1. Would you describe The Various Haunts of Men as a thriller, a mystery, a literary novel or some other genre? In what ways does this book use or confound the expectations of the crime genre?
2. How does the author build up a sense of the community and setting of Lafferton? How does this sense of place affect the crime plot? What are the roles of the other characters in the novel?
3. Discuss the character of Cat in detail. What do you think she contributes to the novel?
4. Consider the role of morality in The Various Haunts of Men. Look in particular at the religious and ethical beliefs of the different characters. Discuss the theme of belief in the novel.
5. Who is the hero of The Various Haunts of Men?
6. Discuss how the value of life is explored in the book.
7. Consider the structure of the novel. Look at how the author moves the focus of the story across the various characters — what do you think this achieves? Look particularly at how the passages narrated by the murderer are differentiated from the rest of the book. Which characters do you feel you know best by the end of the book?