Ravenstone
- Book Club Questions:
- The epigraph quoted at the beginning of the book is from “Adam’s Curse,” a poem that can be found in The Collected Poems of W.B. Yeats (available at any good library). What are the lines in the epigraph about? How are they related to the novel?
- At Betty’s dinner party, and in other places in the novel, the characters discuss whether or not it’s important for the reader to know about the life or personality of the author of a book. Is that kind of information about the author important to you when you read a book? Do you want to know about the author’s life? Why or why not? How does that kind of information affect the way you read?
- The characters also talk about different genres of books (mysteries, biographies, romance, poetry). Do you have a favourite genre? What is it you like about that genre? Is there any genre you never read? Or any you claim you never read? Why?
- Many reader of mystery novels like to guess “whodunit” as they go along. Others don’t try to figure it out. Which kind of reader are you? Did you try to solve this mystery? Who did you suspect, and why?
- Early in the book, Morgan says that Sarah isn’t much fun. Why would Morgan have this opinion? Do you agree with Morgan? What are some of the differences between Sarah and Morgan?
- What are some of the similarities between The Dead of Midnight and the Midnight mysteries the characters read?
- Many members of Zina’s book club are scared by the books they read, even before the murders begin to occur. Yet they keep reading. Why do you think people like to be scared by books or movies?
- Sarah’s grandfather was inspired by the myth of Demeter and Persephone when he’s carved his statue. Do you think this myth has any significance to the themes in The Dead of Midnight?
- At the beginning of the novel, when the telephone line is dead, Sarah immediately believes that a pair of pinking shears has cut the line, just like in the book she was reading. When she later questions the telephone repairman, this fact is neither confirmed, nor denied. Is Sarah easily influenced? If yes, how does Sarah’s ability to be easily influenced affect her as she moves through the story? Are the pinking shears a real clue or a red herring?
- How does the setting of Woseley, a close-knit community in Winnipeg figure as a character in the story? Does it figure at all? Could the same story be told perhaps set in a small, rural town, rather than a neighbourhood of a larger center?
- Although Carolyn was apparently a talented poetry, she lived a life of poverty and obscurity. Even her own daughter seems to know very little about her poems. What do you think the author is saying about the state of poetry and its appreciation in Canada? How does the author being a poet change your understanding of The Dead of Midnight? Does it change?
- There is a hint of the supernatural in both The Dead of Midnight and Where Shadows Burn. How do supernatural elements, even small ones, add to the story? Do they enrich your reading? How do you interpret supernatural occurrences in the novel?
- What moral or ethical choices did the characters make in The Dead of Midnight? What did you think of those choices? How would you have chosen? (e.g. Morgan’s relationship with Alfred, Betty’s secrets, Dr. Allard’s dishonesty, etc.)
- Even though Sarah is only twenty-five, she often appears to be much older. How does Sarah’s upbringing affect who she becomes as an adult?
- Notions of family are explored in The Dead of Midnight. How do familial ties affect the characters and the decision they make? Are the characters in the novel largely bound by familial ties, or do they discard ties carelessly?
- Was Carolyn’s decision to stay on the island alone with Sarah a wise one?
- What is the significance of Betty’s Shepherdess figurine?
- The media is represented as being ruthless and tactless. Why do you think the characters in the novel confide in Cady? Do you think she got what she deserved?
- That makes a good mystery? Does The Dead of Midnight fulfill these requirements? For you, what is the most important part of a mystery? (i.e. Overall plot, subplots, clues, red herrings).
- Do you think Sarah grows and changes significantly as a character throughout the novel?
- Do you think The Dead of Midnight accurately reflects writing and publishing in Canada? In Winnipeg?
- During the book club discussions at Zina’s café, the characters often differ in their opinions of the books they read. For example, Linda looks for symbolism, Cady reads for the plot, Mark tries to spot the suthor’s mistakes, Morgan wants action, and Zina is disturbed by too much violence. Have you noticed differences like this among members in your own book club discussions? What causes these differences in the ways people read?
- What is your opinion of Detectives Kayla Petrovitch and Vishnu Maharaj? Are they typical murder-mystery sleuths? Do they make any mistakes?
- Many of the characters spread gossip (both true and false) in this novel. Some characters are very concerned that this kind of talk might ruin their reputations. What role does gossip play in the murders and in the unraveling of the mystery?
- What do you think of the marriages and other romantic relationships in this novel? Does Sarah make good choices in her partners? What about Carolyn, Betty, Peter, Larry, and Morgan? What role does romance play in this novel?
"Can a man do good by doing bad?" Book 2 of the Monty" Haaviko Criminal series.
- Reviews:
- [T]his Toronto journalist, in only his second swing at the fiction bat after 2003’s The Last Thief, has knocked one out of the Rogers Centre. In The Finger's Twist, he’s penned not only the best Canadian mystery/suspense release of the year, but a yarn light-years beyond anything the American stars have produced. . . .
Lamothe is a flash-nova in a mystery/suspense firmament of increasingly bloated egos and inferior made-for-TV product. And Winnipeg’s Turnstone has a gold-plated winner. —Winnipeg Free Press - Toronto writer Lee Lamothe has constructed a wonderful noir thriller that owes a lot to Lee Child. Never thought Toronto had any mean streets? Lamothe's story begins with a riot at the legislature and never looks back.
Charlie Tate isn't a clone of Jack Reacher. Unlike Jack, Charlie has relationships, kids, community ties. But he's like Reacher in his commitment to truth and in Lamothe's cool precise language. The Finger's Twist should be a finalist for the Arthur Ellis Award this year. —Margaret Cannon, Globe and Mail - The Finger's Twist by Canadian author Lee Lamothe was an unexpected delight, a dark journey through the roiling streets of a simmering Toronto as an off -the-books P.I. looks into the attempted bombing of the legislature, ably aided by his wheelchair-bound partner. Look for this one and when you find it, buy two: one as a gift and the other to keep for yourself. —The Calgary Herald
- [T]his Toronto journalist, in only his second swing at the fiction bat after 2003’s The Last Thief, has knocked one out of the Rogers Centre. In The Finger's Twist, he’s penned not only the best Canadian mystery/suspense release of the year, but a yarn light-years beyond anything the American stars have produced. . . .
Turnstone Press Ltd.
206-100 Arthur Street
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
R3B 1H3
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