One of the key ingredients of a good book club meeting is a set of good discussion questions. Thought-provoking talking points help readers to go beyond plot, style and personal experience. They get readers to "think out of the box" to consider deeper, universal themes and to look at a book from different and perhaps uncomfortable angles. My book club doesn't usually deal with genre mysteries, romances or sci-fi because genre books don't often lend themselves to much discussion. I wanted my mystery, Lies Agreed Upon, to be an exception. So, in putting together discussion questions for the book, I tried to avoid a focus on the plotted "how" of crime, investigation and solution, or even the "who done it," since these questions generate little debate. I tried to direct the reader to think about the "whys" of tragedy: the ambiguity and malleability of character, the impact of social and historical injustices, the role of toxic family dynamics, the universal vs. the local viewpoint, and the shadows cast on the present by the past. Hopefully, these are issues that rouse differing opinions and reveal nuances in the story that enrich the reading experience. At the same time, I tried to craft discussion questions to avoid "spoilers." To see my suggested discussion questions, go to http://authorkatherinesharma.com/discussion-questions-1.html. I invite readers to share and post more talking points, of course!
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