The Anniversary

Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

1. How did the novel’s structure affect your reading experience? Did you find this annual snapshot was an effective device for building both suspense and a long term relationship in a thriller?

2. The author’s note reveals the story was inspired by his own high school romance. Did you feel the romantic and psychological thriller were balanced effectively throughout the narrative?

3. What was the most shocking or surprising revelation for you in the novel?

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

1. Jules and Quinn form an unlikely friendship in study hall that transcends their high school’s social hierarchy. Think about a time you formed a connection with someone who seemed very different from you. What drew you together?

2. Quinn decides not to expose a man for insurance fraud after seeing a tender moment between the man and his son. Have you ever witnessed a small act of compassion that impacted the way you viewed a person?

3. Quinn’s obsessive search for the truth about his mother’s murder costs him his relationship with Holly and nearly his job. Think about a time you felt driven to find an answer or achieve a difficult goal. How did that pursuit affect other areas of your life?

4. By the end of the novel, Jules and Quinn have reclaimed May 1, transforming it from a day of trauma into a celebration of family. Has there ever been a date or place with difficult associations that you’ve been able to redefine over time?

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

1. The novel contrasts how the justice system treats Quinn versus Jules. What commentary is the book making about the influence of class and privilege on opportunity and second chances? Where do you see these kinds of disparities playing out today?

2. How does grounding Quinn’s trauma in a real, complex historical event like Operation Restore Hope in Somalia add to the novel’s authenticity? What does his story say about the long-term, often invisible, impact of military service on veterans?

3. What does the revelation of the killers’ identities, a trusted uncle and an FBI agent, suggest about our faith in institutions like family and law enforcement? In what ways does the novel tap into the fear that danger can come from the very people and systems designed to protect us?

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

1. How did the narrative’s choice to alternate between Jules’s and Quinn’s perspectives shape your understanding of the story and its themes? What do you think would have been lost if the novel had been told from only one of their points of view?

2. What is the significance of the abandoned ammunition bunkers as the killers’ lair? 

3. Finlay utilizes red herrings in the narrative to explore the idea of Evil Hiding in Plain Sight? Does this misdirection feel compelling, or did it feel contrived?

4. The “heads or tails” coin toss begins as a harmless game but is revealed to be a sinister calling-card ritual for a killer. How does the novel use this recurring motif to explore the ideas of chance and fate?

5. How does the label “Lucky Ones” affect the identities of the survivors? Does the phrase work as an alternate title for the novel? Why or why not?

6. How does Finlay’s depiction of family dysfunction and hidden evil compare to other thrillers you’ve read that explore similar territory such as Gillian Flynn’s Sharp Objects?

Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.

1. Develop a new public awareness campaign for Jules’s nonprofit, Find Them. Which aspect of her story or the May Day Killer case would you highlight to connect with the public and encourage donations?

2. Describe the plot of Quinn’s novel, The Hill of Infinity. Based on his journey, do you picture it as a crime thriller drawn from his experiences, a love story, or something else entirely?

3. If The Anniversary were being adapted into a limited series, which actors would you cast in the roles of Jules and Quinn? Who would you choose to play the unsettlingly familiar Uncle Pat and the duplicitous Jack Smith?