Where It Hurts

1. One of the major themes of Where It Hurts is dealing with tragic loss and grief. Is there such a thing as closure? If so, do you believe Gus has achieved some version of it by the conclusion of the novel?

2. Another topic explored is the line between healthy mourning and anger. Can you experience one without the other? Is it better to express the anger, if present, than to hold it back for the sake of family?

3. Tommy Delcamino’s situation somewhat parallels Gus’s, but they are not mirror images. How are they similar? Different? Is Gus’s initial reaction to Tommy justified? If not, why not?

4. There is one character in the novel meant to represent an overarching moral compass. Who is he or she? Does the author succeed in establishing this character as that moral compass, or does he fail?

5. Reed Farrel Coleman maintains that there is a hierarchy of evil at play in many works of crime fiction (e.g., The Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris), that even some “bad” characters are worse than others. Which character among the bad ones would be at the top of the hierarchy in Where It Hurts? Why? Are any of the bad characters beyond redemption?

6. During the course of Where It Hurts, Gus has three romantic or potentially romantic encounters with women: Annie, his ex; Casey; and Magdalena. Do you believe that there is hope for Gus to establish or reestablish a lasting and meaningful relationship with any of these women, or will his continuing emotional evolution prevent him from having a healthy relationship for the foreseeable future?

7. In the scene in which Gus first visits the wooded lot where TJ Delcamino’s body was found, he takes note of two disparate Christmas displays. What do you think the displays are meant to symbolize, and do they have a significance beyond their purely symbolic value?

8. What is the significance of Gus’s relationship with Aziza? Khalid? Why does Gus shed tears when he learns that Aziza has returned to Pakistan for an arranged marriage?