BOOK CLUB DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

*** WARNING: CONTAINS SPOILERS! ***

  1. When did you realize what was really going on?
  2. What elements of the book – events, characters, places – do you think are “real” in the book, and which are not?
  3. Brian says he used the color white deliberately to reflect things that are happening in Lisa’s mind. Did you notice how this affected the narrative?
  4. Discuss the relationship between Lisa and Purdue.
  5. Why did Lisa and her brother react so differently to the events of the “Dark Star”?
  6. Do you think it’s possible for siblings to have the kind of connection that Lisa and her brother do?
  7. What was your favorite scene, and why?
  8. Why do you think Brian chose the remote location of Thief River Falls for this novel? (Did you know it was a real town?) How did the setting enhance the drama of the book?
  9. Have you read Brian’s other novels? How would you compare a stand-alone thriller like THIEF RIVER FALLS to Brian’s series books featuring Jonathan Stride and Frost Easton?
  10. Did you cry for Lisa in the final chapters?
  11. Did the novel have a “happy” ending?
  12. What insights about the life of a thriller writer did you take away after reading this novel?