by K. A. Tucker
Topics & Questions for Discussion
1. Who do you think “her” refers to in the novel’s title, Keep Her Safe? Why might K.A. Tucker have chosen this title?
2. Which characters were you initially suspicious of while reading? What led you to be suspicious of them? Did they end up being guilty of what you thought they were?
3. Soon after arriving in Austin, Gracie wonders “What would my life have been like, had my father not died? Would I have grown up in a quiet suburb with gardens and trees?” (p. 210). In what ways do you think Gracie was shaped by the circumstances in which she grew up? Have you ever visited somewhere your parents had lived and wondered who you would be if they’d raised you there?
4. Several characters find themselves, at one point or another, torn between two ideals: loyalty to family or their moral integrity. Discuss how this tension plays out in Abe, Dina, Jackie, and Noah’s storylines. What similarities and differences do you see in how they handle these conflicting principles?
5. Everyone who knew Abe agrees that it would have been completely out of character for him to abuse his power. However, as we see from the end of Keep Her Safe, sometimes people we trust deeply are capable of unimaginable things. In your own life, how do you decide when to trust an accusation of wrongdoing and when to have faith in your existing sense of someone and give them the benefit of the doubt? What do you think it would take for you to believe a close friend or family member had committed a horrific crime?
6. Early on, Gracie finds Noah’s Southern mannerisms patronizing (albeit charming), but ultimately comes to appreciate his protectiveness and politeness. Do you wish men were more chivalrous like Noah, or do you find that attitude frustrating, as Gracie does initially?
7. Canning makes the case that letting a scandal get out would undo “all the goodwill [the police] work hard to build in the community . . . buried under a thick layer of public distrust, thanks to one dirty cop” (p. 355). However, covering up misconduct risks more of the police force being implicated, potentially leading to even more negative public opinions. Is there anything that police officers can do to hold bad cops accountable, without incidentally burning the bridges they have worked to build to the wider community? What would have been the best way forward in this situation—and what consequences couldn’t have been avoided?
8. When Gracie asks Noah if they’d be friends if her father hadn’t died, he replies that he’d “probably be like an older brother” (p. 398) to her. Do you agree? Would they have been too much like siblings to have a romantic connection, or would a spark have grown between them even if they had been close their whole lives?
9. What do you think Noah will do after the novel ends? Will he return to his job at the DA’s office? If not, what will he pursue instead? Will he continue to live in Austin? Will he and Gracie stay together long-term?
10. On page 390, Noah remarks that Gracie and Dina will always be family, “even if Gracie kicks me to the curb one day.” Do you think their relationship could withstand a romantic breakup? Are you still friends with any of your exes?
Enhance Your Book Club
1. Bring some Southern comfort to your book club—have group members bring dishes like cornbread, barbeque chicken or ribs, collard greens or coleslaw, and come dressed in your best Texan-inspired style, whether it’s wearing the largest belt buckle you can find, cowboy boots, or cactus-print clothing.
2. Both Gracie and Noah’s mothers turn to substance abuse to deal with guilt, difficult emotions, and traumatic memories, and Dina’s addiction nearly causes her family to become homeless. Consider volunteering with your book club at a local homeless shelter, rehabilitation center, or addiction support organization. You can search for an organization near you using www.volunteermatch.org.
3. Consider reading one of K.A. Tucker’s other page-turning novels for your next book club meeting. For another thrilling suspense, you can check out He Will Be My Ruin, or if you’re looking for a classic and compelling contemporary romance, your group is sure to love Until It Fades. Visit K.A. Tucker’s website www.katuckerbooks.com to learn more about her and her books, or follow K.A. Tucker on Twitter @kathleenatucker, or Facebook at www.facebook.com/K.A.Tucker.Author.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
K. A. TUCKER writes captivating stories with an edge and is the bestselling author of the Ten Tiny Breaths and Burying Water series, as well as He Will Be My Ruin and Until It Fades. She lives in a quaint town outside of Toronto with her husband and two beautiful girls.
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Can't get enough of K.A. Tucker?
See where it all began, with Kacey's side of the story - now available from Atria Books
Ten Tiny Breaths
* * *
Livie Cleary has always been Miss Perfect—but she soon learns that perfection isn't all it's cracked up to be, and finidng out who she really is might mean making some mistakes along the way. Read her side of the story
One Tiny Lie
* * *
"I believe you don't have years to impact a person's life. You have seconds. Seconds to win them over, and seconds to lose them." Read Cain's side of the story
Four Seconds to Lose
* * *
What happens when two trouble-makers work side by side? Read Ben's side of the story
Five Ways to Fall
* * *
Read Trent's side of the story, in the dramatic novella about the events that lead up to Ten Tiny Breaths
In Her Wake
* * *
The first novel in K.A. Tucker's breathtaking new romantic suspense series, about a young woman who loses her memory - and the man from her past who knows that the only way to protect her is to stay away
Burying Water
* * *
The second novel in K.A. Tucker's breathtaking new romantic suspense series, about an undercover detective who is dangerously drawn to her target
Becoming Rain
* * *
The third novel in K.A. Tucker's romantic suspense series, about a young woman who travels to Dublin, and finds herself at the scene of a crime—and falling for the guy who saves her.
Chasing River
* * *
The fourth and final novel in K.A. Tucker's romantic suspense series, about a young tattoo artist who witnesses a crime in San Francisco, and the alluring stranger who compels her not to leave town
Surviving Ice
* * *
The heartpounding story of a young woman determined to discover the truth and get justice for her best friend's murder
He Will Be My Ruin
* * *
Astonishing romance abounds when a young woman from a small Pennsylvania town saves an extraordinary stranger's life, but . . .would he really love someone like her if she hadn't saved him?
Until It Fades
* * *
ORDER YOUR COPIES TODAY!
ALSO BY K. A. TUCKER
* * *
Ten Tiny Breaths
One Tiny Lie
Four Seconds to Lose
Five Ways to Fall
In Her Wake
Burying Water
Becoming Rain
Chasing River
Surviving Ice
He Will Be My Ruin
Until It Fades
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This book is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, or real places are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places, and events are products of the author’s imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or places or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Copyright © 2018 by Kathleen Tucker
All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form whatsoever. For information, address Atria Books Subsidiary Rights Department, 1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020.
First Atria Paperback edition January 2018
Also available in an Atria hardcover edition.
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Jacket design by Jonathan Bush Design
Jacket photograph by Stephen Carroll/Arcangel
Author photograph © Christa Hogan, Storeybook Studios
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Tucker, K.A. (Kathleen A.)
Title: Keep her safe : a novel / K.A. Tucker.
Description: First Atria paperback edition. | New York : Atria Books, 2018.
Identifiers: LCCN 2017032787 (print) | LCCN 2017039112 (ebook) | ISBN
9781501133428 (eBook) | ISBN 9781501133404 (softcover) | ISBN
9781501149870 (hardcover)
Subjects: LCSH: Police corruption—Fiction. | Family secrets—Fiction. |
BISAC: FICTION / Romance / Suspense. | FICTION / Suspense. | FICTION /
Psychological. | GSAFD: Romantic suspense fiction.
Classification: LCC PR9199.4.T834 (ebook) | LCC PR9199.4.T834 K44 2018
(print) | DDC 813/.6—dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2017032787
ISBN 978-1-5011-4987-0
ISBN 978-1-5011-3340-4 (pbk)
ISBN 978-1-5011-3342-8 (ebook)