by David Bell
When I return to my small apartment, I brew coffee and feed the dog. And when the coffee’s ready, I sit down to write. I try to write a few hundred words before I have to go to campus to teach that day’s classes. Some days I don’t make it. But most I do.
I’m keeping my expectations low and reasonable.
For someone who hasn’t finished anything in a long time, that seems like a good choice.
I open the file I’ve been working on and start to go.
And what kind of story am I writing now?
A thriller based on everything that happened with Madeline, and Lance, and Preston?
No need to. Madeline’s book is now being published under her name. And the money is going to her family. And I’m slowly paying back my advance, a little bit at a time. The police have assured me that as long as I pay back the money, I won’t face any further criminal charges related to stealing Madeline’s book.
No, I’m writing a story that means a lot more to me. Something I connect to in a real way.
Something I want to write. Need to write.
It begins: My wife and son died six years ago. . . .
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Thanks once again to everyone at Berkley/Penguin for their hard work on my behalf.
Special thanks to Jin Yu and Bridget O’Toole for their marketing wizardry.
Special thanks to Loren Jaggers for his publicity superpowers.
Special thanks to Ann-Marie Nieves, Jen Carl, and Lori Edelman at Get Red PR for all of their hard work.
Special thanks to Kara Thurmond for keeping the website running.
Special thanks to Kelcey Parker Ervick and Jake Mattox for their friendship and advice.
Once again, my amazing editor, Danielle Perez, worked tirelessly to make the book better. Thanks, Danielle!
Once again, my amazing agent, Laney Katz Becker, went above and beyond the call of duty to make everything happen. Thanks, Laney!
Huge thanks to my friends, family, and readers.
And thanks to Molly McCaffrey for everything.
READERS GUIDE
KILL ALL YOUR DARLINGS
DAVID BELL
QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION
At the beginning of the novel, we learn that Connor passed Madeline’s novel off as his own. Do you understand why he made that choice?
Connor lost his wife and son five years earlier. He feels as though the publication of the book is going to start to turn his life around. How well do you think Connor has handled his grief?
Before Madeline disappeared, she was beginning to work on her thesis, with Connor as her adviser. Even though Connor wasn’t at his best, there seemed to be mutual respect and admiration between them. What did you think of their professor-student relationship?
Preston has been a very good friend to Connor, but he’s also very concerned with his own career and the perception of those in the department he directs. Do you know people like this at work?
Madeline and Sophia develop a friendship in which Sophia plays the role of an older sister and a mentor to Madeline. Do you understand their friendship? Do you understand why Connor was fascinated by Sophia and Zach’s life together?
Lance Hoffman has parties at his house that include drinking by underage students, and he behaves reprehensibly with Madeline when they discuss her thesis. Do you think university professors or other authority figures still abuse their power this way?
Rebecca is somewhat on the periphery of the events of the book, but she plays an important role when she comes into possession of Madeline’s manuscript. Why do you think she gave the book back to Connor?
Zach eventually provides Connor with a key piece of information. Did it surprise you that Zach would help Connor in such a way even after he attacked him?
Were you surprised by who ended up being Sophia’s murderer? Do you understand why this person was willing to go to such lengths to protect their career?
Connor loses a lot at the end of the book, including his job, his book deal, and his reputation. But he also seems to be learning a lot about himself as he moves forward. What do you think his life will be like in the future?
Photo by Glen Rose Photography
David Bell is a USA Today bestselling, award-winning author whose work has been translated into multiple foreign languages. He’s currently a professor of English at Western Kentucky University in Bowling Green, Kentucky, where he directs the MFA program. He received an MA in creative writing from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, and a PhD in American literature and creative writing from the University of Cincinnati. His previous novels include The Request, Layover, Somebody’s Daughter, and Cemetery Girl.
CONNECT ONLINE
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