Analyze how the authors use imagery to depict the world of 1930s New York. Citing specific evidence from the text, discuss how these sensory details contribute to the novel’s mood and characterization.

Historical evidence indicates that Addie Hunton didn’t live with Eunice Hunton Carter while her daughter was investigating Lucky Luciano’s criminal operations. How does the authorial decision to make her a supporting character inform the novel’s overall meaning?

Beyond Eunice’s Oxford pumps and Polly’s fur stoles, how do Benedict and Murray use clothing to explore women’s roles and methods of navigating a hostile, male-dominated world?

How does Virginia’s character arc contribute to the story’s structure, the protagonists’ characterization, and the novel’s major themes?

How does the novel compare to other legal thrillers, such as Stacey Abrams’s Coded Justice (2025) and John Grisham’s The Client (1993)? What messages do the different authors express about justice, and how do they use the genre’s conventions to build tension?

Research the historical Polly Adler’s autobiography, A House Is Not a Home. Citing specific evidence from both texts, discuss how her self-portrait resembles and differs from Benedict and Murray’s fictionalized version of her.

Analyze the role of physical space and setting in A Pair of Aces. How does the novel use the contrast between public and private spaces to explore the concepts of secrecy, power, and social transgression?

How does Polly’s immigrant story subvert the conventional idea of the “American dream”? In what ways does her narrative still represent a story of personal success?