcall by Sofie Kelly

    Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars
    · 16 ratings
    Small-town librarian Kathleen Paulson gets plenty of entertainment from her extraordinary cats, Owen and Hercules. But when a theater troupe stumbles into more tragedy than it bargained for, it's up to Kathleen to play detective...
    Categorized as:
    amateur-sleuth  animals  cozy  female-mc  adult  audiobook  book  cats
  • The Pit List Murder by Renee George

    The Pit List Murder by Renee George

    Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars
    · 6 ratings
    Pit Bulls are Sweet . . . and that’s no mystery! Lily Mason and her adorable pittie Smooshie both have a nose for murder, but this is one cougar-shifter who would give her left paw to never find another dead body. All she wants is to enjoy a simple life in her new town, her fixer-upper house, while working a job she loves...
    Categorized as:
    animals  cozy  dogs  female-mc  adult  book  fiction  humor
  • Cake Pop Casualties by Addison Moore

    Cake Pop Casualties by Addison Moore

    Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars
    · 6 ratings
    A baker who sees the dead. One too many suitors. And a killer. Living in Honey Hollow can be murder. *A laugh out loud standalone cozy mystery by New York Times Bestseller Addison Moore* All books in the series can be read individually but are best enjoyed in order.***Includes RECIPE*** My name is Lottie Lemon, and I see dead people...
    Categorized as:
    amateur-sleuth  animals  cozy  adult  book  fiction  ghosts  mystery
  • Peach Cobbler Confessions by Addison Moore

    Peach Cobbler Confessions by Addison Moore

    Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars
    · 6 ratings
    My name is Lottie Lemon, and I see dead people. Okay, so I rarely see dead people, mostly I see furry creatures of the dearly departed variety, aka dead pets, who have come back from the other side to warn me of their previous owner’s impending doom...
    Categorized as:
    amateur-sleuth  animals  cozy  adult  book  fiction  ghosts  mystery
  • Mouse of Cards by Erin Johnson

    Mouse of Cards by Erin Johnson

    Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars
    · 8 ratings
    A cursed sleuth. A gallery of secrets. Will this cryptic case be her last?Pet psychic Jolene is still plagued by a hex that keeps her powers on a leash. So when her detective crush asks for help solving a strange murder at the Museum of Magical Artifacts, she hopes to find clues to break her own sorcerous chains...
  • Farewell to Felines by Kathi Daley

    Farewell to Felines by Kathi Daley

    Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars
    · 8 ratings
    Madrona Island: Where Mystery Meets Magic The Hollow is a magical place where the cats of Madrona Island have lived since before the island was developed. When Cait's witch friend Tansy alerts her to the fact that the cats are leaving the hollow for no apparent reason, Cait sets out to investigate...
    Categorized as:
    animals  cozy  female-mc  adult  book  cats  culinary  fiction
  • Dead Even by Patti Larsen

    Dead Even by Patti Larsen

    Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars
    · 8 ratings
    Retired Guild Artemis Inquisitor Georgia Drake has left the paranormal world behind after the death of her partner in the line of duty. Along with her job investigating crime and murder. With her Hades Guardian mastiff, Benjamin, and raven pair for company, she moves her entire life across the continent to escape not only the loss but her oppressive and powerful family...
  • Beverly Hills Demon Slayer by Angie Fox

    Beverly Hills Demon Slayer by Angie Fox

    Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars
    · 10 ratings
    All that glitters is not gold... Demon slayer Lizzie Brown isn't exactly a diamonds and champagne type of girl. But when an ancient cult becomes the "in" thing in Beverly Hills, she realizes there's more to it than youth potions, parties, and priceless Egyptian artifacts. There's a demon involved... and Lizzie's not on the guest list...
  • Horse of a Different Killer by Laura Morrigan

    Horse of a Different Killer by Laura Morrigan

    Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars
    · 10 ratings
    Animal behaviorist Grace Wilde’s psychic ability gives her insight into the minds of all kinds of creatures. If only humans were as easy to read… Dead men may tell no tales, but they can screw up your life with a few phone calls. Grace’s abusive ex-brother-in-law, Anthony Ortega, needs her help—at least that’s what he said on the messages he left before his sudden death...
  • The Scottish Connection by Carrie Bedford

    The Scottish Connection by Carrie Bedford

    Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars
    · 10 ratings
    NO MATTER WHERE SHE GOES, SHE SEES THE UNINVITED HOUSEGUEST--ALSO KNOWN AS THE AURA OF DEATH... London architect Kate Benedict is off to a glamorous weekend party in Scotland at the formerly grand castle belonging to the uncle of her boyfriend Josh...
  • Dewitched by Dakota Cassidy

    Dewitched by Dakota Cassidy

    Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars
    · 12 ratings
    "It's nice to meet you, Mr…er, stage, screen, and Japanese film star, but party…and thirty-two years, actually almost thirty-three now. And um, stuff…to do… So, talk later. I mean, you and me. M'kay? Gotta go...
    Categorized as:
    amateur-sleuth  animals  cozy  dogs  female-mc  adult  audiobook  book
  • The Last Curtain Call by Juliet Blackwell, Xe Sands

