Missing Pieces Book Club

What role do secrets play in the story? Are we entitled to our secrets? If you share a life with someone, are you allowed secrets and to keep your past in the past?

Why did the author choose to make the main character an advice columnist? How did Sarah’s alter ego of Dear Astrid aid the story and its development?

How does the title Missing Pieces relate to the overall plot? What alternative title would you pick?

The setting in Missing Pieces is almost a character in itself. Would this story work in a town or city larger than Penny Gate? How does Lydia and Jack’s old house act as a character?

A great mystery is able to shift suspicion throughout the story. Who did you suspect was behind Julia’s death along the way?

The relationships depicted in this story are dynamic and complex. Which relationship did you find to be the strongest? The weakest? Which changed the most throughout the story?

Which character do you believe changed the most throughout the story? How did they evolve? Was it for the better or the worse?

Discuss the symbolism of including the “Three Blind Mice” nursery rhyme. Why do you think the author chose this nursery rhyme over others?