The Sentence Is Death

Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

1. What did you think about the novel’s opening on the set of Foyle’s War? How did this meta-narrative style, with the author appearing as a character, shape your expectations and your overall reading experience?

2. The book club within the story discusses Arthur Conan Doyle’s A Study in Scarlet. How does this novel engage with, and perhaps subvert, the classic detective tropes established by Sherlock Holmes? Did you find its modern take on the whodunit refreshing or challenging?

3. The dynamic between the abrasive Hawthorne and the reluctant Horowitz is central to the series. How effective did you find their partnership in driving the story forward? Did your feelings about either character change by the end of the book?

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

1. Hawthorne often keeps Horowitz in the dark, treating him as a tool rather than a partner. Think about a time you’ve been part of a team or partnership with a difficult dynamic. How did you navigate it, and what did you learn from the experience?

2. Richard Pryce and Gregory Taylor are haunted by a single act from their past which is regrettable but also understandable. Think of a time when you have behaved in a way you later regretted. What effect has this had on you and how might you act on or reconsider these emotions in a way which feels less painful?

3. Akira Anno maintains a carefully crafted public persona as a literary intellectual while secretly writing popular fantasy novels. Have you ever felt a gap between your public or professional identity and your private self? Did Akira’s story remind you of times you have felt pressure to maintain a certain image?

4. The narrator, Anthony Horowitz, is shown constantly trying to fit the chaotic events of the murder into a neat narrative structure. In what areas of your own life do you find yourself trying to create a story or find a pattern to make sense of complex situations? Does this work?

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

1. The book is partly a story about the process of writing a true-crime book. What ethical questions does it raise about turning real-life tragedy into entertainment? Does having the author as a character make these questions more immediate for you?

2. What commentary does the book offer on institutional justice versus individual genius, particularly through the contrast between the by-the-book DI Grunshaw and the rule-breaking Hawthorne? Where do you see this tension playing out in our society today?

3. The sharp contrast between Akira’s literary reputation and her commercial success as Mark Belladonna highlights a cultural divide between “high art” and “popular entertainment.” Do you think this distinction is relevant to real life? Why might people, like Akira, feel the need to separate these parts of their lives?

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

1. What does the complex friendship between Hawthorne and the teenager Kevin reveal about Hawthorne’s character? Does this relationship change your perception of him, and why?

2. How does the shifting interpretation of the number “182”—from a haiku reference to a wedding date to teenage text-speak—function in the novel?

3. Horowitz’s narrator presents a detailed, logical solution to the crime, which turns out to be completely wrong. Why do you think the novel contains this twist and how does it support the major themes?

4. Did you find Daniel Hawthorne to be a likable character? Why do you think the author chose to create such a flawed protagonist?

5. What significance does the novel’s title, The Sentence Is Death, hold? How can its meaning be applied to the various characters’ secrets and relationships as well as to the mystery plot?

Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.

1. You’re a casting director for a TV adaptation. Who would you choose to play Hawthorne and Horowitz, and what qualities do those actors have that would capture the characters’ on-screen chemistry?

2. The book ends with the future of the partnership uncertain. What event could possibly reunite Horowitz and Hawthorne for a third book? Describe the opening scene that brings them back together.