DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR NOT THE KILLING KIND
About the Characters
Who do you think are more powerful and creative in this novel, the teenaged characters or the adults? Why?
What do you think about the communication or miscommunication between generations in this story?
Discuss Boots’ evolution from mother to determined detective. (Thanks to a reader/writer in Colorado, Charlie Hanline, for this question.) What lengths would a mother go to save her child?
Whose movement is restricted, who is free, and how does that evolve throughout the novel?
Themes and Ideas
Immigration and education are both hot-button issues in the US. How are immigration and education lived out in individual characters’ lives?
What would change in the story if Boots and Jaral weren’t experiencing economic pressure, as well as social pressures? What are other novels you can think of where economic pressures play a role?
Where do ideas of “human dignity” and “work” overlap in this novel?
Reflection
What would you do if you were in Boots’ situation and needed to get information fast from strangers or from people who may not trust you right away?
Where were you surprised in the story, and where were your hunches confirmed?
How do the indoor and outdoor settings shape the events of the story? In which of these settings would you have felt the most or the least comfortable?
more about not the killing kind
Mothers Who Go to Extremes in Crime Fiction
Mothers Who Go to Extremes in Crime Fiction
Mothers Who Go to Extremes in Crime Fiction
"Boots Marez is the Mom Who’s In It to Win It in my debut novel, Not the Killing Kind. As head of school at a progressive K-8 academy she founded to help undocumented families, Boots has to routinely fend off challenges to her vision of education from both a Status Queen on her parents’ board and a sociopathic supervisor."
The Debut Novel & More
Mothers Who Go to Extremes in Crime Fiction
Mothers Who Go to Extremes in Crime Fiction
"What drew you to the thriller genre?"
"How was the novel inspired by your life experience?"
"What aspects required research?"
Read Maria's interview with Writing from the Peak contributor Debby Brewer here.
A Wicked Welcome to Maria Kelson
Mothers Who Go to Extremes in Crime Fiction
A Wicked Welcome to Maria Kelson
When I was writing Not the Killing Kind, a number of people were kind enough to share their thoughts with me on life in Humboldt County, CA, where the story is set. However, four special interviews became standouts in my mind and heart.
A Peek at the Mystery Genre
The Sisters in Crime Writers' Podcast
A Wicked Welcome to Maria Kelson
"The book—which Maria Kelson says has taken 12 years and 8 drafts to make—takes a close look in Northern California, Redwood country, at a family in disarray."
Read more about Not the Killing Kind in this article in The Quindecim, covering an appearance by Maria Kelson at Goucher College.
The Sisters in Crime Writers' Podcast
The Sisters in Crime Writers' Podcast
The Sisters in Crime Writers' Podcast
"I had a voice in my head that said, 'I could never write a novel. I could never do that.'"
Listen here as Sisters in Crime executive director Julie Hennrikus and author Maria Kelson talk about novel writing, about crime writing as a way to explore social issues, and more.
A Couple of Writers with Hats
The Sisters in Crime Writers' Podcast
The Sisters in Crime Writers' Podcast
Rock Mountain Fiction Writers podcaster and novelist Mark Stevens talks with Maria about promoting a debut novel at conferences, "author problems," and what Not the Killing Kind was titled when it was first submitted to publishers.
The Mystery of Writing
International Thriller Writers member and novelist Elena Hartwell kindly features interviews with debut thriller authors on her blog, "The Mystery of Writing." In ours, I talk about Sleuthfest and the Sisters In Crime Eleanor Taylor Bland Award, among other hot takes. Have a look here!
