In what ways are the histories of the Shamji and Brettler families integral to the book’s central arguments about legacy and corruption?

Discuss how Keefe portrays London as a primary force shaping the narrative’s events. Analyze how specific locations, such as the private school Mill Hill and the luxury apartments One Hyde Park and Riverwalk, support the theme of The Self-Destructive Performance of Wealth.

Compare and contrast the father-son relationship between Zac and Matthew with that of Akbar and Abdul. How do the legacies of their fathers and grandfathers shape the ambitions and actions of Zac and Akbar?

Through what specific evidence and narrative techniques does Keefe indict the Metropolitan Police and coroner’s court, portraying their failures as symptoms of a systemic rot at the heart of the British state?

The author hypothesizes that social media exacerbated Zac’s obsession with wealth. Research scientific studies on the effects of social media on young people and apply their findings to Zac’s case.

Keefe’s book touches on the UK’s history of systemic xenophobia and casual racism. How does this bigotry impact Akbar and Verinder’s personal histories?

Conduct further reading on Putin and his oligarchs through nonfiction texts like Masha Gessen’s The Man without a Face (2012) and Karen Dawisha’s Putin’s Kleptocracy (2014). How do these texts’ themes compare to those of London Falling, and how do they inform the impact that the presence of Russian oligarchs in London exerted on UK politics as well as Zac’s life story?

Research the lives of Holocaust survivors who relocated to the UK. How do their experiences resonate with those of Rachelle and Matthew’s fathers? How does this historical context inform the Brettler family’s identity and values?