Literally Dead Book Club discussion

In my paperback copy, chapter 10 ends on page 86.
The audiobook has chapter 10 ending around 2 hours, 10 minutes in (28%)

What are your initial thoughts?
What has the book done well? Where do you hope it goes? Any predictions to share?
Any favourite character or scene to share?

This is not a mystery with lots of twists. However, it did a great job of keeping me hooked. This reminds me of One by One by Ruth ware as in, the plot is kinda predictable but I don't think it's bad.

Excellent point! Scott Kauffman

I appreciate all the film references! So far it feels like we're still building the characters and circumstances—I hope all the elements mentioned will be relevant later on (bumping into previous boyfriend, stories about her parents [the theater], her novel, Bruce's visual fixation, etc.)

'Scottie' is definitely an unnerving individual. And the island is a promising setting.

Good points!

Just getting my book today from Amazon so I need to catch up!

It’s a slow beginning but I think this book is going to be really slow paced. I’m trying to remember all the small things because I think they’re going to be important.
And there seems to have a lot of foreshadowing

Like the names they chose for each other “Madeleine” and “Scottie” Because they say « If I recall, that particular relationship didn’t end very well. »

And later Bruce says « Sorry I got serious. I wish I was the type of guy who didn’t worry about these things, but I’m just not. I believe in loyalty. » So I think that either he knows that she cheated or going to be really mad and violent when he learns about it

Bruce makes me really uneasy he seems too “in love” it feels toxic and weird
Scottie as well is very weird, is he really stalking her or is she going crazy because of guilt maybe ?
Does Bruce and Scottie know each other ?

I have so many question, but also Im scarred I read too much into everything...

I‘m intrigued to see where this goes - I feel like so far it‘s just been setting up the story but both guys seem at least a little creepy/off already.

What are your initial thoughts?
Definitely intrigued by the set up, and curious to see where it goes now that we're on the island. A lot of background info about all the characters, so curious to see where that goes.

What has the book done well?
I feel like there was lots of info dumping, without it being too info dumpy (if that makes sense??) I didn't feel like I was reading background info just for the sake of it.

Where do you hope it goes?
Hoping to find out the connection between Scottie and Bruce. Hoping for something unpredictable to happen.

Any predictions to share?
I think Bruce's past is a lot darker than it seems. He seems quite contradictory in some of his character traits (quiet lonely teen vs. party animal friends), and also led quite a sheltered life by his lack of knowledge, and he barely had any family at his wedding - including his mother?? - which I just found weird.

Any favourite character or scene to share?
Nothing that stands out so far.

What are your initial thoughts?
I am very interested in the set up and curious where this story goes. We got alot of background info on all of the characters. I'm interested to see where the characters go and what changes.

What has the book done well?
I feel like it wasn't being to info dumpy for the sake of being info dumpy.

Where do you hope it goes?
Hoping to find out more about the characters and certain connections between them.

Any predictions to share?
I think Bruce has more going on then he let's on. He seems to me too in love with Abigail and some parts of his life contradict other parts. He seems very sheltered to like we don't know much about what he does outside of his work. Barely any of his family showed up at the wedding too, which was very wierd to me.

Any favorite character or scene to share?
Nothing so far.

So far, This book looks great. I am also enjoying all the character descriptions that is in there. A slow start, but looks interesting.

One thing I noticed at first, Abigail thinks a lot about Bruce and her relationship with him, but when she has to think properly about her decisions, she doesn't think like that way. And we saw the consequences with “Scottie”.

But I really want to know more about Bruce and his life. He is kind of strange and looks suspicious to me by the end of chapter 10.

It really looks intriguing. SO FAR, SO GOOD!!

what are your initial thoughts?
I am really enjoying this. I like the slow introduction to everything, and it already feels like we actually know these characters. Think can't wait to find out more about Bruce's past, he seems a little too perfect, but barely has any family? kinda sus.

what has it done well?
I really like how we get s lot of information constantly, yet it doesn't feel too info dumpy and i like that.

Where do you hope it goes?
i kinda hope to find out more about Bruce, and maybe that he's not as perfect as he seems

any predictions to share?
I have a small theory that Bruce and "Scotty" somehow know eachother?

Any favourite character or scene to share?
i don't have a favourite character yet, or a specific scene, but i really like how openly and "chill" they talk about sex, and that her first time didn't have to be this big thing with a boyfriend of multiple years. I guess it just reminds me of how my friends and I talk about sex.

So far I definitely see similarities in the writer's style, as I am currently listening to his book Eight Perfect Murders, little slips in the same references of books or movies and phrasing, etc. I already see that every character is uncomfortable and unhealthy in the way they interact with one another. Abigail it seems to me isn't as sure of herself as she thinks (or leads us to think) she is. Her mention of how she broke into someone's home and stole the diaries and slashed the girl's tired screams "look at me I need attention" or something with regards to a child's mind. Scottie a a whole bag of not okay, lurking in a hotel and finds Abby and instigated a conversation. And I don't but his convenient bachelor-style party he claims he is on with friends. And Bruce came on WAY too strong, not overbearing necessarily but close, very intense, and those little hints the author leaves not only foreshadowing but those looks in Bruce's eyes that Abigail mentions/notices. It's definitely a "coincidence" that this type of location has no electric but what it really is, is no phones/comps/tv. I wonder if Bruce knows about her affair and is planning something?

