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The Book of Cold Cases
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The Book of Cold Cases by Simone St James - June 2022 Adult or Non-Fiction BOM (starts 2 June 2022)
DQs Day 3: Chap 20-29 10. Beth's house has seemed important from the beginning of the story and there have been a lot of descriptions of the "Frankenstein ugly" house. During one of Shea's interviews Beth told her to go upstairs and see her childhood bedroom and then she said, "Not all of the answers you want so desperately are going to come from me. Some of them are going to come from this house." What do you think Shea learned from the house when she perused Beth's room?
Shae noticed that Beth has not changed a thing about the mansion in over 40 years. It appeared, as though, a little girl would show up in the room at any time.
11. We now have a better insight into the note that was left at the murder scene that said, in part, Am I bitter or am I sweet? In this section we got a lot of details about how this "bitter/sweet" was played out in the house with Mariana and the two girls. Lily also told Beth that everything was her fault and she could have stopped it. What do you think the note will reveal about the murderer and how do you think Beth could've stopped it or could she have?
We have seen Lily's very dominant and manipulative personality shine through in Beth's memories of her. It keeps making reference to the bitter one being the one who makes it through. Beth never thought of herself as the dominant one, rather she always wanted to be the sweet one. I'm curious as to how Lily makes Beth take the blame.
12. Julian's treatment of Lily is rather atrocious, especially considering how young she is when she first visits them. Why do you think he hates her so much and who do you suspect Lily's father is? (I have only read through chapter 29 for my questions, so I don't even know if that is revealed. Just curious what others are thinking about the situation.)
I think Julian hates Lily because he didn't know anything about her until Mariana's mother died. Also, at this time, it wasn't "appropriate" to be an unwed mother. He doesn't want to have to look at this "shame" in his house.
13. Lily told Beth she wanted a lot of things, including the house. Beth told Lily she hated the house to which Lily said, "That's because you don't understand it...It's an abomination that shouldn't exist...It's exactly like me." What do you think she meant by this?
From traveling through foster homes, I'm sure Lily has learned to "harden" herself to love. She knows that she must fight for what she wants.
14. Lily appears to have more power in the relationship between her and Beth, but based on Beth's current day ability to manipulate others, do you think Lily really is the more powerful one in their relationship? Why or why not?
I think it might turn out that even though Beth seems to be the inferior of the two, she may be more quick-witted.
DQs Day 1: Chap 1-111. Have you read the The Sun Down Motel by this author? If so, does it change your expectation for this book? Either way, what are your expectations for this book?
I've not read any books by this author. I've heard good things,though and expect a suspenseful and chilling story.
2. The MC writes about cold cases and is in her late 20s and divorced. I have read quite a few horror/thriller/mystery books recently where the MC is a recently divorced, usually a bit older, woman. Have you experienced this as well? Why do you think authors might make this choice? Why do you think the choice was made for this book?
In fact the MC in my latest thriller was a happily married woman. I guess it's a good ground to build on when the MC is divorced and looking for a change and something new.
3. This section includes the start of the interview. Did it go the way you expected? Any one comment really stick out to you?
I was surprised how open Shea was with her past. Beth was more mysterious. I actually wondered why she would want Shea to come to her home for an interview. I've not yet figured out her reasons. Give me time ;-)
4. What do you think about the ghostly occurrences in this section? How do they add to the story (or maybe detract)?
They add a really nice twist to the story. I'm dying to know the explanation.
DQs Day 2: Chap 12-195. Shea is trying to explain the taps being turned on and the cupboards being opened by themselves through telekinesis. If you had experienced what she did, do you think you would have tried to explain things logically or do you think you would have believed it was ghosts and left it at that?
Sadly I do not believe in anything paranormal. I would have tried to be very logical in her situation.
6. After getting a cat, Shea calls on Michael to ask for advice on how to care for it, through the conversation she thinks about wanting to meet him. Do you think they will end up together or perhaps just remain as friends? Could Michael be interested as well?
I don't know about Michael, but Shea seems to like him. I'm not sure this is the kind of book that has a happy ending. I'm not keeping my fingers crossed.
7. Mr. Greer’s former secretary tells Shea Mrs. Greer wasn’t competent and that she was "sent away somewhere when she was eighteen". Do you think she was crazy or do you have any other theories?
I know nothing of the lady so far other than she was a distant parent. I'm keeping all options open.
8. While listening to the recording of Beth’s interview Shea hears a voice in the background whispering “I am still here” and poor Winston gets spooked. Did you find this scary? Do you think cats/animals have a feel for the supernatural? If it were you, would you come back to the house after hearing that?
I think cats have sharper senses than humans. I would think twice before going for a visit. On the other hand I would like to solve the mystery of the kitchen cabinet doors and the running water.
9. Finally, in order to get in the mood for more scary stuff. Have you or someone you know have any scary/ghostly experiences you might like to share?
When I was little my sisters and I used to tell each other ghost stories. None of them were real, though. I remember a teacher telling how he saw her dead mother sitting in a rocking chair when he came home from her funeral.
DQs Day 3: Chap 20-2910. Beth's house has seemed important from the beginning of the story and there have been a lot of descriptions of the "Frankenstein ugly" house. During one of Shea's interviews Beth told her to go upstairs and see her childhood bedroom and then she said, "Not all of the answers you want so desperately are going to come from me. Some of them are going to come from this house." What do you think Shea learned from the house when she perused Beth's room?
That it was haunted
11. We now have a better insight into the note that was left at the murder scene that said, in part, Am I bitter or am I sweet? In this section we got a lot of details about how this "bitter/sweet" was played out in the house with Mariana and the two girls. Lily also told Beth that everything was her fault and she could have stopped it. What do you think the note will reveal about the murderer and how do you think Beth could've stopped it or could she have?
I think Lily may be involvef
12. Julian's treatment of Lily is rather atrocious, especially considering how young she is when she first visits them. Why do you think he hates her so much and who do you suspect Lily's father is? (I have only read through chapter 29 for my questions, so I don't even know if that is revealed. Just curious what others are thinking about the situation.)I am not liking Julian one bit!
13. Lily told Beth she wanted a lot of things, including the house. Beth told Lily she hated the house to which Lily said, "That's because you don't understand it...It's an abomination that shouldn't exist...It's exactly like me." What do you think she meant by this?
Lily obviously feels unwanted, just like the house that no one loves.
14. Lily appears to have more power in the relationship between her and Beth, but based on Beth's current day ability to manipulate others, do you think Lily really is the more powerful one in their relationship? Why or why not?
Beth is lonely so really Lily has more power
DQs Day 2: Chap 12-195. Shea is trying to explain the taps being turned on and the cupboards being opened by themselves through telekinesis. If you had experienced what she did, do you think you would have tried to explain things logically or do you think you would have believed it was ghosts and left it at that?
I am not so sure about what I would do. I debate against the existence of ghosts but I am also scared of them. If something similar to the book happened to me I think I will react like Shea - trying to find a logical explanation first, but then I might be open to other options.
6. After getting a cat, Shea calls on Michael to ask for advice on how to care for it, through the conversation she thinks about wanting to meet him. Do you think they will end up together or perhaps just remain as friends? Could Michael be interested as well?/b>
I think they will end up together. They have been friends for a long time, so now they can move further.
7. Mr. Greer’s former secretary tells Shea Mrs. Greer wasn’t competent and that she was "sent away somewhere when she was eighteen". Do you think she was crazy or do you have any other theories?
At this moment, I am not so sure. There isn't much info given - this section has been boring for me. Nothing new was presented.
8. While listening to the recording of Beth’s interview Shea hears a voice in the background whispering “I am still here” and poor Winston gets spooked. Did you find this scary? Do you think cats/animals have a feel for the supernatural? If it were you, would you come back to the house after hearing that?
Oh it wasn't a surprise for me. Well, somewhere in previous chapter, Beth had heard her mother whimpering outside her bedroom, after trying to open the door. So it was known that her mother's ghost was there. And I am not sure about animals being able to see/hear the ghosts so no comments. But if I had heard such recording, I would definitely go back to the house. Oh I would be scared but I would also be dying for such a challenge and the thrill. hahaha
9. Finally, in order to get in the mood for more scary stuff. Have you or someone you know have any scary/ghostly experiences you might like to share?
Personally, nope and friends - many that are too long to write and I am too lazy too *wink*
DQs Day 3: Chap 20-2910. Beth's house has seemed important from the beginning of the story and there have been a lot of descriptions of the "Frankenstein ugly" house. During one of Shea's interviews Beth told her to go upstairs and see her childhood bedroom and then she said, "Not all of the answers you want so desperately are going to come from me. Some of them are going to come from this house." What do you think Shea learned from the house when she perused Beth's room?
I think she noticed that time stood still and nothing has changed. Also, the room isn't that personal so her childhood may not have been the best.
11. We now have a better insight into the note that was left at the murder scene that said, in part, Am I bitter or am I sweet? In this section we got a lot of details about how this "bitter/sweet" was played out in the house with Mariana and the two girls. Lily also told Beth that everything was her fault and she could have stopped it. What do you think the note will reveal about the murderer and how do you think Beth could've stopped it or could she have?
Lily is not a nice person. I'm not sure Beth could overtake Lily. Lily seems to be the dominant driving force behind the scenes.
12. Julian's treatment of Lily is rather atrocious, especially considering how young she is when she first visits them. Why do you think he hates her so much and who do you suspect Lily's father is? (I have only read through chapter 29 for my questions, so I don't even know if that is revealed. Just curious what others are thinking about the situation.)
I think he doesn't like her because she's not his. Also, she was a secret and I don't think he liked that she was a secret.
13. Lily told Beth she wanted a lot of things, including the house. Beth told Lily she hated the house to which Lily said, "That's because you don't understand it...It's an abomination that shouldn't exist...It's exactly like me." What do you think she meant by this?
