Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

1. How does the novel’s parallels with Charlotte Brontë’s classic, Jane Eyre shape your reading experience? Did it create suspense or set certain expectations for you about Thornwood and its secrets?

2. What did you think of Jane’s journey from feeling directionless to becoming a private investigator? Did you find her obsession with the case believable? What was the most compelling part of her investigation for you?

3. The final chapters reveal several shocking truths, including Jessamine’s murder of Claire in the attic bedroom. Did this ending feel satisfying, and how did it change your perspective on Jessamine’s character?

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

1. Jane’s investigation is fueled by a desire to find purpose after feeling adrift in her life. Has a project or a hobby ever given you a new sense of direction during a time of change? 

2. Dexter serves as a source of support for Jane, championing her new passion and even proposing they start a business together. Are there important “cheerleaders” like Dexter in your life? How has their encouragement impacted you?

3. Daisy’s search for her true parentage drives much of the plot. How does your own family history impact your identity?

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

1. Where do you see The Illusion of Middle-Class Respectability playing out in society today, where a respectable public image might be used to conceal private wrongdoing? Why do you think appearances can be so deceptive?

2. Daisy’s self-isolation during the COVID-19 lockdown seems to intensify her obsession with uncovering her family’s secrets. In what ways do you think periods of widespread social isolation can affect people’s mental states?

3. What does the novel suggest about how society can fail to see or protect its most vulnerable members, particularly the young women Allen Black preys on? What attitudes or systems might allow predators like him to operate undetected for so long?

4. Stuart Tucker stays in an abusive situation with Jessamine, justifying it as a necessary sacrifice to protect Daisy. What real-world factors makes it so difficult for people to leave toxic situations?

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

1. How did the story’s fragmented narrative structure, which shifts between multiple timelines and points of view, affect your reading experience? Did it successfully build suspense, or did you find it challenging to piece together the family’s history?

2. What is the significance of the Vale of Health as the novel’s primary setting? How does Jewell use its unique geography—an isolated hamlet surrounded by the wildness of Hampstead Heath—to heighten the novel’s suspense and thematic resonance?

3. Jewell often explores themes of dysfunctional families and dark secrets, as seen novels like The Family Upstairs. How does this story compare to her other work? What elements feel characteristic of her unique take on psychological suspense?

4. How does the recurring motif of clowns and clown masks evolve throughout the novel? What other kinds of masks—literal or figurative—does the novel highlight?

5. Stuart is a complex character who is both a survivor of abuse and a passive enabler. How did his role as an internal witness, who knew something was deeply wrong but was too afraid to act, complicate your feelings about him? Do you see him primarily as a tragic figure or a complicit one?

Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.

1. What kind of mystery do you imagine would be the first official case for Jane and Dexter’s new private investigation agency, “Trevally and Son”? What strengths and skills would each of them bring to their cases?

2. Create a playlist for this novel. What specific songs would you choose for key settings or characters? What song, for instance, might capture the menacing atmosphere of Thornwood or Jane’s journey of self-discovery?

3. Imagine you are adapting this book into a limited TV series. Which character’s internal world, like Jasper’s fractured psyche or Annie’s cold complicity, would be the most challenging to portray visually on screen? What cinematic techniques might you use to bring their hidden thoughts and motivations to life?