Book Club Discussion Questions and Guide for The Game Is Murder by Hazell Ward

1. What do you think the relationship is between author and reader? Is it different for mystery authors and readers?
2. In The Game Is Murder, the narrator outlines certain rules for the author to follow. One is that the author will not resort to cheap trickery. What do you think constitutes trickery in stories?
3. Do you think it's important for certain genre expectations to be met? Do you like it when conventions are broken?
4. What is your favorite classic mystery? Your least favorite? Why have they stuck with you?
5. The descriptive copy of this book tells the reader: "Trust no one. All might not be as it seems." How did that affect your read? Did it cause you to question more of the "facts" (such as the roles of the Great Detective, David, and Daniel)?
6. How did your opinion of who the culprit was change throughout the story?
7. If you were the detective, how would you have gone about solving the case? Would you have done anything different from what the detective did?
8. Did you solve the case before the detective? If you did not, who did you think the murderer was, and why? If you did, well done. You are a great detective! Tell us how you did it.
9. Did the author convince you that the verdict you reach at the end of the trial is the right one? Why?
10. At the end of the novel, Appendix A sets out the rules for writers and readers, and Appendix B lists the penalties for breaking these rules. Do you agree with them? Are there any more you think should be added?

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