READERS GUIDE

A GHASTLY CATASTROPHE
Readers Guide
(Beware! Spoilers ahead.)
 
 
1.       Veronica and Stoker are longing for adventure when the book opens. How do their investigations provide excitement and challenge compared to their regular work?
2.      JJ Butterworth turns to Veronica and Stoker when she has lost her job and her home. How would you characterize Veronica’s relationship with JJ? How would you characterize Stoker’s relationship with her?
3.      Mornaday also appeals to Stoker and Veronica for help—in his case with an investigation. What makes the death of Jameson Harkness mysterious?
4.      According to Veronica’s foreword, Bram Stoker has appropriated several character names from her narrative to use in his novel, Dracula. Which names did you notice were borrowed by Bram Stoker?
5.      Veronica and Stoker make the acquaintance of Lady Julia and Nicholas Brisbane. How are the two couples alike? How do they differ? Is this the beginning of a beautiful friendship or a professional rivalry?
6.      The two couples pay a visit to a Roma encampment in order to investigate. How did Victorian society treat the Roma?
7.      Two boys appear in this story—George, the hall boy at Bishop’s Folly and Thomas, the young Roma witness to Maurice Quincey’s death. How are their lives different? How are they similar?
8.      Stoker flatly refuses to believe that vampires could possibly be real, but Veronica maintains an open mind. How do they each reconcile their opinions with their positions as scientists?
9.      The villains in this story are a triumvirate—Lord Ruthven (Miles Hegarty), Asphodel, and Johnson. How does each contribute to their nefarious plot? Which of them is most to blame for the evil that they do?
10.   Several characters—Magda, Lord Ruthven, Asphodel—must make their living by their wits and use the prejudices and desires of others in order to earn a wage. Is this justified? If so, at what point does this behavior become manipulative?
11.    Asphodel and Veronica share a scene at the end that parallels Veronica’s conversations with JJ and Lady Julia. What confidences do the women exchange? How is each conversation different? Which of these women has the most potential to be a true friend to Veronica? What will become of Asphodel now that she has to make her own way in the world?
12.   Stoker has been secretive about his latest commission which he shows to Veronica at the end of the story. Does working on this piece compromise his principles? What does he intend to do with the money he earns?
13.   The afterword contains information about a cursed jewel that features in the book. Do you believe in curses? How does the idea of a curse shape the way an object is viewed?