I think she feels misunderstood and not wanted like Beth feels about the house.
14. Lily appears to have more power in the relationship between her and Beth, but based on Beth's current day ability to manipulate others, do you think Lily really is the more powerful one in their relationship? Why or why not?
I think Lily is the more powerful one. I finished the book but at this point I wanted to learn more about their relationship.
DQs Day 1: Chap 1-111. Have you read the The Sun Down Motel by this author? If so, does it change your expectation for this book? Either way, what are your expectations for this book?
No, I've not read anything by this author!
2. The MC writes about cold cases and is in her late 20s and divorced. I have read quite a few horror/thriller/mystery books recently where the MC is a recently divorced, usually a bit older, woman. Have you experienced this as well? Why do you think authors might make this choice? Why do you think the choice was made for this book?
That's a good question. I wonder how they would factor in a married person - would the married person try to take over the investigation? I'm not sure.
3. This section includes the start of the interview. Did it go the way you expected? Any one comment really stick out to you?
I wasn't expecting the blood coming out of the sink!
4. What do you think about the ghostly occurrences in this section? How do they add to the story (or maybe detract)?
I like it - it bends the genre between horror and mystery.
DQs Day 310. Beth's house has seemed important from the beginning of the story and there have been a lot of descriptions of the "Frankenstein ugly" house. During one of Shea's interviews Beth told her to go upstairs and see her childhood bedroom and then she said, "Not all of the answers you want so desperately are going to come from me. Some of them are going to come from this house." What do you think Shea learned from the house when she perused Beth's room?
I have finished reading by now so I will answer as I read which a lot about the dysfunctional relationships in the past.
11. We now have a better insight into the note that was left at the murder scene that said, in part, Am I bitter or am I sweet? In this section we got a lot of details about how this "bitter/sweet" was played out in the house with Mariana and the two girls. Lily also told Beth that everything was her fault and she could have stopped it. What do you think the note will reveal about the murderer and how do you think Beth could've stopped it or could she have?
I didn’t like the entire foster care angle leads to serial killer. I always figured she was a real person and then the ghost because this author likes ghosts.
12. Julian's treatment of Lily is rather atrocious, especially considering how young she is when she first visits them. Why do you think he hates her so much and who do you suspect Lily's father is? (I have only read through chapter 29 for my questions, so I don't even know if that is revealed. Just curious what others are thinking about the situation.)
I have finished the book. It was never that important but did tell more about the mother.
13. Lily told Beth she wanted a lot of things, including the house. Beth told Lily she hated the house to which Lily said, "That's because you don't understand it...It's an abomination that shouldn't exist...It's exactly like me." What do you think she meant by this?
The house is unhappy and doesn’t really belong as well. It is divided between the orginal form and renovations.
14. Lily appears to have more power in the relationship between her and Beth, but based on Beth's current day ability to manipulate others, do you think Lily really is the more powerful one in their relationship? Why or why not?
I think Lily is manipulative and cares less which gives her more power but Beth seemed even at this point like the kind of person who gets the final word.
DQ DAY 5 (Chapter Thirty-Nine - Forty-Eight) 19. Beth's relationship with Lily is extremely important to the story, obviously but Shea also has an older sister? What do you think the point of having both main characters have sisters? Do you think it's a purposeful connection the author made?
Yes, I think it shows the contrast of what having a supportive sibling can do when the parental relationship does not work out.
20. Why do you think Lily always kept the house the way it was decades ago? Was it just a way to torment her sister or do you think there's something more to it then that?
Control and maybe keeping it as she knew it when she was alive.
21. Shea was almost murdered by Lily because she went to Beth's mansion while she was away. Do you think Beth knew her sister would try and kill Shea?
It never says. I think Beth thought Lilly would terrorize her but not necessarily kill her.
22. How did you like the ending? Did any of the reveals surprise you? Did the conclusion for the characters feel satisfying to you?
I like this less than the Sundown motel. The relied a lot more on the ghost aspect and I didn’t like the entire sister/foster care angle. I wanted more for Shea as well.
DQs Day 3: Chap 20-2910. Beth's house has seemed important from the beginning of the story and there have been a lot of descriptions of the "Frankenstein ugly" house. During one of Shea's interviews Beth told her to go upstairs and see her childhood bedroom and then she said, "Not all of the answers you want so desperately are going to come from me. Some of them are going to come from this house." What do you think Shea learned from the house when she perused Beth's room?
Now here I have an argument. I still don't see "house" playing any role. It's the ghosts that reside in the house that are getting the spot light now. But nothing about the house itself. Like that movie Monster House. There the house plays an actual role but here, it's different. So I think Shea just learned about a ghost with blonde hair.
11. We now have a better insight into the note that was left at the murder scene that said, in part, Am I bitter or am I sweet? In this section we got a lot of details about how this "bitter/sweet" was played out in the house with Mariana and the two girls. Lily also told Beth that everything was her fault and she could have stopped it. What do you think the note will reveal about the murderer and how do you think Beth could've stopped it or could she have?
Yeah, I am having the same questions. I get that both the sisters were connected deeply. May be Lily depended on Beth for some sanity checks, while Beth borrowed Lily's insanity time after time. And in that, they both were suppose to maintain the balance, and not let anyone cross the lines. I think, Lily thought Beth didn't help her when she needed, and might have behaved like their mother - irresponsible. Wow... I thought all these while writing~~ Now I wanna get back to reading!
12. Julian's treatment of Lily is rather atrocious, especially considering how young she is when she first visits them. Why do you think he hates her so much and who do you suspect Lily's father is? (I have only read through chapter 29 for my questions, so I don't even know if that is revealed. Just curious what others are thinking about the situation.)
Me too, I am writing as soon as I finished chap 29 - don't want to be biased by more info. So, I think that their mother might have been taken advantage of by those two men that Lily killed. I think no one knew who - out of the two - was her father and so out of rage might have killed both! I am just speculating here... About Julian's behavior, well it was in that era, it is expected. Society was much different back then, was it?
13. Lily told Beth she wanted a lot of things, including the house. Beth told Lily she hated the house to which Lily said, "That's because you don't understand it...It's an abomination that shouldn't exist...It's exactly like me." What do you think she meant by this?
There might be some history. I am telling, if there isn't much history, I am going to give bad review to this book. Since first chapter, this house has been given so much importance, and if nothing came out I am going to be pissed.
That house is the representation of all the riches that family has. It is how people around them have placed that family in their society. And Lily wants to take it away, showing that it is not all bright and shining in this family. She just wants to show herself actually. Identity crisis...
14. Lily appears to have more power in the relationship between her and Beth, but based on Beth's current day ability to manipulate others, do you think Lily really is the more powerful one in their relationship? Why or why not?
Yes, if Lily was alive, she would be still just as powerful as she was when they were kids. Lily is born with that psychology, she walked with that skin, and with time, she would have been even more powerful. The current Beth is the one that learned from Lily. Although, she might be in constant battle to decide what behavior is hers and what is Lily's. Poor Beth! Beth is survivor. Most of her attitude has come while surviving all the mess everyone had created.
Day 5: Chapters 39-48 19. Beth's relationship with Lily is extremely important to the story, obviously but Shea also has an older sister? What do you think the point of having both main characters have sisters? Do you think it's a purposeful connection the author made?
I think it was done purposely. Sisterhood is a big theme of this novel. It makes Shea more empathic with Beth and what she was going through. It could also be one of the reasons why Beth finally agreed to do an interview it with someone.
20. Why do you think Lily always kept the house the way it was decades ago? Was it just a way to torment her sister or do you think there's something more to it then that?
I honestly don’t know. That is something I didn’t understand either.
21. Shea was almost murdered by Lily because she went to Beth's mansion while she was away. Do you think Beth knew her sister would try and kill Shea?
Yes, I think so, but I think Beth knew Shea needed to experience what she was going through herself. It would lend some validity to what she was describing about Lily.
22. How did you like the ending? Did any of the reveals surprise you? Did the conclusion for the characters feel satisfying to you?
It was fine. I’ve read a few of this author’s books and they are very similar. I actually the climax and how it would end.
DQs Day 4 - Chapters 30-3815. In this section, we see Beth really open up in the interview and describe two different Christmas flashbacks. The first, when Beth was 14, Lily was bruised and had been clearly abused by her foster family. We also (at least according to Beth) see the beginnings of Lily as a serial killer. Do you feel any sympathy for Lily? Do you agree with Beth that Beth could have stopped her?
Some sympathy, yes. She does not have it easy. Knowing she has a mother, but still having to live in an abusive foster home. I don't know what Beth could have done to stop her.
16. What did you think of the interview with the lawyer Ransom Wells? Why do you think he and Beth never told the police about Lily, even after the murders?
I have no clue. It baffles me that they just let Lily continue without ever needing to face the consequences of her actions.
17. Beth gets a wonderful shopping trip with her mom that immediately gets ruined when they return home and Lily is there. Lily is clearly the favorite. Why do you think that is?
I think Lily is her favorite, because she is denied a closer relationship with her.
18. Can Shea trust Michael? He seems almost too good to be true.
I hope she can trust him. He seems such a good man.
DQs Day 2: Chap 12-195. Shea is trying to explain the taps being turned on and the cupboards being opened by themselves through telekinesis. If you had experienced what she did, do you think you would have tried to explain things logically or do you think you would have believed it was ghosts and left it at that?.
I would probably try to think logically as to why this happening but then if i couldnt figure it out i*d think it was otherworldly.
6. After getting a cat, Shea calls on Michael to ask for advice on how to care for it, through the conversation she thinks about wanting to meet him. Do you think they will end up together or perhaps just remain as friends? Could Michael be interested as well?
I am unsure about why Shea is hesitant to meet him but they will meet i am sure.
7. Mr. Greer’s former secretary tells Shea Mrs. Greer wasn’t competent and that she was "sent away somewhere when she was eighteen". Do you think she was crazy or do you have any other theories?
