Mother Daughter Murder Night

What message do you believe the novel presents about what it takes for a functional family to develop? What are the biggest obstacles to functionality in families according to the novel?

There are numerous instances of racism described in the novel. Describe these instances and the effects these instances have on the characters. Who is influenced the most?

Lana faces agism in addition to sexism. How does she cope with this, and how does aging affect her self-concept?

The novel’s title, Mother-Daughter Murder Night, refers to a tradition of watching horror films that both Lana and Beth shared with their young daughters. What is the title’s thematic significance? Does the novel portray solving a murder as a game?

Both Lana and Beth are single mothers. What caused the end of the relationship between Beth and Jack’s father and between Lana and Ari? How does the novel portray men and fatherhood?

This novel is a murder mystery. As such, the author provides some clues throughout the novel as well as some distractions to draw the reader’s attention away from the ultimate culprit. Analyze these pieces of evidence as well as the distractions and discuss how they play out in the novel as well as their relative effectiveness or lack of effectiveness in achieving their purpose.

Consider the setting. Except for Lana’s collapse and initial hospitalization, the entire novel occurs in one small town. How does this setting affect the novel? How crucial is setting to the plot?

Analyze Detective Nicoletti‘s scenes. How would you describe his manner of policing? Do you agree with Lana that his tactics amount to abuse? If so, who is most damaged by his policing? Use evidence from the text in your response.