Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

1. The book blends true-crime investigation with family tragedy and social commentary. How did this hybrid structure affect your reading experience, and did the book meet your expectations?

2. If you’ve read Keefe’s other works, such as Say Nothing and Empire of Pain, how does London Falling compare in its approach? If not, what did you think of his role as an investigative journalist guiding you through this story? 

3. What part of Zac’s story or the subsequent investigation has stayed with you the most since you finished reading?

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

1. The theme of deception appears in many forms, from the life-saving falsehoods told by Zac’s grandfathers to Zac’s own tragic performance. Has there ever been a time when you’ve felt the need to adapt your identity for a new social or professional setting?

2. A key motivation for Zac is his desire to be “bigger” than his father. Have you ever felt the pressure to either live up to or break away from a family legacy or expectation? How did that feeling shape your own ambitions or identity?

3. Zac was heavily influenced by films like The Wolf of Wall Street. Can you think of a movie, book, or public figure that shaped your worldview or aspirations when you were younger? 

4. The Brettlers’ faith in the police and the coroner’s court is completely eroded by their experience. Has there ever been a time when your trust in a public institution was challenged? How did that event change your perspective on society?

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

1. Keefe describes a “digital undertow” where social media algorithms can pull a person deeper into their obsessions, isolating them in a bespoke fantasy world. How do you see this phenomenon playing out today, and what impact does this have on people’s identities? 

2. What does Zac’s case suggest about the long-term consequences of political decisions like austerity, which led to a depleted and demoralized police force?

3. The 1972 expulsion of Ugandan Asians is a key event for the Shamji family. How does this history of displacement, trauma, and reinvention help explain the family’s complex relationship with wealth and status in Britain?

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

1. Keefe structures the book non-linearly, revealing important background information about characters like Akbar and Verinder long after they are introduced. How did this narrative strategy affect your understanding of the events and your judgment of the characters as the story unfolded?

2. What is the significance of the River Thames throughout the book? How does it function as a symbol of London’s polished surface and its dark, hidden undercurrents?

3. The theme of Deception as a Form of Social Mobility contrasts the necessary fabrications of Holocaust survivors with Zac’s fatal performance. What argument do you think Keefe is making about authenticity and identity in a culture that often values image over substance?

4. In what ways does Zac’s story serve as a critique of how pop culture, through films like The Wolf of Wall Street, can glamorize amoral greed and provide a dangerous script for ambition?

5. How does this nonfiction account use literary techniques often found in fiction, like suspense, character development, and symbolism? How might it compare to a fictional thriller like John le Carré’s Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, which also explores the shadowy intersections of power, money, and crime in London?

Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.

1. Imagine you are a filmmaker adapting London Falling into a series. Which storyline would you make central—the family’s search for justice, Zac’s psychological unraveling, or the broader exposé of London’s corrupt financial world? Why that choice?

2. The Brettlers decide to go public with their story to seek accountability. If you were to help them design a public awareness campaign in Zac’s memory, what would be its central message, and who would you target with it?