The Man Made of Smoke

“There’s no such thing as monsters” (31), Dan tells Detective Liam Fleming in the book. What do you think Dan means by this statement? How does it help in Dan’s line of work as a forensic psychiatrist who studies violent criminals? Use textual evidence to support your answer.

Dan describes the men’s restroom in the service station as a liminal space, one of those “places that [are]n’t starting points or destinations, but stopgaps a step sideways from reality, like the crossing points between worlds in a fairy-tale” (7). Why does he compare the restroom to a threshold or a boundary between worlds? How does the text use the motif of liminal spaces to build a particular atmosphere? Use examples from the novel to strengthen your answer.

Discuss the father-son bond at the heart of the novel, focusing on the similarities and differences between Dan and John. How does their bond contribute to the plot and to Dan’s drive to identify the killer and the reason for his rage?