Im not sure on the fence really between being sent away because of emotional well being or perhaps pregnant.
8. While listening to the recording of Beth’s interview Shea hears a voice in the background whispering “I am still here” and poor Winston gets spooked. Did you find this scary? Do you think cats/animals have a feel for the supernatural? If it were you, would you come back to the house after hearing that?
Yes i think animals can sense things we cannot. I wasnt scared reading it but im sure in RL i would be if I heard that. Yeah id probably go back cause I'd be curious.
9. Finally, in order to get in the mood for more scary stuff. Have you or someone you know have any scary/ghostly experiences you might like to share?
No i havent but as a kid always hoped i would.
DQs Day 3: Chap 20-2910. Beth's house has seemed important from the beginning of the story and there have been a lot of descriptions of the "Frankenstein ugly" house. During one of Shea's interviews Beth told her to go upstairs and see her childhood bedroom and then she said, "Not all of the answers you want so desperately are going to come from me. Some of them are going to come from this house." What do you think Shea learned from the house when she perused Beth's room?
I think she got to understand more why Beth could be so emotionless and how hard it was for her as a child to feel so out of place.
11. We now have a better insight into the note that was left at the murder scene that said, in part, Am I bitter or am I sweet? In this section we got a lot of details about how this "bitter/sweet" was played out in the house with Mariana and the two girls. Lily also told Beth that everything was her fault and she could have stopped it. What do you think the note will reveal about the murderer and how do you think Beth could've stopped it or could she have?
I think if we go with the premise that Lily is the murderer and Beth is protecting her, that perhaps Lily feel if Beth had been nicer or sweeter to her she wouldn't have had to resort to murder.
12. Julian's treatment of Lily is rather atrocious, especially considering how young she is when she first visits them. Why do you think he hates her so much and who do you suspect Lily's father is? (I have only read through chapter 29 for my questions, so I don't even know if that is revealed. Just curious what others are thinking about the situation.)
Perhaps he hates Lily because that would mean his wealth or his wife's wealth could be diluted it Lily inherited. Also perhaps he was expecting to be Mariana's one and only and the shame of his wife having a child out of wedlock would cause he professional problems. As to who the father is I have no idea.
13. Lily told Beth she wanted a lot of things, including the house. Beth told Lily she hated the house to which Lily said, "That's because you don't understand it...It's an abomination that shouldn't exist...It's exactly like me." What do you think she meant by this?
Because the house has been remodeled and Lily feels that she has been abandoned and now brought back into a quasi remodeled life herself.
14. Lily appears to have more power in the relationship between her and Beth, but based on Beth's current day ability to manipulate others, do you think Lily really is the more powerful one in their relationship? Why or why not?
At the start she was but i think overtime she learned from Lily and was able to change and become stronger.
5. Shea is trying to explain the taps being turned on and the cupboards being opened by themselves through telekinesis. If you had experienced what she did, do you think you would have tried to explain things logically or do you think you would have believed it was ghosts and left it at that?.Nope, No logic there! Maybe I would have found someone to take the ghost away? Or gotten the heck out of Dodge.
6. After getting a cat, Shea calls on Michael to ask for advice on how to care for it, through the conversation she thinks about wanting to meet him. Do you think they will end up together or perhaps just remain as friends? Could Michael be interested as well?
I don't know? It's either a romance, or he's someone weirdly tied up with her past trauma. He's important, I think!
7. Mr. Greer’s former secretary tells Shea Ms. Greer wasn’t competent and that she was "sent away somewhere when she was eighteen". Do you think she was crazy or do you have any other theories?
Yeah, that part was a little icky for me. We've come a long way with understanding mental illness. It's not about being "crazy" it's a lot more complicated, and many folks live with mental illness every day, and they do just fine. I hope they don't continue down that road of her being "crazy" because that sets my hackles up.
8. While listening to the recording of Beth’s interview Shea hears a voice in the background whispering “I am still here” and poor Winston gets spooked. Did you find this scary? Do you think cats/animals have a feel for the supernatural? If it were you, would you come back to the house after hearing that?
Yes! That was scary, and yes, I think animals know things we don't!
9. Finally, in order to get in the mood for more scary stuff. Have you or someone you know have any scary/ghostly experiences you might like to share?
There is a person who takes ghosts out of peoples houses who lives sort of near here. I've only heard of the results, (that they are miraculous), but I've never met him before.
10. Beth's house has seemed important from the beginning of the story and there have been a lot of descriptions of the "Frankenstein ugly" house. During one of Shea's interviews Beth told her to go upstairs and see her childhood bedroom and then she said, "Not all of the answers you want so desperately are going to come from me. Some of them are going to come from this house." What do you think Shea learned from the house when she perused Beth's room?Well, she didn't have a "normal" childhood by any stretch of the imagination!
11. We now have a better insight into the note that was left at the murder scene that said, in part, Am I bitter or am I sweet? In this section we got a lot of details about how this "bitter/sweet" was played out in the house with Mariana and the two girls. Lily also told Beth that everything was her fault and she could have stopped it. What do you think the note will reveal about the murderer and how do you think Beth could've stopped it or could she have?
I think that Lily murdered the dad. She keeps talking about how Mariana is hers, and how she hates the father. The father obviously doesn't have any good feelings towards Lily.
Lily probably is the sociopath! Or is she just acting on the rage of her situation? Maybe she convinces Beth to get the gun? Or be an accomplice in some way.
12. Julian's treatment of Lily is rather atrocious, especially considering how young she is when she first visits them. Why do you think he hates her so much and who do you suspect Lily's father is? (I have only read through chapter 29 for my questions, so I don't even know if that is revealed. Just curious what others are thinking about the situation.)
It does seem rather simple that Julian is just full of rage about Lily's father. Hmmm... The perpetrator of Shea's trauma's has got to fit in here somewhere....
13. Lily told Beth she wanted a lot of things, including the house. Beth told Lily she hated the house to which Lily said, "That's because you don't understand it...It's an abomination that shouldn't exist...It's exactly like me." What do you think she meant by this?
A simple answer would be that this is about her biological father. There's got to be some supernatural thing going on here somewhere.
14. Lily appears to have more power in the relationship between her and Beth, but based on Beth's current day ability to manipulate others, do you think Lily really is the more powerful one in their relationship? Why or why not?
I don't know! She dies later on, but she always seems to be the one in power. Beth seems to just be learning from her?
DQs Day 4 - Chapters 30-3815. In this section, we see Beth really open up in the interview and describe two different Christmas flashbacks. The first, when Beth was 14, Lily was bruised and had been clearly abused by her foster family. We also (at least according to Beth) see the beginnings of Lily as a serial killer. Do you feel any sympathy for Lily? Do you agree with Beth that Beth could have stopped her?
It is true that Lily was having a terrible childhood. But also was Beth. None of the girls got love from parents. But how is Beth supposed to stop Lily? I don't think she could. Lily was always powerful, and more than Beth. But yes, if Beth had started a communication, who knows what that outcome would have been? May be they could love each other! In any case, I have no sympathy for either Beth or Lily.
16. What did you think of the interview with the lawyer Ransom Wells? Why do you think he and Beth never told the police about Lily, even after the murders?
Time and again this question has been raised and every time, a different answer has been presented. But I think, Ransom kept it from police to save the family's reputation and Beth .... I am still not sure whether she kept it for herself to get revenge or what!
17. Beth gets a wonderful shopping trip with her mom that immediately gets ruined when they return home and Lily is there. Lily is clearly the favorite. Why do you think that is?
Pure guilt
18. Can Shea trust Michael? He seems almost too good to be true.
Oh... I forgot to doubt Michael... I totally accepted him as it is. Thanks for the reminder. Now I will keep an eye.
15. In this section, we see Beth really open up in the interview and describe two different Christmas flashbacks. The first, when Beth was 14, Lily was bruised and had been clearly abused by her foster family. We also (at least according to Beth) see the beginnings of Lily as a serial killer. Do you feel any sympathy for Lily? Do you agree with Beth that Beth could have stopped her?I don't really have a lot of sympathy for Lily. There are only the few days together that she and Beth had, and event those did not show a side of Lily that was compassionate at all. The story revolves around Beth not stopping Lily, so no. At this point of the book, it is more of just its own story instead of anything that could really be believed.
16. What did you think of the interview with the lawyer Ransom Wells? Why do you think he and Beth never told the police about Lily, even after the murders?
Well, Lily is still around, doing mischief! I think she is powerful beyond the grave.
17. Beth gets a wonderful shopping trip with her mom that immediately gets ruined when they return home and Lily is there. Lily is clearly the favorite. Why do you think that is?
Shame
18. Can Shea trust Michael? He seems almost too good to be true.
Sure! He's becoming a bit more of a flat character - just the good guy, which is nice to have in this otherwise dark tale!
19. Beth's relationship with Lily is extremely important to the story, obviously but Shea also has an older sister? What do you think the point of having both main characters have sisters? Do you think it's a purposeful connection the author made?Good question. I think it is important that they are sisters. Beth doesn't seem to have anyone else (except for maybe Black) outside of her family. I don't think an outsider would have made sense. There is also the ties of family that are not easily challenged.
20. Why do you think Lily always kept the house the way it was decades ago? Was it just a way to torment her sister or do you think there's something more to it then that?
Yes, it's just there to torment her.
21. Shea was almost murdered by Lily because she went to Beth's mansion while she was away. Do you think Beth knew her sister would try and kill Shea?
Probably. She has to lock the doors to keep her sister away every night, so that would make sense.
22. How did you like the ending? Did any of the reveals surprise you? Did the conclusion for the characters feel satisfying to you?
I thought the ending was a little flat. We learned a lot about the twists earlier in the book, which I normally don't mind too much, but there just wasn't a lot else to tell. Maybe the book was in response to a story the author heard about a haunted house? That would make the most sense to me.
