Book Club Discussion Questions and Guide for Under the Harrow by Flynn Berry

1. In the wake of Rachel's murder, Nora learns that her sister kept many secrets. If you were Nora, what would you feel was Rachel's biggest betrayal? If you were Rachel, why would you choose not to confide in Nora?
2. Might Rachel still be alive if she had married Stephen? Why didn't she? Why did Nora advise Rachel not to?
3. How does Nora's sense that Rachel was a more beautiful version of herself factor into their relationship?
4. What do you make of Rachel's decision to move to a town that's a virtual twin to the one where she grew up?
5. Despite having recently found her murdered sister's body, Nora becomes mesmerized by a French crime thriller. "Somehow, it's like an antidote" (p. 168). Why might she feel this way? What is the reason behind crime fiction's extraordinary appeal?
6. Did Rachel love her sister? Does learning that Rachel called Nora "a little bitch" (p. 173) change your opinion of her?
7. During the investigation, Nora learns that Liam, her former boyfriend, had cheated on her with Rachel. Is drunkenness an adequate excuse? Was Rachel deliberately trying to hurt Nora?
8. How did Rachel's obsession with her attacker affect Nora? Over the years, did Rachel convince herself that her attacker was actually a stranger?
9. Would you murder someone to protect or avenge a sibling? Would Nora have killed Keith if she'd had the opportunity?
10. If Rachel had told Nora that she murdered Callum, would Nora have kept her secret?
11. Did Callum deserve to die? Did Rachel's actions "save" Louise? After his death, would Rachel have been able to move on from her obsession with vengeance?
12. Does a victim's behavior or demeanor affect how you consider a crime?

Unless otherwise stated, this discussion guide is reprinted with the permission of Penguin Books. Any page references refer to a USA edition of the book, usually the trade paperback version, and may vary in other editions.