All the Sinners Bleed

1. General Impressions

Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

• If you were tasked with writing a brief description of this book for a dust jacket, press release, etc., which elements would you include, and why?
• Thrillers seek to elicit feelings of dread, suspense, and surprise. What part of the book did you find the most shocking or disturbing?
• Is this your first experience with the Southern Gothic genre? If so, how did you like it? If not, what other works have you read, and how did this one compare?

2. Personal Reflection and Connection

Encourage readers to connect the book’s themes and characters with their personal experiences.

• Did you find Titus a sympathetic protagonist? If so, did your feelings about him change once you learned about the events that led him to leave the FBI? 
• All the Sinners Bleed presents a generally bleak perspective on the criminal justice system’s ability to remediate societal wrongs—particularly those related to racism and the legacy of slavery. Do you agree with this perspective? Why or why not? 
• Titus runs for sheriff hoping to reform law enforcement from the inside. In general, do you think trying to change institutions from within represents a viable option? Or does meaningful change require outside pressure?
• The past is both omnipresent and suppressed in All the Sinners Bleed.