DQs Day 1: Chap 1-111. Have you read the The Sun Down Motel by this author? If so, does it change your expectation for this book? Either way, what are your expectations for this book?
I didnt read the Sun Down motel by this author. I did read the Broken girls which I liked better than this book
2. The MC writes about cold cases and is in her late 20s and divorced. I have read quite a few horror/thriller/mystery books recently where the MC is a recently divorced, usually a bit older, woman. Have you experienced this as well? Why do you think authors might make this choice? Why do you think the choice was made for this book?
I have not experienced this but I think the author does this because I think the MC goes through a major shift in life.
3. This section includes the start of the interview. Did it go the way you expected? Any one comment really stick out to you?
It didnt go as I expected. There was so much back and forth which I feel made it much more interesting.
4. What do you think about the ghostly occurrences in this section? How do they add to the story (or maybe detract)?
The ghostly occurrences I felt were completely unnecessary.
DQs Day 2: Chap 12-195. Shea is trying to explain the taps being turned on and the cupboards being opened by themselves through telekinesis. If you had experienced what she did, do you think you would have tried to explain things logically or do you think you would have believed it was ghosts and left it at that?.
I would have first tried to explain it logically. Ghosts would be my last guess.
6. After getting a cat, Shea calls on Michael to ask for advice on how to care for it, through the conversation she thinks about wanting to meet him. Do you think they will end up together or perhaps just remain as friends? Could Michael be interested as well?
Definitely, would love for them to get together. He seems like an interesting character.
7. Mr. Greer’s former secretary tells Shea Mrs. Greer wasn’t competent and that she was "sent away somewhere when she was eighteen". Do you think she was crazy or do you have any other theories?
I thought that she was crazy.
8. While listening to the recording of Beth’s interview Shea hears a voice in the background whispering “I am still here” and poor Winston gets spooked. Did you find this scary? Do you think cats/animals have a feel for the supernatural? If it were you, would you come back to the house after hearing that?
Yes, thought is was kind of scary. No dont think that animals feel the supernatural. I wouldnt go back into the house alone. lol
9. Finally, in order to get in the mood for more scary stuff. Have you or someone you know have any scary/ghostly experiences you might like to share?
I am a scaredy cat. I don't like scary stories
Qs Day 3: Chap 20-2910. Beth's house has seemed important from the beginning of the story and there have been a lot of descriptions of the "Frankenstein ugly" house. During one of Shea's interviews Beth told her to go upstairs and see her childhood bedroom and then she said, "Not all of the answers you want so desperately are going to come from me. Some of them are going to come from this house." What do you think Shea learned from the house when she perused Beth's room?
I think that Shea learned that something was definitely off with the house.
11. We now have a better insight into the note that was left at the murder scene that said, in part, Am I bitter or am I sweet? In this section we got a lot of details about how this "bitter/sweet" was played out in the house with Mariana and the two girls. Lily also told Beth that everything was her fault and she could have stopped it. What do you think the note will reveal about the murderer and how do you think Beth could've stopped it or could she have?
There are definitely some mind games going on
12. Julian's treatment of Lily is rather atrocious, especially considering how young she is when she first visits them. Why do you think he hates her so much and who do you suspect Lily's father is? (I have only read through chapter 29 for my questions, so I don't even know if that is revealed. Just curious what others are thinking about the situation.)
I think it was a constant reminder of his wife's past.
13. Lily told Beth she wanted a lot of things, including the house. Beth told Lily she hated the house to which Lily said, "That's because you don't understand it...It's an abomination that shouldn't exist...It's exactly like me." What do you think she meant by this?
Lily relates to the house because both are unwanted
14. Lily appears to have more power in the relationship between her and Beth, but based on Beth's current day ability to manipulate others, do you think Lily really is the more powerful one in their relationship? Why or why not?
I think Lily has the greater power otherwise Beth wouldnt have left.
DQs Day 1: Chap 1-111. Have you read the The Sun Down Motel by this author? If so, does it change your expectation for this book? Either way, what are your expectations for this book?
Yes, I read it two years ago. No, I expect it will be just as good if not better. The summary sounds very creepy and I have a feeling that there will aspects that are unexplained the same as in The Sun Down Motel.
2. The MC writes about cold cases and is in her late 20s and divorced. I have read quite a few horror/thriller/mystery books recently where the MC is a recently divorced, usually a bit older, woman. Have you experienced this as well? Why do you think authors might make this choice? Why do you think the choice was made for this book?
I have and it seems like that has become the standard for books of this genre. I feel that it makes the character more mature in some ways when they have a complicated past or relationship. Shea has her own deep dark secret and therefore was able to somewhat sympathize with Beth and hopefully get her to share her story more easily.
3. This section includes the start of the interview. Did it go the way you expected? Any one comment really stick out to you?
It was about what I expected. I do like hearing Shea's story because it explains her personality. The one about her mother being trapped in her marriage.
4. What do you think about the ghostly occurrences in this section? How do they add to the story (or maybe detract)?
Creepy, I thought it adds to the mystery of the story.
Mod
DQ1: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
DQ2: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
DQ4: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
DQs Day 1: Chap 1-111. Have you read the The Sun Down Motel by this author? If so, does it change your expectation for this book? Either way, what are your expectations for this book?
I have not read The Sun Down Motel, but I remember seeing lots of people reading it. It's on my TBR list. I had no expectations for this book, other than it being about old unsolved cases because of the title.
2. The MC writes about cold cases and is in her late 20s and divorced. I have read quite a few horror/thriller/mystery books recently where the MC is a recently divorced, usually a bit older, woman. Have you experienced this as well? Why do you think authors might make this choice? Why do you think the choice was made for this book?
I've also read a few books recently where the MC is a woman who is either single or divorced in her 20s. I guess it opens up the opportunity for a love interest later or makes them seem more vulnerable to the spooky stuff.
3. This section includes the start of the interview. Did it go the way you expected? Any one comment really stick out to you?
I can't say anything stuck out to me, but it seems to go pretty much as I expected it to start.
4. What do you think about the ghostly occurrences in this section? How do they add to the story (or maybe detract)?
I'm keeping my mind open, but I guess I would have preferred the story without a supernatural element, unless it is all in Beth's head. I doubt that will be the case though.
DQs Day 2: Chap 12-195. Shea is trying to explain the taps being turned on and the cupboards being opened by themselves through telekinesis. If you had experienced what she did, do you think you would have tried to explain things logically or do you think you would have believed it was ghosts and left it at that?
I think I would probably question how these are happening at the same time not leaving out that there might be a ghost.
6. After getting a cat, Shea calls on Michael to ask for advice on how to care for it, through the conversation she thinks about wanting to meet him. Do you think they will end up together or perhaps just remain as friends? Could Michael be interested as well?
I think they will end up together. It just seems a little to easy that she turns to him with questions like this and that he readily always answers the phone. I think he might be interested as well.
7. Mr. Greer’s former secretary tells Shea Mrs. Greer wasn’t competent and that she was "sent away somewhere when she was eighteen". Do you think she was crazy or do you have any other theories?
I have a feeling she was not crazy but that she knew about what was "going on" in the house therefore making everyone think she is crazy.
8. While listening to the recording of Beth’s interview Shea hears a voice in the background whispering “I am still here” and poor Winston gets spooked. Did you find this scary? Do you think cats/animals have a feel for the supernatural? If it were you, would you come back to the house after hearing that?
It's creepy as all get out especially with Winston reacting the way he did. I definitely feel that cats have a feel for the supernatural from past experience. I don't know if I would, if I did I would be on edge.
9. Finally, in order to get in the mood for more scary stuff. Have you or someone you know have any scary/ghostly experiences you might like to share?
When I was a little kid we rented an old house that was haunted. We got strange phone calls, in particular from my grandmother who had passed away. Also, it sounded like people going up and down the stairs all night long. My cat was spooked a lot of the time. He would walk into a room and you could see the fur on his back stand on end and he would be on alert as if someone was there that he didn't recognize. There were other incidents that occurred that led to my parents having us move faster than they had planned.
DQs Day 3: Chap 20-2910. Beth's house has seemed important from the beginning of the story and there have been a lot of descriptions of the "Frankenstein ugly" house. During one of Shea's interviews Beth told her to go upstairs and see her childhood bedroom and then she said, "Not all of the answers you want so desperately are going to come from me. Some of them are going to come from this house." What do you think Shea learned from the house when she perused Beth's room?
I think she learned about Beth's childhood somewhat because nothing had been changed. Everything is frozen in time. It wasn't the bedroom of a normal child and explains why she seems to be so emotionless.
11. We now have a better insight into the note that was left at the murder scene that said, in part, Am I bitter or am I sweet? In this section we got a lot of details about how this "bitter/sweet" was played out in the house with Mariana and the two girls. Lily also told Beth that everything was her fault and she could have stopped it. What do you think the note will reveal about the murderer and how do you think Beth could've stopped it or could she have?
I don't know that Beth could have stopped it or maybe Lily taunted her into believing that she could have stopped it. I think the note will reveal the anger behind the actions but I'm not really sure.
12. Julian's treatment of Lily is rather atrocious, especially considering how young she is when she first visits them. Why do you think he hates her so much and who do you suspect Lily's father is? (I have only read through chapter 29 for my questions, so I don't even know if that is revealed. Just curious what others are thinking about the situation.)
I think he hates her because he married his wife not knowing about her. She was a deep, dark secret that wasn't told to him before marrying Mariana. I have a feeling it's one of the two other men that died.
13. Lily told Beth she wanted a lot of things, including the house. Beth told Lily she hated the house to which Lily said, "That's because you don't understand it...It's an abomination that shouldn't exist...It's exactly like me." What do you think she meant by this?
I think maybe she knew that she was born out of wedlock and unwanted. The house was remodeled or reborn and is also unwanted.
