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Prologue:

The book hints early on that it will carry supernatural and symbolic elements. Did you notice any of these in the prologue? What jumped out at you? Do you like the use of symbolism to convey a deeper theme, or is it distracting to you as a reader? Would things have gone differently if Capt. Bartlow had been open to the lightkeeper’s assistance?

Part One:

Did you find Josee to be a likeable character? In what ways is she a product of her generation, despite her attempts to the contrary? When she faces the creature in the thicket, she flashes back to moments of helplessness in her past. Did these add to your understanding of her as a person? How does her opinion of Sgt. Turney begin to change?

Stahlherz, in his first scene, is shown interacting with his pet blackbird. Did you wonder if the bird had some other purpose at that point? As the story progresses, what did you begin to recognize about the hovering blackbirds/rooks? Do you think ICV’s recruiting methods were believable? Stahlherz seems to have a personal vendetta against the Addisons, but what things hint that ICV has a larger goal?

Did you have a hard time liking Marsh Addison? When strange things begin occurring to him, do you think his responses are natural as a man? In what ways does Sgt. Turney respond differently, particularly to Josee? At any point, did you wonder if Kara was dead, and did you suspect that Marsh might be guilty? Or possibly Henri Esprit? When did Kara get a bullet wound on her hip?

Part Two:

In what ways did John and Kris Van der Bruegge affect Josee? Do you know people like the Van der Bruegges? What is your opinion about the nurse that meets Josee in the hospital room? Did you find her disappearance startling? On page 124, Josee fights off “the loneliness that scorched her cheeks and charred the corners of her eyes.” Did you connect this passage with the book’s cover art?

Why does Stahlherz tend to quote biblical passages? When he cites samples from history, did you catch a broader picture of the serpent threat? Is this threat symbolic of a chemical weapon, a spiritual evil, or something else? At what point did you begin to suspect the connections between Stahlherz and the Addisons? Did you find yourself having any sympathy for him and his bitterness?

Do you see ways that Marsh’s relationship with his mother has bled over into his marriage? Did you understand the connection between the glass queen in the study and the ravine, or was this confusing for you? Did the knotted scarf and butterfly references fit with Kara’s disposition and predicament? In what ways did you begin to see Marsh’s care for his wife?

Part Three:

If you were Josee, how would you have reacted to Marsh at the restaurant? Sgt. Turney meets Josee outside, and “Like a child losing his footing on a rope climb, his heart slipped. One notch. Then two.” Does Josee show signs of any feelings toward Turney herself? How does Josee’s relationship with Scooter begin to change, despite the hospitality of the Van der Bruegges.

Stahlherz has lived in seclusion and anonymity, resorting to his online chess persona to confront Marsh initially. Were the chess references distracting or intriguing to you? As Kara sits trapped, she pleads with God. Who ends up coming to her in the cellar? Did Stahlherz’s gentleness soothe or scare you? When Stahlherz grabs Rosie, how did you think she would respond?

On page 165, Marsh tells Josee: “go now before you get hurt. I’m saying this for your sake.” Does he have another motive behind this? Rosie admits to Marsh that she may have told the police some incriminating things about him. Did you see this as a genuine threat? Or an old woman’s bumbling? When Marsh meets his mother later, he has a number of reactions. Do these lead him to the discovery of his father’s journal?

Part Four:

Josee and Scooter have a confrontation. Are her reactions credible, under the circumstances? Why do you think John Van der Bruegge comes downstairs? In this section, we discover a missing piece of Josee’s backstory. Does this give you greater understanding for her cynicism? Have you faced similar feelings of betrayal? How does Josee begin to find healing?

Were you surprised by the unveiling of the Professor? Do you think the Professor’s motives for revenge are understandable, even if despicable? Were you already aware of the number of Nazi scientists brought into the US after World War II? Do you think this was justified? Stahlherz begins to cough at one point. Is his ailment physical or spiritual? Or both?

As Marsh wrestles with male temptations and loneliness, his wife is also fighting loneliness. How do their situations mirror and help each other? Do you think Marsh’s choices in the bathroom scene are heartfelt? Do you think the placement of Kara’s Bible in Marsh’s personal belongings was an accident? What does Marsh read that gives him insight into his wife’s character?

Part Five:

In the Van der Bruegges’ backyard, Josee sees Scooter’s spiritual fight in a vivid way. Does she back down, or does she grow in confidence? Do you think the Van der Bruegges’ presence is an influence in this situation? What does John Van der Bruegge ask Sgt. Turney to do? Turney has troubles fulfilling his commitment? Do you relate to these struggles? Is food an addiction for you or something else?

Stahlherz begins to see himself and his pet blackbird as one. In what way do you think this is so? What does the bird represent? What makes him think he can track Marsh’s whereabouts? Is this false hope based on his own arrogance, his slipping grip on sanity, or something more insidious? What seemingly small mistake connects Stahlherz to the Professor and the terrorist plot?

Marsh feels hatred rise within, lashing out in his parlor. How does he respond later? Does the anger control him? Marsh arranges to meet and escape with Josee. Are these signs of his softening heart, or is he still acting only out of selfish motives? In Avery Park, Marsh thinks he’s helping Josee when he puts her in the car with Rosie. What distracts him? Is the threat real or imagined? Or something much darker?

Part Six:

Josee finds a sense of belonging at the bank. What suspicions rise up to squelch this emotion? Why does she return to the scene at the lighthouse when she could simply escape on her own? When Josee sees Gertrude Ubelhaar’s fearsome apparition, is she seeing an actual representation of evil? Do you believe in the concepts of darkness and light? Kara tells Gertrude that “God is light.” Do you think that’s accurate?

How does Sgt. Turney’s failure lead him to a way of escape later on? Does Stahlherz underestimate the overweight sergeant? Why does Stahlherz make his final fateful decision? Do you think he was indeed related to Marsh, or was that only a subterfuge created by the Professor? How does the Professor’s monstrous actions reflect mythological and biblical stories? Is the symbolism of the lighthouse misplaced?

Throughout the story, Marsh relies on Esprit as an old family friend and employee. Does Esprit represent anything greater in Marsh’s life? At the ocean, Marsh sees himself as a humble pawn? What did you think of his reunion with Kara? Is he a changed man? What does Josee drop that provides Marsh a way of survival? Did Josee’s “elements of survival” seem too coincidental or foreshadowed nicely?

Epilogue:

Although Marsh and Josee no longer experience supernatural visions, do you think their eyes have been opened? When Josee and Sgt. Turney meet, they seem to have formed an actual friendship. Is nine years too much of an age gap between them? The book is broken into six parts, corresponding to six biblical quotes from Ephesians. How does the author build the themes of his book around Paul’s epistle?

If you’d like to pass on comments or questions to the author, send an email to Eric Wilson at: wilsonwriter@hotmail.com, or visit his website: www.wilsonwriter.com