Content Warning: This section refers to alcohol use disorder.

While both Keera and Patsy play chess, Patsy is also a former boxer. Compare and contrast the roles of chess and boxing in the novel. What do these two games/sports suggest about the characters who most strongly identify with them?

How does Patsy’s alcohol use shape the Duggan family? How does this dynamic shift over the course of the novel?

Consider the novel’s place within the legal thriller genre, as well as Dugoni’s history as an attorney. In what ways does Dugoni uphold the conventions of the genre? Does he subvert them? Use evidence from the text to support your response.