14. Lily appears to have more power in the relationship between her and Beth, but based on Beth's current day ability to manipulate others, do you think Lily really is the more powerful one in their relationship? Why or why not?
I think Lily is simply because she has gotten into Beth's head. She's strong willed in a not good way whereas Beth is a different type of powerful in that she more comfortable in her own skin.
DQs Day 1: Chap 1-111. Have you read the The Sun Down Motel by this author? If so, does it change your expectation for this book? Either way, what are your expectations for this book? Yes, I have. And I hope it plays out like other Simone St. James books.
2. The MC writes about cold cases and is in her late 20s and divorced. I have read quite a few horror/thriller/mystery books recently where the MC is a recently divorced, usually a bit older, woman. Have you experienced this as well? Why do you think authors might make this choice? Why do you think the choice was made for this book? Being able to write from the point of view of a character that is starting over and free from familial obligations, makes it easier for the character to move freely. There’s no husband and kids holding her back, especially when writing about a character in a historical fiction. Freedoms single women have today were likely tied to a husband in the past. As a divorcee, those freedoms would still be intact. It also allows for new romances in the plot.
3. This section includes the start of the interview. Did it go the way you expected? Any one comment really stick out to you? I expected mystery but not anger. Forlorn mystery maybe what I expected of the character. No quote sticks out, but I went into it knowing Beth was innocent, and we wouldn’t get much. I was surprised that the paranormal element wasn’t slid into easier. Maybe more hesitation on the side of the haunter. I wanted to know more, but there’s too much book left.
4. What do you think about the ghostly occurrences in this section? How do they add to the story (or maybe detract)? I knew there would be paranormal occurrences, so I was expecting it. It’s always odd to me how authors tie the fantasy part of a story into the probable parts. So much of this story seems to based on the paranormal, that it might be hard to convince characters that will eventually need to know. There has to be resistance or the author is taking it too easy
DQs Day 2: Chap 12-195. Shea is trying to explain the taps being turned on and the cupboards being opened by themselves through telekinesis. If you had experienced what she did, do you think you would have tried to explain things logically or do you think you would have believed it was ghosts and left it at that? Logically. Temperature changes. Metal fatigue. Contaminated water. Electromagnetism.
6. After getting a cat, Shea calls on Michael to ask for advice on how to care for it, through the conversation she thinks about wanting to meet him. Do you think they will end up together or perhaps just remain as friends? Could Michael be interested as well? I think the relationship will progress, but I don’t think St James will turn it into a focal point. The story doesn’t need it, but it does need some comic relief/tension relief. I think the Shea and Beth quasi-friendship is far more intriguing and important in this case.
7. Mr. Greer’s former secretary tells Shea Mrs. Greer wasn’t competent and that she was "sent away somewhere when she was eighteen". Do you think she was crazy or do you have any other theories? Back then they sent girls away for anything. Maybe not quote into the 50s, but parents committed their kids for anything from smoking to running away to flirting at church. If she didn’t want to do her part for the family, a psychiatric hospital would be the place to let her stew.
8. While listening to the recording of Beth’s interview Shea hears a voice in the background whispering “I am still here” and poor Winston gets spooked. Did you find this scary? Do you think cats/animals have a feel for the supernatural? If it were you, would you come back to the house after hearing that? Generally human ears are capable of detecting certain frequencies, while dogs/cats/animals are capable of picking up sounds we don’t hear i.e. dog whistles. If there is an EVP there, the good Sir heard it. I would gladly go back. Maybe Beth is dead too. Too bad Bruce Willis is retiring.
9. Finally, in order to get in the mood for more scary stuff. Have you or someone you know have any scary/ghostly experiences you might like to share? Not that I know of. I’m a pretty staunch atheist and the afterlife and the various iterations all fall into the non-belief. I believe in the existence of the multiverse/parallel universes that come with an infinite universe. That they could be happening right beside us? No. The whole idea is fun though.
DQs Day 2: Chap 12-195. Shea is trying to explain the taps being turned on and the cupboards being opened by themselves through telekinesis. If you had experienced what she did, do you think you would have tried to explain things logically or do you think you would have believed it was ghosts and left it at that?.
I would have looked for an explanation. Granted, it’s hard to imagine exactly what that explanation would look like, given the circumstances, but I don’t think I’d just let it go. Particularly given that Shea has to be questioning if Beth is trying to fool her in some way.
6. After getting a cat, Shea calls on Michael to ask for advice on how to care for it, through the conversation she thinks about wanting to meet him. Do you think they will end up together or perhaps just remain as friends? Could Michael be interested as well?
I suspect Michael is interested, and has been wanting to meet Shea for a while. I think it’s very possible that the two end up together, although it’s by no means the only way the plot could go as it currently stands. He could even end up being a bad guy, although I doubt it.
7. Mr. Greer’s former secretary tells Shea Mrs. Greer wasn’t competent and that she was "sent away somewhere when she was eighteen". Do you think she was crazy or do you have any other theories?
Crazy is a fairly imprecise term. For centuries, wealthy families have sent difficult, troubled, independent, outspoken, annoying, abused, and /or inconvenient family members, particularly women, to mental health care facilities. Mariana may have had mental health issues, she may have been subject to domestic abuse of some kind, she may have had an unplanned pregnancy, orshe may have wanted some type of life other than the one her family wanted for her - who knows? A lot of women of the era were kept in their place with prescription drugs (Miltown, Valium - so many choices). A little involuntary rest cure, a handful of drugs - a lot of ‘problems’ were solved that way.
Or, she really was nuts. We’ll see.
8. While listening to the recording of Beth’s interview Shea hears a voice in the background whispering “I am still here” and poor Winston gets spooked. Did you find this scary? Do you think cats/animals have a feel for the supernatural? If it were you, would you come back to the house after hearing that?
My cats dislike recorded voices on principle, so Winston’s behavior wouldn’t shock me, lol. Do I think my cats see and hear things I don’t? Yes. Do I also think they sometimes pretend to see and hear things to fake me and their friends and relations out? Yes. But would I go back to the house? Frankly, I probably wouldn’t have goe there in the first place.
9. Finally, in order to get in the mood for more scary stuff. Have you or someone you know have any scary/ghostly experiences you might like to share.
Nope, no way - not having that conversation.
DQs Day 3: Chap 20-2910. Beth's house has seemed important from the beginning of the story and there have been a lot of descriptions of the "Frankenstein ugly" house. During one of Shea's interviews Beth told her to go upstairs and see her childhood bedroom and then she said, "Not all of the answers you want so desperately are going to come from me. Some of them are going to come from this house." What do you think Shea learned from the house when she perused Beth's room? For such a large home, the childhood bedroom seems small. Like it would have been built for a lady’s maid, not the child of the house.
11. We now have a better insight into the note that was left at the murder scene that said, in part, Am I bitter or am I sweet? In this section we got a lot of details about how this "bitter/sweet" was played out in the house with Mariana and the two girls. Lily also told Beth that everything was her fault and she could have stopped it. What do you think the note will reveal about the murderer and how do you think Beth could've stopped it or could she have? I think Beth’s guilt is the guilt of someone who didn’t act when they could have. They question every action and every conversation and ask the what if’s until they are blue in the face. A guilt by association deal. Lily plays on this. By continuing this narrative, Lily is able to keep Beth under her thumb and compliant. The more Beth questions herself, the more Lily can get away with. The note is less about the content than the hand that wrote it. Beth wasn’t convicted based on hand writing analysis, but the style had to be enough alike to question it. My handwriting is turning more and more into my mother’s everyday.
12. Julian's treatment of Lily is rather atrocious, especially considering how young she is when she first visits them. Why do you think he hates her so much and who do you suspect Lily's father is? (I have only read through chapter 29 for my questions, so I don't even know if that is revealed. Just curious what others are thinking about the situation.)
Because she has the possibility of tarnishing his good name. And he likely looks at it as being tricked by Mariana’s parents who sold him used goods. As far as Lily’s father, a part of me hopes it’s someone already mentioned or prevalent in the community. It would add further insult to Julian and make the story juicer.
13. Lily told Beth she wanted a lot of things, including the house. Beth told Lily she hated the house to which Lily said, "That's because you don't understand it...It's an abomination that shouldn't exist...It's exactly like me." What do you think she meant by this? It’s part of the house not fitting into a time frame or style. Wealthy people don’t do Frankenstein homes. They need things to fit into perfect examples in perfect boxes or they will not fit in. That the house is an oddity is further proof of Julien’s disinterest in anything there. He can lump it’s ugliness in with his liar wife and ruined family. Nothing represents that more than what he feels ruined it: Lily.
14. Lily appears to have more power in the relationship between her and Beth, but based on Beth's current day ability to manipulate others, do you think Lily really is the more powerful one in their relationship? Why or why not? As a kid, the older sibling is always the more powerful one. They learn things first, test things first, fail first. Somewhere along the way the younger one catches up. Beth catches up and surpasses her sister because of life experiences her sister wasn’t mentally capable of experiencing. Lily stopped maturing at an age earlier than Beth. Things like empathy come with experience.
DQs Day 1: Chap 1-111. Have you read the The Sun Down Motel by this author? If so, does it change your expectation for this book? Either way, what are your expectations for this book?
I have read The Sun Down Motel and loved it! It hasn’t changed my expectations, so much as let me know to expect something creepy with some possible ghost elements. I also know this is an author whose books I enjoy listening to rather than reading.
2. The MC writes about cold cases and is in her late 20s and divorced. I have read quite a few horror/thriller/mystery books recently where the MC is a recently divorced, usually a bit older, woman. Have you experienced this as well? Why do you think authors might make this choice? Why do you think the choice was made for this book?
I think that type of main character was a trend for awhile (woman in the window, etc). This MC might be younger to relate more to all of the true crime fans that are prevalent - me included!
