The Arrangement

Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

1. What did you think about Ainsley’s initial proposal for her and Peter’s “arrangement”? Did her reasoning feel convincing as a desperate attempt to save their marriage, or did something about her approach seem calculated from the beginning?

2. How does The Arrangement compare to other psychological thrillers about marriage that you’ve read? If you’ve encountered other works by Modglin like The Missing Piece or The Good Neighbors, how does this novel fit into her broader exploration of domestic secrets?

3. Consider how Modglin reveals information throughout the novel. Which revelation shocked you most: Ainsley’s orchestration of Stefan’s death, Peter’s serial-killer identity, or Ainsley’s final knowledge of Peter’s crimes?

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

1. Social media and dating apps have fundamentally changed relationship dynamics. How do you think these technologies influence modern approaches to marriage and commitment, and does the novel’s portrayal of the Dater app feel realistic based on your understanding of contemporary dating culture?

2. Ainsley and Peter maintain elaborate facades for their children and community while harboring deadly secrets. Think about the balance between privacy and honesty in your own relationships. Where do you draw the line between protecting others and being truthful?

3. What role does the concept of “fixing” play in your approach to relationships? How did Ainsley’s identity as someone who solves problems resonate with your own experiences of trying to repair difficult situations?

4. Marriage experts often discuss how couples can become strangers despite years together. Have you ever experienced or witnessed a relationship where partners seemed to be performing roles rather than being authentic with each other?

5. How do you react when you discover that someone close to you has been hiding significant aspects of their life? Does the novel’s portrayal of Peter and Ainsley’s mutual deception feel realistic in terms of how secrets accumulate in long-term relationships?

6. Think about the pressures to maintain domestic normalcy that both characters experience. In what ways do social expectations about family life and suburban success create stress in modern relationships?

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

1. What does the novel suggest about the crisis facing traditional marriage in contemporary America? How do Ainsley and Peter’s struggles reflect broader cultural anxieties about commitment, fidelity, and relationship satisfaction?

2. Modglin’s portrayal of law enforcement through Stefan raises questions about authority and trust. How does Stefan’s (apparent) dual nature as both a protector and a predator comment on contemporary issues with police responses to domestic violence?

3. Alternative relationship models like open marriages are gaining mainstream attention as traditional monogamy faces cultural scrutiny. What does the story suggest about the potential benefits and dangers of consensual non-monogamy, and how do Peter and Ainsley’s “rules” reflect real-world attempts at ethical relationships?

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

1. Modglin employs alternating first-person perspectives throughout the novel. What advantages does this narrative structure provide for building suspense with unreliable narrators, and how does it control the flow of information to readers?

2. What roles do the house and porch play as symbols throughout the novel? How does their transformation from family sanctuary into burial ground reflect the broader corruption of Ainsley and Peter’s domestic life?

3. Examine the motif of cleaning and blood throughout the story. How does this recurring imagery reinforce the themes of guilt, concealment, and the impossibility of true absolution?

4. The narrative maintains uncertainty about Ainsley’s true nature for most of the novel. What specific techniques does Modglin use to gradually reveal her manipulative capabilities while keeping her initially sympathetic?

5. What is the significance of the sealed envelopes that appear throughout the novel? How do they function as symbols of the information warfare that defines Peter and Ainsley’s relationship?

6. Given that this is the first book in Modglin’s Arrangement trilogy, followed by The Amendment and The Atonement, what unresolved elements or potential consequences do you think the subsequent books might explore?

Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.

1. Picture yourself as a relationship counselor encountering Ainsley and Peter before their arrangement began. What warning signs might you have identified in their marriage, and what alternative interventions would you have suggested instead of dating other people?

2. Imagine that you’re designing a true-crime documentary series about the Greenburg case. Which aspects of their story would you focus on to explore the psychology behind their crimes, and how would you structure the episodes to reveal information in the most compelling way?

3. If you were writing a sequel exploring the aftermath of the novel’s events, whose perspective would you choose to follow? Would you focus on their children discovering the truth, law enforcement eventually solving the case, or the continuation of Peter and Ainsley’s toxic dynamic?

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