READERS GUIDE

Questions and Topics for Discussion

1. This story takes place over two timelines: Hanna working on the case and a flashback of Joel’s last day alive. Why do you think the author structured the narrative like this? How did it affect your investment in the mystery?

2. How did the setting, the island of Öland, affect your reading of the story? What do you think the setting added to the story’s tone?

3. What do you think of Hanna’s decision to move back to Öland after all that happened there? Can you relate to the importance this place holds for her?

4. What did you think about the dynamic between Hanna and her police detective partner, Erik? How does their rapport change over the course of the story? Would you describe their relationship as a good one?

5. An ongoing thread of tension in the story is Rebecka’s frustration with Hanna for not readily sharing details of the investigation, despite their history as close friends. Do you believe Rebecka’s reactions are justified? Do you think you’d react in a similar manner if faced with the same situation?

6. Being a teenager is hard for most kids, but Joel really struggles. What are your thoughts on what Joel is going through in the novel?

7. Were you surprised by the ending? Did you expect the case to have a different conclusion?

8. As a crime thriller, this story centers around investigating a victim’s cause of death. Would you say there are other victims, of one kind or another, in this story? Who and why?

9. A running theme in The Night Singer is guilt and how shameful feelings close us off from people even when we would benefit from being open. Reflect on a moment in your life when you felt guilty. How did you handle that? Are there things you read in The Night Singer that might lead you to confront guilt differently?

10. The novel’s title comes from a phrase used to indicate a nocturnal bird (a night singing bird). Reading this story, what do you believe the significance of the title is?