3. This section includes the start of the interview. Did it go the way you expected? Any one comment really stick out to you?
I wasn't expecting some of the creepiness to start already with the cabinet doors and faucets. I also wasn’t sure Shea would open up so soon about her past.
4. What do you think about the ghostly occurrences in this section? How do they add to the story (or maybe detract)
It’s helping to build up what is for sure coming later. And I’m so curious who the ghosts are/is. Is it Beth’s mom? Is her dad involved? I can’t wait to read more!
DQs Day 3: Chap 20-2910. Beth's house has seemed important from the beginning of the story and there have been a lot of descriptions of the "Frankenstein ugly" house. During one of Shea's interviews Beth told her to go upstairs and see her childhood bedroom and then she said, "Not all of the answers you want so desperately are going to come from me. Some of them are going to come from this house." What do you think Shea learned from the house when she perused Beth's room?
Hmmm. Well, she learned that nothing had changed, which certainly could indicate Beth is suffering from severe mental illness. I think her visit upstairs also reinforced the idea that the house was haunted.
11. We now have a better insight into the note that was left at the murder scene that said, in part, Am I bitter or am I sweet? In this section we got a lot of details about how this "bitter/sweet" was played out in the house with Mariana and the two girls. Lily also told Beth that everything was her fault and she could have stopped it. What do you think the note will reveal about the murderer and how do you think Beth could've stopped it or could she have?
I strongly suspect the only way Beth could have stopped the murders would have been by doing somthing horrible herself. Lily seems to be both very damaged and very determined - and very manipulative.
12. Julian's treatment of Lily is rather atrocious, especially considering how young she is when she first visits them. Why do you think he hates her so much and who do you suspect Lily's father is? (I have only read through chapter 29 for my questions, so I don't even know if that is revealed. Just curious what others are thinking about the situation.)
We’re only getting a child’s perspective of what was going on - we’re missing a lot of backstory. The relationship between Julian and Mariana seems to have been poor before the revelation of Lily, but perhaps he resents her as the wedge that pushed them further apart? Julian isn’t particularly sympathetic, but marriage to Mariana, who appears to be drunk and/or drugged all the time can’t have been pleasant.
13. Lily told Beth she wanted a lot of things, including the house. Beth told Lily she hated the house to which Lily said, "That's because you don't understand it...It's an abomination that shouldn't exist...It's exactly like me." What do you think she meant by this?
The house has been repeatedly described as an architectural disaster, something that shouldn’t have been attempted. Lily was (apparently) an unplanned disaster for Mariana. Perhaps her relationship (however brief, consensual or not) is something that should not have happened - an abomination, in fact. Lily was certainly rejected. By embracing the rejection, by calling herself an abomination perhaps she’s attempting to make the narrative her own and to draw strength from it? Whatever is going on, she’s scary.
14. Lily appears to have more power in the relationship between her and Beth, but based on Beth's current day ability to manipulate others, do you think Lily really is the more powerful one in their relationship? Why or why not?
In childhood, I suspect Beth really was the weaker of the two. As they grew older, that dynamic may have changed, but at this point, Beth thinks that as the sweet one, she’s the one not destined to survive.
DQ DAY 5 (Chapter Thirty-Nine - Forty-Eight)19. Beth's relationship with Lily is extremely important to the story, obviously but Shea also has an older sister? What do you think the point of having both main characters have sisters? Do you think it's a purposeful connection the author made?
Yes, there was a point in there. And Simone also pointed it out in the form of a phone call. Shea called her sister to tell her everything that was going on and said that she seemed to be far away but she doesn't want to be like that anymore. Esther was also created to symbolize how Lily could have been if she wasn't what & how she was. But I think one more parameter should be considered here - era. Lily's era was completely different than Shea's, and so the society's reactions are different. Lily had psychological disorder, but there was also a major role of society at that time who kept pushing her. For Esther, she didn't have to face what Lily faced, yet they are compared to each other. It's complicated comparison.
20. Why do you think Lily always kept the house the way it was decades ago? Was it just a way to torment her sister or do you think there's something more to it then that?
Simone wrote that Beth was mourning for all the deaths in her family. She didn't pay attention to the house then. Afterwards, Lily wouldn't allow any change. But it is true, there was a period where Beth could have changed/moved out of the house, and yet she didn't. I am thinking it is a human thing. Beth was somehow attached emotionally to the house where she grew up, where she had memories with her family, and it might be difficult for her to move. But Simone also repeats that Beth wanted to move out. So it is a little confusing. Although, I am satisfied with the plot about Beth and her house. I can accept the confusion.
21. Shea was almost murdered by Lily because she went to Beth's mansion while she was away. Do you think Beth knew her sister would try and kill Shea?
Definitely, Beth had anticipated it. And I think she allowed that interaction to happen so that both of them can know each other better.
22. How did you like the ending? Did any of the reveals surprise you? Did the conclusion for the characters feel satisfying to you?
The story was predictable - nothing new in it. But I liked the narration. I liked the rhythm with which information was presented in the story, the way the characters were developed and the way they interacted. I like the last chapter and the way things were wrapped up. Although there were few things that were left out but it's alright to me. Overall, I loved the book.
DQs Day 2: Chap 12-195. Shea is trying to explain the taps being turned on and the cupboards being opened by themselves through telekinesis. If you had experienced what she did, do you think you would have tried to explain things logically or do you think you would have believed it was ghosts and left it at that?.
I probably would have believed it was ghosts, but would have tried to convince myself of something logical so I didn't get freaked out. When I was reading that in part 1, it made me think of the movie Poltergeist and how scared I was watching that as a kid.
6. After getting a cat, Shea calls on Michael to ask for advice on how to care for it, through the conversation she thinks about wanting to meet him. Do you think they will end up together or perhaps just remain as friends? Could Michael be interested as well?
I think they will end up meeting. He could be a love interest for her, or someone that will help when she has to inevitably face whatever is happening in Beth's house.
7. Mr. Greer’s former secretary tells Shea Mrs. Greer wasn’t competent and that she was "sent away somewhere when she was eighteen". Do you think she was crazy or do you have any other theories?
I don't think she was crazy, maybe just misunderstood. I wonder if it has something to do with the house and ghosts. Maybe she always saw them (what is trapping her?) and no one believed her and thought she was crazy. It could have also just been that time period - women were often considered "hysterical" undeservedly.
8. While listening to the recording of Beth’s interview Shea hears a voice in the background whispering “I am still here” and poor Winston gets spooked. Did you find this scary? Do you think cats/animals have a feel for the supernatural? If it were you, would you come back to the house after hearing that?
Super scary! I would have a really hard time going back to the house after that. Although I also would have once the taps started turning on and I saw the blood originally.
9. Finally, in order to get in the mood for more scary stuff. Have you or someone you know have any scary/ghostly experiences you might like to share?
We joke that my grandmother hangs around and is more of a meddling/trickster ghost than scary. Especially around her birthday, things go missing or doors weirdly open and we warn each other that grandma is up to her tricks. The only creepy part surrounding that is a story from when my cousin's daughter was a toddler - they found her talking to someone alone in her room and when asked about it, she said it was grandma.
DQs Day 3: Chap 20-2910. Beth's house has seemed important from the beginning of the story and there have been a lot of descriptions of the "Frankenstein ugly" house. During one of Shea's interviews Beth told her to go upstairs and see her childhood bedroom and then she said, "Not all of the answers you want so desperately are going to come from me. Some of them are going to come from this house." What do you think Shea learned from the house when she perused Beth's room?
I think it's interesting and odd that everything in the house is the same. Beth tried to throw things away and they ended up back in the house. I think Shea is starting to learn about the mystery surrounding the house, even if she (and the reader) doesn't totally understand it yet.
11. We now have a better insight into the note that was left at the murder scene that said, in part, Am I bitter or am I sweet? In this section we got a lot of details about how this "bitter/sweet" was played out in the house with Mariana and the two girls. Lily also told Beth that everything was her fault and she could have stopped it. What do you think the note will reveal about the murderer and how do you think Beth could've stopped it or could she have?
I don't think it's Beth's fault; I think Lily is just saying that to manipulate Beth. I think Lily may have killed Beth's father so she could move into the house with Beth and her mother.
12. Julian's treatment of Lily is rather atrocious, especially considering how young she is when she first visits them. Why do you think he hates her so much and who do you suspect Lily's father is? (I have only read through chapter 29 for my questions, so I don't even know if that is revealed. Just curious what others are thinking about the situation.)
I think he's mad that Mariana had a child out of wedlock and he didn't know about it. He's resentful of Lily and what her existence means. I don't think he was particularly nice to Mariana, so I wouldn't expect him to be nice to her child.
13. Lily told Beth she wanted a lot of things, including the house. Beth told Lily she hated the house to which Lily said, "That's because you don't understand it...It's an abomination that shouldn't exist...It's exactly like me." What do you think she meant by this?
Lily can feel she isn't wanted by Julian. Because she's been in foster care and apparently moved around to different families, I think she feels like an abomination. But I also wonder if there is something more sinister involved. Especially since Lily dreamed about visiting the house and her footprints showed up in real life.
14. Lily appears to have more power in the relationship between her and Beth, but based on Beth's current day ability to manipulate others, do you think Lily really is the more powerful one in their relationship? Why or why not?
Beth was a naive little girl who was pretty sheltered. Lily had more life experiences and was hardened from her time in foster care. I think Beth is more manipulative in present day because she's had to learn to be so. She survived being arrested and tried for the murders and she's lived in the creepy house for so long.
DQs Day 1: Chap 1-111. Have you read the The Sun Down Motel by this author? If so, does it change your expectation for this book? Either way, what are your expectations for this book?
No, I haven't read that book. I don't really have any expectations for this book - just hoping I'll enjoy it since it's not a genre I usually read.
