Her Deadly Game

How does Patsy’s alcohol use shape the Duggan family? How does this dynamic shift over the course of the novel?

Consider the novel’s place within the legal thriller genre, as well as Dugoni’s history as an attorney. In what ways does Dugoni uphold the conventions of the genre? Does he subvert them? Use evidence from the text to support your response.

Keera began her career as a prosecuting attorney and is now defending clients. How are these two roles different? How might Keera’s perspective have shifted through her transition from one to the other?

Throughout the novel, the lines between characters’ personal and professional lives are frequently blurred. What messages does Dugoni offer regarding the boundaries between the personal and professional? Is it possible to keep them entirely separate?

Tradition plays an important role in the Duggan family. Discuss how tradition informs their relationships and decision-making. Does tradition help or hinder their family dynamic?

Discuss Dugoni’s use of the ongoing chess match between Keera and Dark Knight in Her Deadly Game. How does it work alongside the main narrative to deepen and complicate the thematic meaning of the novel?

Consider the use of nicknames in the text, from Vince’s Jack Worthing, to Patsy as the Irish Brawler, to the online handles Dark Knight and Seattle Pawnslayer. What is the significance of these alternate names and identities to the characters who choose or use them?

Keera quotes the line “The truth is rarely pure and never simple” from The Importance of Being Earnest (147). Analyze this quotation in the context of the plot. What are the factors that complicate the purity and simplicity of the truth in the novel? What does this line suggest about the legal system and the roles of attorneys like Keera?