If you are in a book club or just looking for things to ponder, I've put together a few discussion questions for Thicker Than Blood.
Readers Guide
1. Is Thicker Than Blood a thriller or a mystery or both? Mysteries generally feature a clever sleuth who unravels puzzles, while thrillers are suspense driven. Can you think of previous “mysteries” you have read that are thrillers? Do you like the combination? Why?
2. The setting, with Rachel living in and operating a parking garage in downtown Los Angeles, is a bit unusual and may not be a lifestyle that most readers would be familiar with. Do you think this adds to or detracts from the story?
3. Rachel’s partners in crime-solving, Irene and Goldie, are somewhat unusual, too. Are these characters believable? Do they make the novel more interesting, or do they get in the way of the action?
4. Do you think that the subplots involving Marty, Rachel’s father, Harry and Rachel's suspicions of Hank add to the adventure or made the plot overly complex?
5. There's a very real ongoing conflict between urban, farming and environmental interests in California (and other states such as my own state of New Mexico). I tried to provide a little insight into theses problems. Did this novel give you a better understanding of them?
6. Given her past, is Rachel’s reluctance to involve the police given her past was understandable? Do you think this made her a more - or less - interesting character?
7. Which aspects of this novel this novel did you like best: character development, action, dialog, or suspense?
8. Journalists and nonfiction writers are beginning to call water "the oil of the 21st century. Do you agree? Why or why not?
9. Did the revelation of "whodunit" catch you by surprise? What do you think of this villain?
10. As you may know, Lifeblood was written as a sequel to this novel and features many of the same characters. Did you enjoy this novel sufficiently to make you consider reading this sequel?