Hello book club readers!
Please use the Contact Page to schedule an author Q&A session via video call.
Below are suggested questions for discussion.
GHOSTS ON THE RED LINE
- What would happen to your city’s public transit services if riders reported seeing their Departed on the subway trains?
- How would you react if you experienced a Visitation like those in Ghosts on the Red Line?
- What if your Visitation were from someone you disliked or who was hostile?
- How credible do you find the reactions of Red Line riders, the MBTA, the Boston media, and political leaders as described in the book?
- Are you persuaded by the conclusions of Harry West’s consulting team and Steve Cheng from MIT concerning the source of the Visitations on the Red Line?
- The Archbishop of Boston is displeased with Harry’s and Alexandra’s plan to open a Visitation Room. How does this fit with your perspective on what the Church would do in this situation?
- Have you ever experienced a Visitation? Do you believe such paranormal events are possible? Conceivable? Pure fantasy?
- How do you feel that Ghosts on the Red Line comes down on the nature of the Visitations, whether they were ghosts or some form of hallucination?
- Would you try out a Visitation Room in order to communicate with a loved one?
THE TRAIL OF MONEY
- What do you take away from The Trail of Money about official corruption in China and Hong Kong?
- Is Chen Qiwei a sympathetic character given the experience of his village and his own suffering?
- How realistic are the Hong Kong settings as described in The Trail of Money
- Does the story make you more eager to visit there?
- How well developed are the two lead women characters, Erin Haig and Mei-Ling Blair?
- Do you find believable Harry’s relationship with Mei-Ling given their history and her marriage with his business partner?
- Would you be suspicious of Mei-Ling given what you know about her?
- The plot of The Trail of Money was described by one reviewer as “marvelously twisty” … do you find the various twists to be credible? And how about the final resolution?
- Edward Woo is a tortured villain. Why do you think he reacts as he does to the questions being asked about his business practices and relationships?
- How credible do you find the scenes involving the Hong Kong police?
- If you were offered a “consulting” assignment in Hong Kong that actually involves an investigation into money laundering, would accept the project or turn it down
- What if your personal and business situations were as dire as Harry’s at the time?
- Do you think justice was done at the end of the story?
- Harry feels guilty about what happened in Hong Kong. Should he?
PORTRAIT OF IGNATIUS JONES
- How realistic do you find the psychic medium sessions in Portrait of Ignatius Jones?
- How do they compare with your own experiences with psychic mediums?
- Have you ever felt a connection with a person through that person’s portrait?
- How do you think residents of a small town in Vermont would respond to a cult in their town?
- Do you agree with Murray Gattis that Charles Philip Tucker was possessed?
- Do you find credible the actions taken by Charles and by Buddy Choate in response to perceived insults to Ignatius Jones and to the Ignatius Jones Center for Spiritualist Discovery?
- Could the scheme actually work that was planned by Dr. Frances Gourmelon and executed by her and by Annie Kane?
- What is your opinion of Lily Prestowicz?
- If invited, would you visit the Ignatius Jones Center for Spiritualist Discovery?
JACOB’S PLAN
- Are Jacob’s preparations as a survivalist well founded given the US president’s unfitness?
- Does Jacob make the right decision not to reveal his escape plan to Annie?
- Is it realistic that he is unable to acquire a fake US passport?
- Did he treat Paola honorably?
- How credible do you find his scheme to bring down the Russian mobsters?
- Do you like the story?