READERS GUIDE

We hope this discussion guide will enhance your book club’s experience of Rogue Justice—and will spark conversation, critical thinking, and camaraderie along the way. Thank you for reading!

Introduction

A blackmailed federal judge. A secret court. A brazen murder that could lead to an unprecedented national crisis. It’s just another day in the life of Supreme Court clerk Avery Keene in this riveting and intricately plotted thriller from #1 New York Times bestselling author Stacey Abrams.

Avery is at a legal conference when she’s approached by a fellow law clerk who is desperate to learn the truth about the death of his former boss, a federal judge. He gives Avery a file folder and a burner phone. As Avery digs deeper into the case, she’s shocked to discover a frightening pattern involving other federal judges and America’s “secret court.” Fearing that something far more sinister may be unfolding inside the nation’s third branch of government than she ever could have imagined, Avery finds herself in a race against time before more lives, and her faith in the country’s judicial system, are lost.

Questions and Topics for Discussion

1. Rogue Justice begins with a bang—literally, since the Preston Davies shooting is what catapults Avery Keene into action. Talk about the storytelling techniques that the author used to keep the pages turning. Which plot points were the most surprising or shocking to you? Were there any twists that you could see coming? Can you find any elements of foreshadowing now that you’ve finished reading? Were you satisfied with how things turned out in the end?

2. A president facing impeachment, a divided SCOTUS, and all the whistleblowers and scapegoats in between . . . Do any of the characters or scenarios in Rogue Justice ring true to our current era? If so, which ones—and how?

3. Both Avery and Hayden must “go rogue” in their own ways in order to see that justice is done. How do these women succeed when they aren’t in positions of high authority?

4. Talk about how the other female characters in the novel—from Judge Francesca Whitner to Vice President Samantha Slosberg, Rita to Nyx—must also find ways to fend for themselves. How do they rewrite the rules? And what are they willing to sacrifice?

5. How did you feel about Nyx when you first encountered her and then throughout the course of the novel? Can she be considered an empathetic character? Is Nyx “likable” in Rogue Justice—and why should a woman’s likability matter in any case? Do you think her profession is any more or less corrupt than certain other politicians, servicemembers, and other figures in the book?

6. Avery, who is known to be good at gambling, is praised by her colleagues for seeing patterns and connections that others miss. Talk about how Avery takes risks, manages conflict, and exercises caution in her life—from protecting her country in the fight against an elusive enemy to ensuring her mother’s (and Justice Wynn’s) medical care and beyond.

7. At one point in the novel Avery arranges for extra security for Rita at her rehab facility up in Laurel, Maryland. Talk about the parent-child role reversal between the two characters and how the themes of love and family, duty and loyalty, are explored in Rogue Justice.

8. Rogue Justice addresses the issue—and threat—of fake news in the age of digital media and AI. How, if at all, did this novel stoke or solidify your own concerns about surveillance, cybersecurity, and virtual warfare? This might be a good opportunity to talk about the warnings associated with chatbots, algorithms, and other forms of automation ethics too.

9. What might Jared Wynn say about the nature of truth in our world today? You may wish to consider how Jared’s professional expertise factors into his personal relationship with Avery as well.

10. How do you think Stacey Abrams’ firsthand knowledge of the ways and means of Washington might have shaped the narrative of Rogue Justice? If you could ask Abrams one question about the writing process of this book, what might it be?

11. When it comes to the pursuit of justice, do you think that all is fair in love and war? Should the ends justify the means in the fight for the truth—or in the name of revenge? Discuss any big-picture themes you might have taken away, or lessons learned, from reading Rogue Justice.

Suggested Reading

While Justice Sleeps, the first high-octane thriller in Stacey Abrams’s Avery Keene series.
 
Alias Emma by Ava Glass, an espionage thriller featuring a newly minted female secret agent who finds herself in a world full of trouble.
 
Karen Cleveland’s You Can Run stars a CIA analyst heroine whose loyalty to family and country is tested.
The Missing American by Kwei Quartey is the first novel in the Emma Djan Investigation series, which features a young female sleuth from Africa who will go to the ends of the earth in search of justice.   
Rules of Engagement and The Art of Desire, two novels of steamy romantic suspense by Stacey Abrams writing under her pen name, Selena Montgomery.
 
Level Up: Rise Above the Hidden Forces Holding Your Business Back (nonfiction). Here Stacey Abrams and Lara Hodgson, with Heather Cabot, bring their fierce sense of justice to the challenges that business owners face across the country.