    The Last Curtain Call by Juliet Blackwell, Xe Sands

    Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars
    · 12 ratings
    A new ghoulish mystery from the New York Times bestselling author of A Ghostly Light featuring Mel Turner, a ghost-whispering contractor.Mel Turner can’t resist the chance to bring the Crockett Theatre, a decrepit San Francisco Art Deco movie palace, back to life...
  • Woof at the Door by Laura Morrigan

    Woof at the Door by Laura Morrigan

    Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars
    · 12 ratings
    Animal behaviorist Grace Wilde keeps her ability to psychically communicate with furry and feathered critters under wraps. But when a Doberman turns out to be the only witness to a crime, Grace will have to let the cat out of the bag in order to catch a killer. Grace Wilde’s job is anything but normal...
    Categorized as:
    animals  cozy  dogs  female-mc  adult  book  cats  contemporary
  • A Ghostly Gift by Angie Fox

    A Ghostly Gift by Angie Fox

    Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars
    · 14 ratings
    From New York Times best-selling author Angie Fox - a fabulously fun short story in the new Southern Ghost Hunter Mystery series.Verity Long doesn't want to see ghosts, and she'd rather not let anyone know her little secret, either. But when a restless spirit stirs up trouble in her friend's resale shop, Verity and her very new, very dead gangster friend team up to learn what is really happening...
  • Ghost of a Chance by Angie Fox, Tavia Gilbert

    Ghost of a Chance by Angie Fox, Tavia Gilbert

    Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars
    · 14 ratings
    Tis the season...for ghosts. Verity Long has come to terms with the fact that she can see spirits, and talk to them, and...she's actually making cookies for one of them. But she's drawing the line at any more ghost hunting or mystery solving. Until a dear friend needs help locating a missing antique at the party of the year...
  • Gone With the Witch by Heather Blake

    Gone With the Witch by Heather Blake

    Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars
    · 14 ratings
    Darcy Merriweather is put to the test after a murder takes first prize at a pet show.... Darcy and her dog Missy are determined to put their best foot forward at the Enchanted Village’s annual Pawsitively Enchanted pet contest. She’s happy to lend a hand when the show’s organizer hires Darcy to keep an eye on things among growing suspicions that someone is sabotaging the event...
    Categorized as:
    amateur-sleuth  animals  cozy  dogs  female-mc  adult  audiobook  book
  • Paws and Effect by Sofie Kelly

    Paws and Effect by Sofie Kelly

    Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars
    · 14 ratings
    Originally published: New York: Berkley Publishing Group, 2016...
    Categorized as:
    amateur-sleuth  animals  cozy  female-mc  adult  audiobook  book  cats
  • Murder at the Beacon Bakeshop by Darci Hannah

    Murder at the Beacon Bakeshop by Darci Hannah

    Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars
    · 14 ratings
    In the first of a new series, after Lindsey Bakeswell catches her celebrity chef fiancé sizzling in the arms of another woman, Lindsey leaves big city Wall Street for small town Beacon Harbor, Michigan to pursue her own passion as a pastry baker--and gets mixed up in someone's sweet taste of revenge..
  • A Margin for Murder by Lauren Elliott

    A Margin for Murder by Lauren Elliott

    Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars
    · 14 ratings
    In the riveting new mystery from the USA Today bestselling author, a murder and a missing first edition of Robert Louis Stevenson’s A Child’s Garden of Verses send rare bookstore owner Addie Greyborne on an investigation to challenge even the most distinguished of bibliophiles… Addie leaves her Greyborne Harbor bookstore, Beyond the Page Books and Curios, in the capable hands of her assistant...
  • Mystic Falls by Vickie McKeehan

    Mystic Falls by Vickie McKeehan

    Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars
    · 14 ratings
    Emotionally reeling after the death of her grandmother, Gemma Channing is settling into Coyote Wells, the hometown where she grew up, after a ten-year absence. While trying to come to terms with the loss of her Gram, disturbing things begin to happen. Women are disappearing...
  • The Goodbye Witch by Heather Blake

    The Goodbye Witch by Heather Blake

    Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars
    · 16 ratings
    As Enchanted Village’s resident Wishcrafter, Darcy Merriweather has the power to make other people’s wishes come true, but what she really wishes is that she had the power to uncloak the invisible man who’s stalking her best friend.... Darcy’s closest friend and fellow witch, Starla Sullivan, hoped she’d never see her ex-husband, Kyle, again...
    Categorized as:
    amateur-sleuth  animals  cozy  dogs  female-mc  adult  audiobook  book
  • Cursed Brides and Alibis by Amy Boyles

    Cursed Brides and Alibis by Amy Boyles

    Rated: 4.60 of 5 stars
    · 10 ratings
    Charming Calhoun's adventures continue in Cursed Brides and Alibis. When a bride-to-be winds up dead, it's bad business for Southern Belles and Spells Matchmakers. Charming must act fast to find the killer before she winds up the next victim...
Fantastic book recommendations by book lovers for book lovers.
Find out more about thebooknaut.com.



Looking for more inspiration? Enter another book title to get more suggestions on what to read next.


Or - use our amazing romance book finder to get recommendations based on your favorite content tropes and themes. Mix and match at will.