Those People

Those People
Louise Candlish
Questions for Discussion 

1. Family life on Lowland Way has been carefully curated and protected by the residents. How justified is their opposition to Darren and Jodie, whose unwillingness to cooperate is clear from the outset?

2. There is a class war raging on the street; which characters are aware of this? Do any of them recognize their own snobbery?

3. The central relationships are between the Morgan brothers—Ralph and Finn—and their wives, Naomi and Tess. How do rivalries and concerns about status complicate their predicament?

4. Ant and Em Kendall are particularly troubled by loud music and the nuisance of building work. How understandable is it that, instead of supporting each other, they turn against each other?

5. Ralph Morgan describes the mood of the street to the police as “the Wild West.” How quickly do communities break down, even for those who consider themselves highly civilized, when authorities do not intervene?

6. Were you surprised by the identity of the perpetrator of the first death on the street? Does he or she atone sufficiently?

7. Surveillance is a key issue in the book. Are we ever truly free of others’ eyes? What does privacy mean to you? Does it even exist in our society now?

8. How does the presence of the two detectives unsettle the residents? Does the threat of arrest cement alliances or cause new fractures?

9. How do you think the police investigation will progress in light of the events of the final chapters? Is there further justice to be done?

10. Have you ever experienced a “bad neighbor” problem? If so, how did you resolve the issue?