Question O

[Jonetta]

Let’s talk about Sheriff Paul King. In our last discussion, we landed on maybe giving him the benefit of the doubt (or maybe not). Do you believe the author was leading us to this outcome? Did his corruption surprise you to some degree? Your thoughts on this character...

[Robin]

His corruption did surprise me. After the last book, I thought we were being a little bit hard on him. But, I was wrong. He killed Mary Fox and Vic Kruger and didn't think anything about it. Then, when things got hot, he started killing off witnesses who could give information about that night. He didn't have a conscience at all.

[Jonetta]

The earlier books all showed him taking positions that violated innocent people’s rights and he didn’t care. While I didn’t think he was a murderer, I also thought he was unsuitable for the job because of the poor example he set for the rest of the deputies under his leadership. If the guy at the top is willing to do wrong, those under him find it easier to cut corners and accept it in others.

I just saw these traits from the first book when he jailed that boy based on flimsy circumstantial evidence and then didn’t protect him. His willingness to bully the weaker just hit me wrong. I’ve seen guys like him and know their cruelty. And, King never, ever apologized for his mess.

I used to do special investigations for a bank years ago. King reminded me of some of the worst offenders we caught. Their bullying distracted others from what they were doing, which was the point.

[Lauren]

Well, I was caught out in giving him the benefit of the doubt in the last book.

His behavior in this one was much more obviously corrupt (from the episode with the sexting). I wonder if the author didn't change her mind about his character between writing the two books.

[Jonetta]

Lauren, for me it was a huge list of stuff from the onset that pointed to character flaws. It didn’t feel like a shift, just inevitable.

[Lauren]

Jonetta wrote: "Lauren, for me it was a huge list of stuff from the onset that pointed to character flaws. It didn’t feel like a shift, just inevitable."

Yes, I think you are right.