1. Did the solution to the death of Mrs. Amling surprise you? What had you expected?

2. Did you figure out who Bernie was before Clarie did? If so, how?

3. Describe the business Clarie's father runs? What other sorts of businesses are found in towns like Harmon Falls?

4. Clarie says that most of her friends "seem to feel obligated to sneer at Harmon Falls because it's a little dinky town where nothing ever happens." Why would her friends say that? If the town is so dull, why would people choose to live there?

5. Why is Clarie devoted to her father? Should she not feel the common teen-age desire to distance herself from her parents?

6. What sort of planning goes into putting on the Winter Fest?

7. Why does Clarie like solitude? 8. Why do the killings not scare off the people attending the Winter Fest?

If you were...