The Locked Door

Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

1. Rank the characters according to their suspicious behavior. Did you get a sense of where the novel was going before the identity of the killer was revealed? If you did, what details helped with this insight?

2. Evaluate Nora as a narrator. Did you find her reliable? Did you ever feel like there was something about her you couldn’t fully trust? How did this add to the tension you felt while reading?

3. Frieda McFadden is best known for her 2022 novel, The Housemaid. How does this novel compare? Are there narrative or thematic elements the two novels share? How might this inform your sense of McFadden’s authorial style?

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

1. Have you ever discovered something about a family member that made you want to distance yourself from them? Without revealing what this detail is, discuss the rationale behind your decision. How might you have related to Nora’s decisions once she discovered the truth about her father?

2. Do you believe that people are defined by an essential nature or by the circumstances in which they grow up? How does the novel frame the question of personal agency in the

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