1. Talk about the characters, both good and
bad. Describe their personalities and motivations. Are they fully
developed and emotionally complex? Or are they flat, one-dimensional
heroes and villains?
2. What do you know...and when do you know it? At what point in the book
do you begin to piece together what happened?
3. Good crime writers embed hidden clues in plain sight, slipping them
in casually, almost in passing. Did you pick them out, or were
you...clueless? Once you've finished the book, go back to locate the
clues hidden in plain sight. How skillful was the author in burying
them?
4. Good crime writers also tease us with red-herrings—false clues—to
purposely lead readers astray? Does your author try to throw you off
track? If so, were you tripped up?
5. Talk about the twists & turns—those surprising plot developments that
throw everything you think you've figured out into disarray.
- Do they enhance the story, add complexity, and build suspense?
- Are they plausible or implausible?
- Do they feel forced and gratuitous—inserted merely to extend the
story?
6. Does the author ratchet up the suspense?
Did you find yourself anxious—quickly turning pages to learn what
happened? A what point does the suspense start to build? Where does it
climax...then perhaps start rising again?
7. A good ending is essential in any mystery or crime thriller: it
should ease up on tension, answer questions, and tidy up loose ends.
Does the ending accomplish those goals?
- Is the conclusion probable or believable?
- Is it organic, growing out of clues previously laid out by the
author (see Question 3)?
- Or does the ending come out of the blue, feeling forced or
tacked-on?
- Perhaps it's too predictable.
- Can you envision a different or better ending?
8. Are there certain passages in the
book—ideas, descriptions, or dialogue—that you found interesting or
revealing...or that somehow struck you? What lines, if any, made you
stop and think?
9. Overall, does the book satisfy? Does it live up to the standards of a
good crime story or suspense thriller? Why or why not?
* Some questions from
LitLovers.