Book Club Discussion Questions and Guide for The Busybody Book Club by Freya Sampson

1. Which of the characters in The Busybody Book Club would you most enjoy inviting to your own book club meeting?
2. At times Nova found it difficult to speak up for herself. Where in the story did you see her fellow book club members helping her grow?
3. Like her heroine, Miss Marple, Phyllis claims that you should always believe the worst in people. Do you think the events of this book prove her right or wrong? Do you have any mottoes in your own life?
4. Did Ash and Arthur's unlikely friendship surprise you as they bonded over books? Have you found in your own experiences that books can bring people from different circumstances together in a shared love of the story or characters?
5. Have you ever visited the English seaside? Did you enjoy the setting of St. Tredock in Cornwall?
6. The community center is vital to the St. Tredock community. Are there any similar spaces that are the heart of your own community?
7. All of the main characters in the story have a secret. Whose secret did you find the most surprising?
8. Who did you suspect was behind the theft and the murder? Did your suspicions change at all as the story went on?
9. Each of the book club members has a specific genre of book they particularly like to read. Do you have a favorite genre you come back to time and again?
10. At the start of the story, Nova thinks the book club is a disaster. Do you think she's right? What do you think is the key to a successful book club?
11. If you could suggest one book for The Busybody Book Club to read, what would it be and why?

Unless otherwise stated, this discussion guide is reprinted with the permission of Berkley Books. Any page references refer to a USA edition of the book, usually the trade paperback version, and may vary in other editions.