Book Club Discussion Questions
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Please be aware that this discussion guide will contain spoilers!
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The book opens with Tempe helping her daughter, Katy, move into her new home after recently finishing a career in the military, which included episodes of combat. What do you notice about the ways that Katy and Tempe treat each other? How does their relationship affect the course of the book?
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Katy decides to volunteer at a local shelter for unhoused veterans while looking for some community. Tempe is wary of the veterans there and suspects them first when Katy begins to act erratically and doesn't answer her phone. What first arouses her suspicions? How do Tempe's feelings color the audience's perception of the shelter? How might Tempe's reaction to Katy's decision reflect the attitudes of the rest of their community?
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On page 51, Katy asks her mother if she knows how many people are unhoused in the United States, then informs her there are "over half a million. Roughly nine thousand right here in North Carolina. Around forty thousand of that national number are vets." How does Katy's disgust with the treatment of people who have served sit with Tempe? What does she make of her daughter's opinions? Do you think her reaction contributes to Katy's distance?
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Tempe's phone is both a lifeline and a source of fear and suspense. Ryan is often unreachable because of cell service and bad weather, Charlie sends a few cryptic messages before he dies, and Katy begins refusing phone calls. How does each situation erode Tempe's sense of safety? How does Tempe's being cut off from others serve the killer's motives?
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On page 217, Tempe's investigation of the hit-and-run victim sparks a powerful emotional reaction, one that she seems to be alone in experiencing. "Many males are embarrassed in the presence of strong female emotion. Most have mastered the art of nonreaction." Why do you think Tempe was the only one who had this reaction?
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Tempe handles a great deal of violence on a regular basis. Do some research about the number of medical professionals who are later diagnosed with PTSD, the same condition that Katy suffers from. Why do you think Tempe is unwilling to link her condition with that of her daughter? In what ways is the justice system in the United States like a warzone?
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Cold, Cold Bones is a story of vengeance against Tempe for mistakes she'd made in the past. Despite not being an investigator or an officer of any kind, Tempe has a great deal of influence. In the course of investigating this case, how many people does Tempe suspect? How many people does she involve incidentally in a serial killer investigation?
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On page 361, Slidell is allowed to press a suspect who doesn't have anything to do with the case to coerce a confession out of him. Look into the unreliability of confessions given under duress. How often do police push people to confess to things they didn't do?
Unless otherwise stated, this discussion guide is reprinted with the permission of Scribner. Any page references refer to a USA edition of the book, usually the trade paperback version, and may vary in other editions.
