At what point did you figure out that David Claremont was not the killer? What clues helped you? How do Richards’s choices reflect general genre conventions, and does he deviate from them at all?

What impact does the romantic subplot between Prusik and Sheriff McFaron have on the novel’s central plot? How does their relationship inform the novel’s thematic exploration of Gendered Prejudice in Law Enforcement?

In the final chapters of the novel, Prusik deliberately defies orders in order to pursue her hunch on the case. In what ways is this defiance consistent with Richards’s initial characterization of her, and how does it signal her growth over the course of her arc? Cite specific examples from the text to support your argument.

The novel contains graphic depictions of violence against women. How do these descriptions inform the narrative lens?

Discuss Richards’s use of visual and sensory imagery in the novel. What elements of the novel would translate well to a movie or TV project based on Stone Maidens. What story elements would be more challenging in a visual storytelling medium?

Prusik’s attack in Papua New Guinea directs many of her choices in the novel. What strategies does she use to manage her anxiety and how does her experience contribute to the novel’s thematic focus on The Lasting Effects of Traumatic Events?

The novel contains sensationalized, stigmatizing, and inaccurate depictions of native tribes in Papua New Guinea. How would the narrative be impacted if this element of Richards’s plot was eliminated or revised?

Consider the ways in which Claremont and Holmquist embody the novel’s thematic exploration of Nature Versus Nurture in Human Development.