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Overall, what did you think of The Merry-Go-Round Broke Down? (No spoilers in this thread, please!)
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29
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200
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August 1, 2026
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Detective Kelsie Harlow tells Lottie, “People don’t just vanish. Not in today’s world.” What did you make of this statement? Do you agree? Why or why not? How does technology make it harder to get away with murder these days?
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10
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62
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August 1, 2026
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Too Old for This is Samantha Downing’s sixth book. Have you read any of her novels, and if so, how does it compare to this one?
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15
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82
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July 31, 2026
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On page 128, Lottie opines that the real secret to life might be to “stop trying to clean up everybody else’s mess, and concentrate on your own.” Do you think this is accurate? Why or why not?
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7
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50
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July 30, 2026
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Lottie starts looking at retirement homes in part because she’s afraid that she’ll die alone in her house, and no one will find her for a long time. What’s your experience with aging in one’s home vs. in a retirement community?
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18
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81
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July 30, 2026
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What other novels do you recommend that have a similar theme or flavor? Is there another author you can think of whose work is comparable?
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9
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57
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July 30, 2026
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Do you feel any of Lottie’s murders were justified, and if so, which one(s)? Which one(s) did you find the most disturbing?
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13
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86
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July 30, 2026
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Too Old for This begins with a quote from Virginia Woolf: "The older one grows the more one likes indecency" (p. 3). What do you think of the author's use of it here? How does it set the stage for the novel? Do you agree with the sentiment?
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6
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37
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July 30, 2026
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Lottie thinks to herself, “People say they want the truth, and they believe they want it, but it’s a lie…What you want, what we all want, is the story we believe in. And it’s probably a lie.” What do you think she means here? Do you feel this is true?
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6
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37
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July 30, 2026
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Which plot twist surprised you the most?
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15
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84
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July 30, 2026
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Lottie kills Plum to keep her from filming a docuseries about her. What consequences would have ensued if Plum had been allowed to proceed, in your opinion? What other options might Lottie have pursued?
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15
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79
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July 30, 2026
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In thinking about Niamh’s investigation into her mother’s death, is there anything you would have done differently? If so, what, and why?
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6
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40
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July 30, 2026
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What did you think of the novel’s overall structure, with one character’s story flowing into the next?
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15
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88
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July 28, 2026
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Simon Blackwell, a banker in London, thinks to himself that trading is just dumb luck and equates it to betting at a roulette table (p. 89). What do you think of his attitude about the stock market? Do you share his opinion at all?
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10
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51
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July 28, 2026
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In the Amazon, Ricardo tells Birgit and Karen that while ecology is important, there are also hungry people to feed. Later, he gets angry because foreigners want to tell the Brazilian government how to run their country. What’s your take on this issue?
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11
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59
|
July 28, 2026
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Did you feel any of the main characters were evil, or did you mostly feel they were well-meaning?
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15
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90
|
July 28, 2026
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In Chapter 1, Liang Dacheng must convince his striking employees that working with the Americans is patriotic. Wang Min, the leader of the protest, disagrees. Who is correct, and why? Did your opinion of Liang Dacheng change over this section?
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4
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30
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July 27, 2026
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What role does money – the pursuit of it, the lack of it, the loss of it – play in each character’s life?
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5
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41
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July 27, 2026
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Trader Charlie Weeks is rescued from a snowstorm by Gunnar Johannessen. They become close, until Charlie finds out Gunnar advised the council against buying his bonds. What did you think of Charlie’s reaction? Why did they ignore Gunnar’s advice?
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7
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46
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July 27, 2026
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Russian Arkady Antonov finds the woman of his dreams in Cuba, but she changes once she discovers he's wealthy, leading to tragedy. Whom do you blame? Should Arkady have been honest with her from the start, and if so, what would have been different?
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5
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34
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July 27, 2026
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Outsourcing factory work to China is a major theme. What’s your take on this trend? Do you think it can or should be reversed? Why or why not? Do companies have a choice, in your opinion?
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15
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91
|
July 27, 2026
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Rita seems like a dream girlfriend, why isn’t she?
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9
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40
|
July 27, 2026
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Horace can be generous and friendly when he wants to be, but is also selfish and manipulative. Why does Horace act the way he does? Do you think he ever cared about Frank and the other club members, or were his motives always self-interested?
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16
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75
|
July 27, 2026
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Due to the laws of the 1930s, Jonathan and Graham are forced to hide their true relationship. How has our world changed or not changed since then regarding acceptance of the LGBTQIA+ community?
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19
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102
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July 27, 2026
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In the epilogue, Lucy and Graham share a moment of silent understanding. What did you make of Lucy’s decision to conceal Graham’s secret? Would you have made the same choice?
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13
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72
|
July 27, 2026
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The Cloak and Dagger Club is a fair-play, Golden Age-style mystery, which gives readers the clues they need to solve the crime. What reveals surprised you, & which did you guess correctly? Did you pick up on any pivotal clues? How about red herrings?
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12
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61
|
July 27, 2026
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Niamh calls her mom an “obsessive fixer,” and ascribes her desire to write to enjoying “having full control over an outcome for once.” (p.20). Do you think this desire for control is often an inspiration for novelists?
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10
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58
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July 26, 2026
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Niamh often compares people to desserts, and she herself thinks she'd be a box of cake mix that no one's bothered to make yet. Any thoughts about what kind of dessert you'd be?
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8
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70
|
July 26, 2026
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Discuss Emilie’s decision to exchange babies. Was it a good decision? Do you believe she would have made it had she not been caught by postpartum depression?
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16
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100
|
July 26, 2026
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When Lucy receives Horace’s mysterious invitation to the Cloak and Dagger Club, she decides to go, despite knowing Frank would be there. If you were in her shoes, would you have made the same choice?
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20
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109
|
July 26, 2026
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