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About the Death at the Sign of the Rook Discussion category
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7
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June 12, 2025
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What did you make of Simon’s inability to believe in God, in spite of his profession? How about his bishop’s pastoral advice to “carry on as if you still believed” (p. 59)? Do you consider Simon a good vicar? Why or why not?
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2
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4
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August 2, 2025
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Overall, what did you think of Death at the Sign of the Rook? (no spoilers, please!)
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20
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45
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August 2, 2025
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Jackson thinks, “some bits of the past you carried with you for ever, other bits you jettisoned as quickly as possible.” (p. 76) Do you agree with him? Why or why not?
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2
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9
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August 2, 2025
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Which of the characters did you like best? How about least? Why did you choose those two?
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3
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8
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August 2, 2025
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Jackson thinks the “golden years” should be named the “rust years”, and they come “attended by a retinue of unfriendly ailments” (p. 195). What do you think he means? Do you agree with him?
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6
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13
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August 2, 2025
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Have you seen Case Histories, the BBC series based on the Jackson Brodie books? If so, what did you think of the casting? How about the story itself – does it adhere to the books or diverge?
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5
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10
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August 2, 2025
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Why no American village mayhem?
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1
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9
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August 1, 2025
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To what audience would you recommend Death at the Sign of the Rook? Is there another book or author you feel has a similar theme or style
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5
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16
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August 1, 2025
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Were there any plot twists that surprised you? If so, which ones?
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0
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1
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July 30, 2025
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Which red herrings did you find buried in the story? What did you think of them?
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1
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July 30, 2025
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Did you believe the thief’s story about the Turner – that it was a worthless fake? Why or why not?
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0
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2
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July 30, 2025
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What did you think of the ultimate fate of the Woman and the Weasel? Why do you suppose the thief took this action?
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0
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1
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July 30, 2025
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Reggie accuses Jackson of “nefarious” activities, while he responds, “Nefarious for a good cause” (p. 142). Do you think it was acceptable for him to cross the line under the circumstances? Are there times when it’s reasonable to break the law?
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1
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July 30, 2025
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What did you think about Dorothy Pagett’s funeral? Did you feel it was fitting? Why do you feel it proceeded the way it did?
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2
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July 30, 2025
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Reggie likes facts and procedure, while “Brodie’s MO was disruption” p. 124. What did you think of their two detective styles? Which one do you suspect you’d be more like?
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1
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July 30, 2025
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Jackson considers the difference between how he thought the world of stolen art worked vs. the reality. Had you heard of the Lost Art Registry? Did reading the book change your ideas about art theft in any way, or did anything surprise you about it?
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0
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1
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July 30, 2025
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What was your opinion about his family’s reaction to Ben’s injury (“Everyone in his family apart from Fran…believed in stoicism as if it were a religion” p. 82)? How do you think they helped or hurt his healing?
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0
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2
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July 30, 2025
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Jackson wonders if his adversary is “Saint Teresa or a cunning thief” (p.77). What did you think of the thief’s character? Were any of their actions justified?
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1
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July 30, 2025
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Simon “bitterly regretted being too young to experience the meaty stuff of recent history.” Do you think the era was truly a momentous time, or does it only appear so in retrospect? Have you ever felt similarly?
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1
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July 30, 2025
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The book opens at Burton Makepeace, a grand estate fallen on hard times, during a murder mystery weekend. What did you think of the setting? Have you ever attended a murder mystery dinner or weekend, or would you like to?
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4
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July 30, 2025
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Death at the Sign of the Rook is Kate Atkinson’s sixth book in the Jackson Brodie series. Have you read any of the others, and if so, how does this one compare? What do you like most about the series?
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1
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July 30, 2025
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