Darling Girls by Sally Hepworth

 This author truly knows how to pull on your heart strings!  She highlights important issues in society and brings to light how it can lead to tragedy and psychological repercussions.  In this novel, she chooses to discuss foster systems and how awful every child's situation is when they are left without a home or parent to care for them.  In this book, the awfully tragic life of three girls is compounded by an abusive foster parent situation.  How often does this happen?  How do these children survive?  Or do they?

There are 3 heroines in Darling Girls.  Each of them enters into the foster care of Miss Fairchild living in an idyllic farmhouse known as Wild Meadows.  They can't wait to escape the clutches of their overbearing foster mother.  They devise a plan, and it appears to work, until no one believes them about their other sister.  Were they making it up?  Or was someone lying.  All the answers surface when Wild Meadows makes the news about 20 years later.

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Discussion Questions

1. Jessica
1. Why was she in the foster system?
2. What was her relationship with Miss Fairchild?
3. Why do you think she had the most difficult time letting go of her?
4. What did her experience translate to in her adult life?
2. Norah
1. What led to her stat at Wild Meadows?
2. What changed in the household after she came?
3. What did her experience translate to in her adult life?
3. Alicia 
1. What brought her to Wild Meadows?
2. How was her experience different from the others?
3. What did it translate to in her adult life?
4. Wild Meadows 
1. What happened that was so shocking at Wild Meadows?
2. What was found that was being investigated?
3. What was the explanation?
4. Do you believe it?
5. Miss Fairchild 
1. What is her story?
2. Why do you think she did all of this?

Kill For Me Kill For You by Steve Cavanagh

 Strangers on the Train gone wrong, in my opinion.  However, a very clever twist.  The back and forth was misleading but I also think that was on purpose.  I enjoyed that twist toward the end.  The characters were believable, and I found no issues connecting with them.  One of my favorites was Scott, who was willing to do anything for his wife.  Another was the detective, Farrow, who had a passion for solving cases but didn't lose his compassion for others.  

One character I am on the fence about is Billy, though.  Wonder what you think about him.

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Discussion Questions

1. Of the three main characters (Amanda, Ruth, and Farrow), which story line were you most interested in?
2. The story opens with Amanda's failed attempt to murder her daughter's killer.  What was the most frustrating thing about this scene?
3. In Chapter 2 we are then abruptly introduced to Ruth's attack.  What did you think of the timing of each introduction (Amanda & Ruth)?  Did you think, at this time, they were connected?
4. Farrow, the detective in both cases, is our third introduction.  What is the importance of his connection to both Amanda and Ruth?
5. Amanda's story (her planned murder of Wallace Crone) is interrupted when she meets Wendy.  Amanda talks about having difficulty connecting with others since her daughter and husband's death.  Why do you think it was so easy for her to connect with Wendy?
6. Naomi tells Amanda she has killed Crone and Amanda is quick to believe it.  Would you have been?  Then she pressures her to quickly follow through with her end of their plan.  What was it and would you have done it?
7. Billy saves Amanda from being arrested and provides a story that is similar to hers.  Knowing what you know now about Billy's character, do you see where the holes are in his story?  Did you originally (or do you still) believe him?
8. What are your current thoughts on Ruth's character and her psychosis?  What do you think led her to this mental state?  How was she able to maintain this?  Do you think she will keep at it or stop?
9. What next for Amanda?  Farrow?
10. Do you think they will ever catch Mr. Blue Eyes?

The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

 Another classic.  Must admit, I have never read this before.  It was always one that I was interested in picking up, but never got around to it until now.

There are several components to this book that I find intriguing.  Firstly, the magic of the painting is only timidly explained.  Certainly, it leaves much to the reader's imagination in that aspect.  Nonetheless, the character of Dorian Gray and how he relates to all other characters are vividly described and most compelling for the reader.  It starts and, basically, ends with the relationship between Dorian and Basil (the infamous painter); however, the unraveling of Dorian Gray I will strongly attribute to the other main-ish character, Lord Henry.  Do you disagree?

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Discussion Questions

1. In the preface, Wilde writes that "there is no such thing as a moral or immoral book."  What do you think he means by this?
2. What is the relationship between Basil and Dorian ... from beginning to end?
3. What are Lord Henry's code of beliefs?  How does he view conventional morality and in what ways does he challenge it?  How does his ways of thinking influence Dorian?
4. In the story, Lord Henry gives Dorian a "yellow book."  Apparently, this book has a great influence on Dorian because in the end he blames the book for his actions.  What do you think the book was?
5. Sybil Vane was Dorian's first love.  Do you think Dorian was actually in love with Sybil?  What do you think would have happened if Sybil did not commit suicide?
6. The portrait seems to change in ways that Dorian does not.  What does the portrait represent?  What does it suggest is happening to Dorian's soul?  Why does Dorian choose to lock it away?
7. Dorian's scandalous behavior, although not fully explained, shocks his peers, yet he remains welcome in social circles.  Why?  What is Wilde suggesting about "polite" London society?
8. James Vane, brother of Sybil, is killed by accident.  Dorian believes he is lucky and chooses to reform his life.  Was he successful?  What are some actions that he feels are moral behaviors?  
9. In the end Dorian dies, as well.  How?
10. What do you believe the moral of the story is?