Reading Guide 1

1. Paul is a college professor and, by all accounts, a rational man, but he truly seems to believe he can teach his dog, Lorelei, to talk. What has led him to this turnaround in his life? Is he simply crazy with grief, or is there a way in which his off-balance actions make sense?

2. Paul and Lexy seem to be a perfect illustration of the phrase "opposites attract." What has drawn them to each other? What is it about Paul that Lexy finds endearing? And why is Paul so intrigued by Lexy, even after signs of her darker side have started to emerge?

3. What kind of clues does Paul find to suggest that there's more to Lexy’s death than first appears? Do you think Lexy deliberately left him a puzzle to put together? Or is he so desperate for answers that he's finding meaning where there isn't any?

4. Why do you think Lexy becomes fascinated with death masks? What effect does it have on her to work on such a somber project? Do you think it's a morbid pursuit, as Paul believes, or is it a positive way of memorializing the dead and comforting the living, as Lexy argues?

5. Lexy creates a death mask for a young girl named Jennifer, who committed suicide. Why do Jennifer's parents reject the first mask Lexy makes? What kind of significance does the mask take on for Lexy? What do you think might have been in Jennifer's diary?

6. Paul's obsession with the Cerberus Society leads him and Lorelei into a dangerous situation. Why is he so fascinated with this strange group? Is he responsible for Lorelei’s abduction?

7. What do you make of the incident with Blue Mary in New Orleans? Why does Lexy want so much to believe that she’s seen a ghost? Why do you think her disappointment at discovering she didn't see Blue Mary takes the form it does?

8. Lexy faithfully records her dreams in a dream journal. After her death, Paul hunts through this book, searching desperately for answers. What role do dreams play in the novel? Do you think they offer a window into a person's psyche? How do Paul's dreams about Lexy reflect how his own grieving process progresses?

9. In what ways does the Tam Lin poem mirror Paul and Lexy’s relationship? Which character do you think is most like Tam Lin? Who is most like Janet? Why does Lexy call Paul her "finest knight"? Do you think he could have saved her?

10. Do you believe Lexy when she says that "suicide is just a moment"? Do you think she would have killed herself if she hadn’t become pregnant?

11. What role does the phone psychic, Lady Arabelle, play in Paul's quest for answers? Does she shed any light on the events that led to Lexy's death?

12. Do you like Lexy? Do you have compassion for the pain she feels, or are you annoyed by the ways she lashes out? What about Paul — is he a good husband or an oblivious one? Is there any point at which this troubled marriage could have taken a different direction?