The Surgeon

Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

1. Leslie Wolfe is known for thrillers featuring strong female protagonists, like those in her Detective Kay Sharp series. In what ways does Dr. Anne Wiley fit or challenge your idea of a “strong female protagonist”? Did you find her actions empowering, troubling, or a mix of both?

2. Did you find The Surgeon a suspenseful read? Which moments or plot twists did you find the most effective in building tension?

3. What was your reaction to the novel’s final scene? Considering Anne’s thoughts about Derreck, do you see this ending as a victory for her or the start of another tragedy?

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

1. The concepts of justice and vengeance are central to the story, and several characters take matters into their own hands. Think about a time when you witnessed an injustice. How did it make you feel, and what did you consider the right way to respond?

2. Anne asks Derreck to lash her repeatedly with his belt. This is her way of coping with immense guilt, translating her internal pain into a physical one. How do you cope with psychological burdens?

3. Anne’s professional identity as a flawless surgeon is shattered by a single event. Have you ever faced a setback that made you question a core part of your identity? How did you navigate that experience?

4. Paula’s ambition stems from feeling that she must fight for everything, unlike Anne, whom she considers privileged. Have you ever felt that your personal background shaped your professional drive or ambitions?

5. Derreck masterfully deceives both Anne and Paula for his own gain. If you’ve ever experienced such deception, did you notice any signs in the deceiver’s behavior before it was exposed?

6. Anne’s mother plays a quiet but pivotal role, driven by a fierce desire to protect her family. How has the protection of family affected your life decisions?

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

1. Both Anne and Paula operate in high-stakes, male-dominated fields, facing overt misogyny from characters like Dr. Bolger and navigating complex power dynamics. How does the novel critique the professional environments of medicine and law for women? Do these portrayals resonate with what you’ve observed or experienced in professional settings?

2. How does the novel explore the failures of the justice and foster care systems in protecting children like Melanie and Paula from abuse? What commentary does the story offer on what happens when these systems fail to provide recourse for victims?

3. The affair between Paula and Derreck is a transaction of power in which Paula provides intel for media opportunities to boost Derreck’s mayoral campaign. What does their arrangement suggest about the relationship between political ambition, personal ethics, and media manipulation in our culture?

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

1. The use of an unreliable narrator is a common feature of psychological thrillers like Gillian Flynn’s Gone Girl. In The Surgeon, how did Anne’s first-person perspective affect her characterization as reliable or unreliable, particularly after she admits that she “wanted him dead” (27)?

2. What is the effect of the alternating narrative structure that shifts between Anne’s introspective crisis and Paula’s aggressive investigation?

3. The surgical drape is a recurring symbol in the operating room. How does Wolfe use this object to represent the fragile boundary between clinical objectivity and personal morality for Anne?

4. In what ways are Anne and Paula foils for one another? What do their parallel journeys, both driven by trauma related to Melanie, reveal about the different ways that people process grief and seek justice?

5. Think about Caleb Donaghy’s red birthmark. How does it symbolize a past evil that can’t be hidden and become the primary trigger for the novel’s entire conflict?

Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.

1. If you were casting a film adaptation of The Surgeon, who would you choose for the roles of Anne, Paula, and Derreck?

2. Imagine that you’re a screenwriter adapting the book. Which scene would be the most challenging to translate to the screen, and how would you approach it?

3. The novel ends with the promise of a new, dark chapter for Anne and Derreck. What do you imagine happens in the weeks following that final toast? Write a summary of the opening scene for a sequel.