A Slow Fire Burning

Content Warning: This section of the guide contains discussion of death, graphic violence, ableism, mental illness, and self-harm.

Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

1. What distinguishes A Slow Fire Burning’s approach to the murder mystery from that of Hawkins’s earlier novel, The Girl on the Train? How does the ensemble cast of marginalized women compare to the more focused narrative of a single unreliable narrator?

2. Miriam’s discovery of Daniel’s body sets the entire plot in motion, yet she immediately begins scheming to use this tragedy for her own revenge. How effectively does this opening establish the novel’s complex moral landscape where victims and perpetrators aren’t clearly defined?

3. Multiple characters could plausibly be Daniel’s killer before the truth emerges. Which red herrings did you find most convincing, and how did your suspicions shift as new information about each character’s motives came to light?

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

1. Laura faces constant judgment due to her disability, criminal history, and social class, making it difficult for others to see her true character. Have you ever felt dismissed or stereotyped in ways that prevented people from understanding who you really are?

2. When have you experienced the kind of powerlessness that Miriam feels when confronting someone with more money and social status? How did those dynamics affect your ability to seek justice or recognition?

3. Irene and Laura develop a meaningful chosen family relationship that provides both women with support and purpose. How do the bonds you’ve formed outside your biological family compare to the nurturing connection these two characters discover together?

4. Several characters carry guilt for tragedies they couldn’t prevent—Miriam for Lorraine’s death, Carla for Ben’s accident, Angela for leaving the door open. Have you ever felt guilt for something that you knew was not your fault? How did you address these feelings? 

5. The novel explores how trauma can lead people down different paths, with Laura moving toward healing while Carla chooses violence. What factors do you think determine whether someone emerges from tragedy with greater empathy or increased bitterness?

6. Theo’s willingness to confess to protect Carla contrasts sharply with how the women in the novel must fend for themselves. In your experience, how does access to support systems affect the choices people make in challenging situations?

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

1. How does Hawkins use the domestic noir framework to comment on whose stories society considers worth telling? What does the novel suggest about the growing popularity of crime fiction centered on women’s experiences?

2. Characters like Laura, Miriam, and Irene face discrimination based on disability, appearance, age, and class status, while Carla’s elegance and wealth initially shield her from suspicion. What does this reveal about how society determines who deserves protection versus scrutiny?

3. The police investigation consistently favors certain characters over others based on their social position, with Laura arrested despite her innocence while Theo struggles to convince anyone that he’s guilty. How does the novel critique the justice system’s treatment of marginalized versus privileged suspects?

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

1. What significance does Theo’s plagiarized novel, The One Who Got Away, hold within the larger narrative? How do the excerpts from his stolen crime story illuminate themes of authorship, truth, and the ethics of appropriating others’ trauma for artistic gain?

2. The novel employs multiple points of view and potentially unreliable narrators throughout the investigation. Which characters did you find most trustworthy as the story unfolded, and how did the shifting perspectives affect your ability to piece together the truth?

3. Blood appears as a recurring motif, from Daniel’s brutal murder scene to Laura’s self-inflicted cut to various characters’ minor injuries. How does this imagery reinforce the idea that everyone in the story has been wounded, both physically and emotionally?

4. Hawkins reveals Daniel’s potential guilt in Ben’s death through his artistic sketches rather than confession or testimony. What does this choice to present evidence through creative expression suggest about the relationship between art and truth in the novel?

5. Irene serves as an unlikely detective who solves the crime through careful observation rather than official investigation, ultimately entrapping Carla with a secret recording. How does her success both subvert expectations about elderly women and demonstrate the power of being consistently underestimated?

6. How does the novel’s structure of alternating viewpoints mirror the domestic noir genre’s emphasis on revealing hidden perspectives? What makes this approach effective for exploring themes of marginalization and power?

Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.

1. Imagine you could interview Daniel before his death about his role in Ben’s tragic fall and his treatment of his mother over the years. Based on his character as revealed through other people’s memories and his sketches, how do you think he would defend or explain his actions?

2. The novel ends with Carla refusing to answer whether she regrets killing Daniel, leaving readers to wonder about her true feelings. Write the internal monologue you imagine she might have while weighing this question during her first weeks in prison.

3. Design a memorial or artistic tribute that Miriam might create to honor Lorraine now that she’s finally achieved justice against their abductor. What elements would capture both their teenage friendship and Miriam’s transformation from victim to survivor?

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