Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

1. What were your overall impressions of the group dynamics on Meroe Island? Were you surprised by the way that these characters’ identities evolved as the novel progressed?

2. Which characters were your most and least favorite? Were you swayed by any of the first impressions that turned out to be less-than-accurate representations of the characters’ identities? 

3. Compare this book to  The Wife Upstairs (2021), The Villa (2023), or The Heiress (2024). Does this novel engage with similar themes or use any common symbols, motifs, or plot devices?

Encourage readers to connect the book’s themes and characters with their personal experiences.

1. How did you feel when Robbie’s, Nico’s, and Amma’s bodies were found? Did those deaths confirm any suspicions you had about any of the other characters? How does Hawkins foreshadow these deaths?

2. How does this book’s depiction of trust and betrayal resonate with you? Have you ever been betrayed or helped a loved one deal with having been betrayed? How do your experiences compare to any of the betrayals portrayed in the novel?