A Great Deliverance

Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

1. What was your overall impression of the book? Were you already familiar with the series, or is this your first Inspector Lynley mystery?

2. Did you find Lynley and Havers relatable as characters? Why or why not?

3. Did you find the murder case at the center of the novel realistic, or is it something that could only happen in a detective novel?

Encourage readers to connect the book’s themes and characters with their personal experiences.

1. Which character did you feel most connected to and why?

2. One of the novel’s main themes is the influence of religion in a community. Do you have any feelings about this topic? In your opinion, what are the positive and negative aspects of how religion influences communities?

3. Both Havers and Lynley feel guilty about events that happened in their pasts. Have you ever felt guilty for something that happened to someone else? 

4. Have you ever been to northern England or any of the other locations mentioned in the novel? What was your experience there? Did the novel depict it accurately?

Examine the book’s relevance to societal issues, historical events, or cultural themes.

1. The novel takes place in the 1980s. Are the social issues in A Great Deliverance still relevant today? If so, how?

2. In what ways do Lynley and Havers reflect assumptions about their class backgrounds? In what ways do they defy those stereotypes? 

3. Discuss the portrayal of mental health and institutional care in Roberta’s storyline. How does the novel compare and contrast clinical labels with the lived experience they represent?

Dive into the book’s structure, characters, themes, and symbolism.

1. Analyze the novel’s use of visual art, such as photographs, portraits, and paintings, as a motif. Which characters are associated with visual art, and what does it represent?

2. Discuss the development of Lynley as a character. Does he learn anything or change significantly by the end of the novel? If so, how? If not, why?

3. Explore the significance of Keldale Abbey and its contribution to the book’s tone and themes. How does it serve as a symbolic location?

4. Does Havers experience a crisis of conscience in the novel? If so, what precipitates it and how does she resolve it?

5. Compare and contrast London and Yorkshire as narrative settings. How do these locations influence and reflect the communities they represent?

6. As a detective novel, does A Great Deliverance follow classic genre tropes? Use examples from the novel in your response.

Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.

1. Imagine you are the author. Would you change anything about the novel’s characters, plot, or ending?

2. How would the story be different if it were told from another character’s point of view? Choose a supporting character like Roberta, Nies, or Tessa and give their version of events.