|
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.
|
|