Has your book club read The Magpies, my novel about neighbours from hell? Would you like to suggest it to them?
I’ve pulled together a list of questions and possible discussion points that might help you. If you can think of any more great questions, please leave a comment – or let me know what your book group thought of my novel.
SPOILER ALERT: Do not read these questions if you haven’t already read The Magpies because they contain major spoilers regarding the plot and the characters, including the ending.
- Have you ever had a bad experience with neighbours? What did you/would you do if you did? Would you move house?
- How would you have tackled the hoax calls, complaints, letters, dead creatures and spying?
- If you were Jamie, what would you have done when Kirsty gave him an ultimatum?
- What do you think was Lucy and Chris’s motivation to terrorise their neighbours Jamie and Kirsty?
- How would you react if your friend had been involved in such an accident like Paul was? How would you cope with any personality changes?
- How would you feel if you received letters like the ones sent to Jamie and Kirsty from Lucy and Chris? Would you write back?
- Do you think the police, including PC Dodds and PC Sutton, could’ve done more to help Jamie and Kirsty, especially as the previous tenant Letitia had made a complaint? Do you think the law should be changed regarding nuisance neighbours?
- Do you have any phobias like Kirsty’s of spiders? What are they? What would you/do you do when faced with them?
- What are your thoughts on Jamie paying someone to hurt Chris/Lucy?
- If you had had a near death experience like Paul did on the go-karting track, what would do with your life?
- Do you think Jamie was right to quit his job when Chris joined as a manager?
- Should Jamie and Kirsty have told their neighbours Mary, Brian and Linda about Lucy and Chris’s behaviour sooner than they did?