2. The MC writes about cold cases and is in her late 20s and divorced. I have read quite a few horror/thriller/mystery books recently where the MC is a recently divorced, usually a bit older, woman. Have you experienced this as well? Why do you think authors might make this choice? Why do you think the choice was made for this book?
I don't normally read this genre, so I don't really have an opinion yet on this choice by the author.
3. This section includes the start of the interview. Did it go the way you expected? Any one comment really stick out to you?
I was surprised Beth agreed to talk to Shea. I'm listening to the audiobook and it's been a few days since I listened to this part - nothing sticks in my mind.
4. What do you think about the ghostly occurrences in this section? How do they add to the story (or maybe detract)?
This was interesting to me - and spooky! Yes, it adds to the story.
DQs Day 2: Chap 12-195. Shea is trying to explain the taps being turned on and the cupboards being opened by themselves through telekinesis. If you had experienced what she did, do you think you would have tried to explain things logically or do you think you would have believed it was ghosts and left it at that?.
I would have believed in the ghosts!
6. After getting a cat, Shea calls on Michael to ask for advice on how to care for it, through the conversation she thinks about wanting to meet him. Do you think they will end up together or perhaps just remain as friends? Could Michael be interested as well?
I don't think there is a romantic slant here.
7. Mr. Greer’s former secretary tells Shea Mrs. Greer wasn’t competent and that she was "sent away somewhere when she was eighteen". Do you think she was crazy or do you have any other theories?
I don't have any other theories.
8. While listening to the recording of Beth’s interview Shea hears a voice in the background whispering “I am still here” and poor Winston gets spooked. Did you find this scary? Do you think cats/animals have a feel for the supernatural? If it were you, would you come back to the house after hearing that?
I think animals can sense things that we can see or perceive.
9. Finally, in order to get in the mood for more scary stuff. Have you or someone you know have any scary/ghostly experiences you might like to share?
None.
DQs Day 1: Chap 1-111. Have you read the The Sun Down Motel by this author? If so, does it change your expectation for this book? Either way, what are your expectations for this book?
I have read the Sun Down Motel. My expectation is for a very good book.
2. The MC writes about cold cases and is in her late 20s and divorced. I have read quite a few horror/thriller/mystery books recently where the MC is a recently divorced, usually a bit older, woman. Have you experienced this as well? Why do you think authors might make this choice? Why do you think the choice was made for this book?
I don't know if I have noticed that the women are divorced or not, not taken much notice of their age that is has made an impression. But not married makes sense for relationship possibilities.
3. This section includes the start of the interview. Did it go the way you expected? Any one comment really stick out to you?
No expectations. They seem to begin by interviewing each other.
4. What do you think about the ghostly occurrences in this section? How do they add to the story (or maybe detract)?
The ghostly distractions are laying the groundwork for Beth's history to be revealed and what may happen later in the book.
DQs Day 1: Chap 1-111. Have you read the The Sun Down Motel by this author? If so, does it change your expectation for this book? Either way, what are your expectations for this book? I have not read The Sun Down Motel or any books by this author before. From the précis for some reason I expected this be a drier read, but within the first chapter I was immediately engaged and could not put down the book.
2. The MC writes about cold cases and is in her late 20s and divorced. I have read quite a few horror/thriller/mystery books recently where the MC is a recently divorced, usually a bit older, woman. Have you experienced this as well? Why do you think authors might make this choice? Why do you think the choice was made for this book? I primarily read Urban Fantasy and Paranormal books so I can’t speak specifically to the horror/thriller/mystery genres, but there is this trend in paranormal books as well. I am seeing a lot of “midlife” divorcee paranormal books cropping up, and some of them do have a slight mystery aspect. I have noticed it and found it interesting, and would guess that voracious women readers have gotten more progressively tired of the 21-year old virginal victim ingenue that used to pepper books so prolifically decades ago. So like anything our reading tastes have evolved from that and this trend is what seems to be more appealing to women readers now.
3. This section includes the start of the interview. Did it go the way you expected? Any one comment really stick out to you? I loved how Beth Greer turned the tables a bit on Shea and got her to open up as well about her past trauma.
4. What do you think about the ghostly occurrences in this section? How do they add to the story (or maybe detract)? Although I love paranormal books, the ghostly occurrences at this point in the book I actually find distracting and not necessary to the plot (although we’ll see how that develops). To me the characters of Beth and Shea are just so interesting, I want the book to keep focusing on them and not faucets turning on when no one is there.
DQs Day 2: Chap 12-195. Shea is trying to explain the taps being turned on and the cupboards being opened by themselves through telekinesis. If you had experienced what she did, do you think you would have tried to explain things logically or do you think you would have believed it was ghosts and left it at that? At first I would have been frightened as Shea was, but I tend to be a logical person and I’m sure I would have rationalized it away later.
6. After getting a cat, Shea calls on Michael to ask for advice on how to care for it, through the conversation she thinks about wanting to meet him. Do you think they will end up together or perhaps just remain as friends? Could Michael be interested as well? I just kind of figured once they admitted to each on the phone early in the book that they were both divorced, that it was a foregone conclusion that they would end up with each other by the end of the book. But I could be surprised and maybe that doesn’t happen at all.
7. Mr. Greer’s former secretary tells Shea Mrs. Greer wasn’t competent and that she was "sent away somewhere when she was eighteen". Do you think she was crazy or do you have any other theories? I did think there was going to be this whole storyline involving Mariana being crazy - and while that didn’t play out exactly that way from what I have read so far, it’s clear that her life experiences had caused her to have emotional and mental breakdowns, and that she was rather fragile actually.
8. While listening to the recording of Beth’s interview Shea hears a voice in the background whispering “I am still here” and poor Winston gets spooked. Did you find this scary? Do you think cats/animals have a feel for the supernatural? If it were you, would you come back to the house after hearing that? Yes, I was completely spooked by this scene! You could not have paid me to have gone back into that house after experiencing that. In regards to animals having a feel for the supernatural, I don’t know - why would they be more sensitive to it than humans?
9. Finally, in order to get in the mood for more scary stuff. Have you or someone you know have any scary/ghostly experiences you might like to share? I personally have not, although I look forward to reading other people’s answers on this!
DQs Day 4 - Chapters 30-38 15. In this section, we see Beth really open up in the interview and describe two different Christmas flashbacks. The first, when Beth was 14, Lily was bruised and had been clearly abused by her foster family. We also (at least according to Beth) see the beginnings of Lily as a serial killer. Do you feel any sympathy for Lily? Do you agree with Beth that Beth could have stopped her? While I agree that Lily had some bad experiences when she was a teenager, it was clear from Beth’s flashbacks in the book that from a very young age (I think Lily was 10 when Beth met her) that there was something off about her, almost primal, and definitely disturbing. I guess it’s the whole nature vs nurture argument. As to whether Beth could have stopped her, she was a child when she first recognized the wrongness in her half-sister, and even when she came to realize that Lily was capable of murder, she was still a young teenager. So no, I don’t think Beth could have done anything to stop her then, and Beth was shouldering too much undeserved guilt because of this.
16. What did you think of the interview with the lawyer Ransom Wells? Why do you think he and Beth never told the police about Lily, even after the murders? While I liked the character of Random Wells, I don’t think the author fleshed out his motivations here. I can only guess it was because Beth had chosen to cover for Lily and he was somehow respecting the wishes of his client by not saying anything.
17. Beth gets a wonderful shopping trip with her mom that immediately gets ruined when they return home and Lily is there. Lily is clearly the favorite. Why do you think that is? The extreme guilt Mariana felt for giving up her first child.
18. Can Shea trust Michael? He seems almost too good to be true. Yes, I think she can trust Michael - even though they had only spoken on the phone, they had gotten to know each other over a year, so I think she had a good sense of him.
DQs Day 1: Chap 1-111. Have you read the The Sun Down Motel by this author? If so, does it change your expectation for this book? Either way, what are your expectations for this book?
No, I haven't read or even heard about it
2. The MC writes about cold cases and is in her late 20s and divorced. I have read quite a few horror/thriller/mystery books recently where the MC is a recently divorced, usually a bit older, woman. Have you experienced this as well? Why do you think authors might make this choice? Why do you think the choice was made for this book?
Typically if it's a female it's either a single women either due to widow or divorce. Maybe because they have more time to look into things? For this book I think it's because of the backstory she comes with.
3. This section includes the start of the interview. Did it go the way you expected? Any one comment really stick out to you?
I think it went very much like I thought someone who didn't do a lot of interviews would go.
4. What do you think about the ghostly occurrences in this section? How do they add to the story (or maybe detract)?
Right now they seem to be a distraction for me. It's not bad, but I don't tend to enjoy paranormal type books so that may be why.
DQs Day 3: Chap 20-2910. Beth's house has seemed important from the beginning of the story and there have been a lot of descriptions of the "Frankenstein ugly" house. During one of Shea's interviews Beth told her to go upstairs and see her childhood bedroom and then she said, "Not all of the answers you want so desperately are going to come from me. Some of them are going to come from this house." What do you think Shea learned from the house when she perused Beth's room?
I think she was surprised at how things didn't seem to have changed in all the years Beth has lived there.
11. We now have a better insight into the note that was left at the murder scene that said, in part, Am I bitter or am I sweet? In this section we got a lot of details about how this "bitter/sweet" was played out in the house with Mariana and the two girls. Lily also told Beth that everything was her fault and she could have stopped it. What do you think the note will reveal about the murderer and how do you think Beth could've stopped it or could she have?
I don't think Beth could have changed anything - she was a little kid who was emotionally abused by both her parents and her sister, Lily.
12. Julian's treatment of Lily is rather atrocious, especially considering how young she is when she first visits them. Why do you think he hates her so much and who do you suspect Lily's father is? (I have only read through chapter 29 for my questions, so I don't even know if that is revealed. Just curious what others are thinking about the situation.)
Obviously he knows Lily is Mariana's child and not his, and he's resentful she's there. I don't know how that came about.....
