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- Why would you take revenge for something that happened a long time ago?
- What would Elin and Klara say if they knew what happened after their deaths?
- How does Loke Voss react when he meets Veronika?
- Moro Part plays a critical role in facilitating the revenge plot, but what do you think are his true motives?
- Why are Ylva’s and Malte driven to avenge perceived wrongs?
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- Why does Veronika do what Krister Hammar tells her?
- Krister Hammar could tell Veronika about the cabal but doesn’t. Why do you think this is?
- What do you think happened to Lel and the other trafficked girls?
- When Veronika was confronted with the crime scene in the Djursholm house, was she critical enough of Krister Hammar?
- Krister owns an old Saab that he takes care of lovingly. How do the authors use his car as a way of defining his identity?
- What role does Nordic mythology and nationalism play for the Vosses?
- When Varzha is being taken from Drottninggatan, she doesn't seem to object. Wouldn’t this have made her captors suspicious?
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- The book takes place mainly in two regions: the capital city of Stockholm and the desolate province of Härjedalen. How do these two regions define the characters and the story?
- What role does weather play in the book? How would the story have been different if it had been set in summer?
- Why do you think the authors chose the region of Härjedalen as the setting for their story?
- What cultural differences does Veronika encounter in Sweden?
- How are the car journeys used to understand the characters?
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- Veronika expects Swedes to be tall and blond and she is surprised that the person who meets her at customs at the airport looks ‘un-Swedish’. What misconceptions or stereotypes do you think the book challenges or reinforces?
- What sense do you get of Nordic culture and people from the book, in terms of looks, style, behaviour and lifestyle?
- How would Swedes describe a stereotypical American? Does Veronika live up to that idea?
- The Vosses seem to be fascinated by the holding onto a reactionary ideal of Swedish culture. Is this a trend that is relevant now or have people always thought this way?
- How do perceptions and assumptions about US culture (for example, American TV crime shows) shape the reception Veronika receives in Sweden?
- In what ways do Veronika’s conflicts with Swedish police illustrate the differences in public safety officers in Sweden versus America?
