From 70s or 80s. Group of normal seeming people can influence others to violence. Once a year they get together with scrapbooks and show how much war and death they have caused. The worst one “wins.” Protagonist is one of them but tired of hurting and killing. She refuses to use her powers. They gang up on her and the new contest is who can eliminate her. Her trusted butler tries to kill her under their influence. Sorry, I know this one is kind of a downer.
Stump the Bookseller
New format, same book stumper solving.
319L: This sounds very much like a plot element in Dan Simmons’ 1989 novel CARRION COMFORT, which incorporates a 1983 novella of the same name. Maybe you read the novella version (which I have not)?
This sounds like a plot element in the novel CARRION COMFORT by Dan Simmons. There was an earlier novella version (with the same name) incorported into the novel, so that may well be what you read.
(I tried posting this information twice yesterday, but my attempts seem to just vanish.)