The Art of Dying

When the bizarre death of a mob foot soldier sparks an escalating war between Boston’s Irish and Italian mafia, Detective Ray Hanley’s relentless search for the truth uncovers evidence of a serial killer obsessed with the art of human suffering. "Boston gets gory in this enjoyable, horror-tinged crime tale." - Kirkus Reviews

Book club questions for The Art of Dying by Derik Cavignano

Use these discussion questions to guide your next book club meeting.

The author tends to write short chapters. How do you feel this contributed to the pacing?

Ray makes a moral mistake midway through the book. How does that change your opinion of him? Does he redeem himself in the end?

Did you find Billy to be a likeable character? Why or why not?

Why do you think the author devoted so much time to Ray’s home life? Did it enhance or detract from the story?

Do you think Ray did the right thing by confronting the mayor and taking matters into his own hands?

Were you surprised by the identity of the Artist? If so, who else did you suspect?

What lessons do you think Ray learned as a result of solving the case?

What do you think Susie did to the Artist at the end of the book? Do you think she will recover from her ordeal? Will she get back together with her husband?

Do you think Sal Giabatti manipulated Ray to his advantage? If so, in what ways?

Were you satisfied with the ending? What do you think the future has in store for Ray?

The Art of Dying Book Club Questions PDF

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