13. Lily told Beth she wanted a lot of things, including the house. Beth told Lily she hated the house to which Lily said, "That's because you don't understand it...It's an abomination that shouldn't exist...It's exactly like me." What do you think she meant by this?
I think Lily knows she's broken, but at this point is going to take whatever she can.
14. Lily appears to have more power in the relationship between her and Beth, but based on Beth's current day ability to manipulate others, do you think Lily really is the more powerful one in their relationship? Why or why not?
Yes, I think Lily was the more powerful sister, but she definitely taught Beth her tricks of the trade.
DQs Day 4 - Chapters 30-3815. In this section, we see Beth really open up in the interview and describe two different Christmas flashbacks. The first, when Beth was 14, Lily was bruised and had been clearly abused by her foster family. We also (at least according to Beth) see the beginnings of Lily as a serial killer. Do you feel any sympathy for Lily? Do you agree with Beth that Beth could have stopped her?
I do feel a little bad for Lily because she was in a crappy situation (especially getting to visit Beth and Marianna and seeing their wealth, but not getting to stay with them). But that doesn't excuse her actions at all. I don't think Beth could have stopped her. Lily was manipulative and a user.
16. What did you think of the interview with the lawyer Ransom Wells? Why do you think he and Beth never told the police about Lily, even after the murders?
I kind of think Beth didn't want people to know about Lily because she was still protecting her mother's reputation. And I'm pretty sure Beth is going to kill Lily.
17. Beth gets a wonderful shopping trip with her mom that immediately gets ruined when they return home and Lily is there. Lily is clearly the favorite. Why do you think that is?
Definitely the guilt that Marianna feels about giving up Lily and seeing the situation she is in now. I feel bad for Beth. She gets ignored by her parents a lot of the time.
18. Can Shea trust Michael? He seems almost too good to be true.
I hope so! I want her to have good relationships (not necessarily romantic; she needs friendships too) in her life and people she can trust.
DQs Day 1: Chap 1-111. Have you read the The Sun Down Motel by this author? If so, does it change your expectation for this book? Either way, what are your expectations for this book?
I did read The Sun Down Motel! It was sufficiently interesting AND creepy enough for me to want to read this one. Thus far, I am intrigued!
2. The MC writes about cold cases and is in her late 20s and divorced. I have read quite a few horror/thriller/mystery books recently where the MC is a recently divorced, usually a bit older, woman. Have you experienced this as well? Why do you think authors might make this choice? Why do you think the choice was made for this book?
I think you’re right. This MC is a bit younger and seems to have PTSD as well. Maybe without a significant other they just have loads of spare time to fill? A void in their lives to compensate…
3. This section includes the start of the interview. Did it go the way you expected? Any one comment really stick out to you?
Beth is weird. Plain and simple. We’re about to find out exactly why. The comment that sticks out the most is “There were rumors I was fu- - ing everyone,…” A nice lady wouldn’t just blurt that out. She’s trying to make a point.
4. What do you think about the ghostly occurrences in this section? How do they add to the story (or maybe detract)?
LOVE the ghostly! I was thinking, Yeah! It’s ON now! What I want to know is can anyone coming over to the house see these things. OR is it just Shea???
DQs Day 2: Chap 12-195. Shea is trying to explain the taps being turned on and the cupboards being opened by themselves through telekinesis. If you had experienced what she did, do you think you would have tried to explain things logically or do you think you would have believed it was ghosts and left it at that?.
I would have left it at ghosts. There was too much of it at the same time for telekinesis, in my opinion.
6. After getting a cat, Shea calls on Michael to ask for advice on how to care for it, through the conversation she thinks about wanting to meet him. Do you think they will end up together or perhaps just remain as friends? Could Michael be interested as well?
Hopefully based on how chapter 19 ended. It seems like they like each other.
7. Mr. Greer’s former secretary tells Shea Mrs. Greer wasn’t competent and that she was "sent away somewhere when she was eighteen". Do you think she was crazy or do you have any other theories?
The secretary or Mrs. Greer? The secretary seems like she is an angry woman. Was Mrs. Greer crazy? She may have had mental problems or just a sad life.
8. While listening to the recording of Beth’s interview Shea hears a voice in the background whispering “I am still here” and poor Winston gets spooked. Did you find this scary? Do you think cats/animals have a feel for the supernatural? If it were you, would you come back to the house after hearing that?
I don't know if animals can feel the supernatural, but they certainly have a different hearing sense. I wouldn't go back but I think Shea will.
9. Finally, in order to get in the mood for more scary stuff. Have you or someone you know have any scary/ghostly experiences you might like to share?
none
DQs Day 1: Chap 1-111. Have you read the The Sun Down Motel by this author? If so, does it change your expectation for this book? Either way, what are your expectations for this book?
Having read her previous book I was expecting the paranormal elements right off the bat. I expect this story to have a strong creepy factor wrapped in with the mystery.
2. The MC writes about cold cases and is in her late 20s and divorced. I have read quite a few horror/thriller/mystery books recently where the MC is a recently divorced, usually a bit older, woman. Have you experienced this as well? Why do you think authors might make this choice? Why do you think the choice was made for this book?
Hadn't noticed a trend that way, but I think for this book it gives her a little bit of a jaded edge, cuts her off from people, and adds to the bleakness of the picture around the MC.
3. This section includes the start of the interview. Did it go the way you expected? Any one comment really stick out to you?
I figure this is going to be a bit of a cage match between these two. I don't think Beth is going to be an easy interview. She's interested to talk to Shea but she's not going to make it easy on her either.
4. What do you think about the ghostly occurrences in this section? How do they add to the story (or maybe detract)?
They really made me curious about why Beth's being haunted. I found it interesting that they were so blatant right off the bat with Shea. It adds to the intrigue for me.
DQs Day 2: Chap 12-195. Shea is trying to explain the taps being turned on and the cupboards being opened by themselves through telekinesis. If you had experienced what she did, do you think you would have tried to explain things logically or do you think you would have believed it was ghosts and left it at that?
Ghosts. Definitely ghosts! Especially the taps, the cupboards and the blood! I was terrified by the Paranormal movies, especially #2!
6. After getting a cat, Shea calls on Michael to ask for advice on how to care for it, through the conversation she thinks about wanting to meet him. Do you think they will end up together or perhaps just remain as friends? Could Michael be interested as well?
I really hope they will meet and at least be friends. Shea really needs a friend right about now. Her cold case obsession, while understandable, is probably not the most healthy thing in the world for her.
7. Mr. Greer’s former secretary tells Shea Mrs. Greer wasn’t competent and that she was "sent away somewhere when she was eighteen". Do you think she was crazy or do you have any other theories?
Maybe the house or she herself was haunted. We are being naive when we expect rational explanations for everything.
8. While listening to the recording of Beth’s interview Shea hears a voice in the background whispering “I am still here” and poor Winston gets spooked. Did you find this scary? Do you think cats/animals have a feel for the supernatural? If it were you, would you come back to the house after hearing that?
I found that very scary! Especially alone at night in your home where you expect safe haven. I definitely believe animals (and young children) can see more than we do. Haven’t you ever seen a cat just stare at something unseen for a long while & then hiss and run away? Creepy!
9. Finally, in order to get in the mood for more scary stuff. Have you or someone you know have any scary/ghostly experiences you might like to share?
OMG yes! My 2-year-old niece used to talk to someone invisible whom she later pointed out in a family photo album. She called her “the lady” & it turned out to be her great aunt who had died waaayy before my niece was born!
I used to work in a very haunted building. We would have cold spots, hear unexplained voices/noises, feel people caress our arms & faces when we were alone, several of us saw full body apparitions in mirrors, hallways & right outside on the grounds. This all happened on the grounds of our State Mental Hospital which has been in use in some form or another since the 1800s. I never quit, but I refused to be alone in the building.
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10. Beth's house has seemed important from the beginning of the story and there have been a lot of descriptions of the "Frankenstein ugly" house. During one of Shea's interviews Beth told her to go upstairs and see her childhood bedroom and then she said, "Not all of the answers you want so desperately are going to come from me. Some of them are going to come from this house." What do you think Shea learned from the house when she perused Beth's room?
I think she realised Beth had a lonely childhood and hadn’t moved on from past events
11. We now have a better insight into the note that was left at the murder scene that said, in part, Am I bitter or am I sweet? In this section we got a lot of details about how this "bitter/sweet" was played out in the house with Mariana and the two girls. Lily also told Beth that everything was her fault and she could have stopped it. What do you think the note will reveal about the murderer and how do you think Beth could've stopped it or could she have?
I think Lily’s upbringing gave her the skill set to manipulate people. Lily knows Beth has no friends and has used that to manipulate her into believing she has no choice.
12. Julian's treatment of Lily is rather atrocious, especially considering how young she is when she first visits them. Why do you think he hates her so much and who do you suspect Lily's father is? (I have only read through chapter 29 for my questions, so I don't even know if that is revealed. Just curious what others are thinking about the situation.)
Julian has only just learned of Lily existence. I wouldn’t say he hates her, but she is a reminder of a secret his wife didn’t tell him of which has destroyed any trust in their marriage. I suspect some of the papers he “inherited” included a clause that trapped him in the marriage. Not sure who the father is possibly one of the two murdered men.
13. Lily told Beth she wanted a lot of things, including the house. Beth told Lily she hated the house to which Lily said, "That's because you don't understand it...It's an abomination that shouldn't exist...It's exactly like me." What do you think she meant by this?
She was born outside of wedlock and was effectively abandoned to a system that would have shown very little love to her.
14. Lily appears to have more power in the relationship between her and Beth, but based on Beth's current day ability to manipulate others, do you think Lily really is the more powerful one in their relationship? Why or why not?
I think Lily has more power, Beth’s power comes from Lily and she fears that if she stood up to Lily she would lose that power