1. Why do you think Tami Hoag set the novel in 1985? What challenges does that present? How would the story have been different if set today?

2. How do the four children --- Tommy Crane, Wendy Morgan, Dennis Farman, and Cody Roache --- react to finding the body in the woods? What does that say about the personality of each child?

3. What child do you find most compelling? Which do you find most sympathetic?

4. Discuss Anne Navarre as a character. What qualities does she possess? Is she likable? How does her personal life and professional life intersect? Discuss her relationships with her students, her father, and Vince Leone.

5. How does Anne react to the children finding the body in the woods? Do you agree or disagree with how she handles the situation with her students and their parents?

6. Early on, did you suspect the real murderer? How did your suspicions change throughout the novel? What, if anything, made you think the killer was someone different?

7. How did this case demonstrate some of the first criminal profiling?

8. Who was your favorite character and why? Which was more important, the characters or the plot? What events stood out as memorable to you?

9. Do you think the killer wanted to be caught? Why or why not?

10. Do you think it is feasible that a person’s family could live with and not suspect a serial killer? Do you think they do? What do you think of how the murderer’s family deals with the revelation? How do you think they will deal with being related to such a person on the future?

11. What do you envision the future will be like for the rest of the characters? How will the experiences that took place change them forever?

12. Are you satisfied with how the book ends? Would you have preferred another ending? How would you characterize Tami Hoag’s writing style?