I appreciate the slow start of this book but it also feels like it’s holding my hand a little bit. This seems more like a beginner thriller/mystery, maybe but that’s not a bad thing.

There was a lot of information in these first chapters and I’m hoping all of the smaller elements will be relevant later on. I saw some people mentioning the foreshadowing and it’s definitely something I’ve picked up on

When it mentioned that Abigail was such a “firecracker” when she was younger, I’m expecting to see that in her personality when shit hits the fan.

Scotty is a weirdo, obviously but I’m getting suspicious of Bruce. I wouldn’t be surprised if he already knows about the affair and Scotty and him are in on it.

This resort is giving me cult-y man club vibes and I’m intrigued.

I'm really liking the set up and location. The characters are really interesting, in a creepy kind of way, and I already have a couple of suspicions.

I feel like none of this is a coincidence. Neither the thing with "Scotty", nor the resort they went to for their honeymoon. Somehow there's a connection, and I think it all has to do with Bruce. He seems a bit off...

Exactly!

Order mines 4/2 from Barnes and Noble and not getting it til 4/12. I will have a lot of catching up to do. I have audio in scribd and it says 7 hours. I will start listening today for maybe 2 hours

I find it funny that everyone is suspicious of Bruce, while I honestly thought he‘s just a great guy the whole time :D but obviously this is a thriller/mystery and that would be way too easy.
I also have read Peter Swanson before and if this is anything like his other books.. there‘s a big storm coming.

Overall I don‘t really like where this is going though, although maybe I‘m just getting tired of Swanson‘s pessimistic outlook on relationships. I feel like his books always scream „men are trash“ (which IS true in many cases) but in a way that is not fun for me to read, but actually scares me.
And I feel like so far there‘s no real suspense? Just a feeling that this is going to end badly for everybody involved.

I do like the descriptions of Abigails personality and style though, she feels like a real person.

To be quite honest I’m a bit bored. Domestic thrillers are not my cup of tea and I don’t find the characters as interesting to compensate. But I’ll continue… I already have a theory and I want to see if I’m close or totally off.

I'm intrigued so far and interested in seeing where this is going. I honestly blew through the first 10 chapters. I will say you definitely know this is a Peter Swanson book. little tidbits of possible foreshadowing and the character building and backstory littered throughout the first part of the book. It's a quick read but somewhat slow build for me which is not a bad thing but interested to see how it's going to pick up with where we are now at. I do hope he will give more backstory to Bruce because I feel as though he's still a bit of a mystery to me. I want to know more about Bruce and his history and why he is the way he is.

So far so good, and I think I know where this is going...
Hopefully Im wrong and a twist will totally throw me off.

I'm really intrigued at this point and I'm curious to see what's going to happen. I like the location and the whole isolated island theme. I agree with those above who find Bruce kind of sketchy.

I hate/am bored with everyone and everything that is happening. Abigail is a garbage human. Bruce is weird. Scottie obviously sucks.

I'm a bit bored but the pace and writing are intriguing

As a lot of people have mentioned, I’m really excited to see where things go from here. There’s been a lot of set-up so far it feels. If things go well, a lot of little hints we’ve been given will come back into play!

While I’m usually pretty impatient while reading and don’t succeed often when it comes to slow-paced writing, I would say the story so far has managed to still keep my interest despite being a lot of (probably necessary) explanations/descriptions. I definitely get a surge of reading speed and excitement when I hit a pocket of dialogue amongst the paragraphs. But I assume that the more snappy writing will become more common as the action of the story builds.

I’m really interested in where this story is going to go. I have a prediction on how this novel is going to end. Not much information has been given yet, so I can not be for sure. I am liking the writing style of this book so far. I feel like this will be a slow burn thriller and that’s my kind of book. So far I do like Abigail, she loves horror just like I do!

I’m definitely in the minority here, because I’m bored.

Abigail is vapid. I don’t care how many men she slept with. She has a boring life. She does seem like she’s marrying Bruce for his money which is cruddy.

Her parents are odd.

I don’t know. I’m trying to feel thriller vibes and I’m feeling more “then I did this, then I did that, oh and I had a relationship with this guy but it ended because I’m a crap human.”

Maybe I’m being too harsh, but I’m seriously bored.

My initial thoughts are that the first few chapters felt more like a contemporary romance than a thriller or mystery which I didn’t mind but did intrigue me more as to where this could possibly go.
I like that we are getting to know a lot of different characters in Abigails life and a lot about Abigails past with her parents and previous relationships, it’s really fleshing out her character but also showing how very little we know about Bruce in comparison which makes me instantly wary of him. Perhaps this is Swanson making an early attempt at a red herring for what’s to come but Bruce having little to no family seems like a red flag.

Abigails paranoia about Scottie stalking her could be to do with the guilt that she feels but I do have a feeling that Scottie knows Bruce. Obviously there are links with them both being from San Francisco, Bruce works in tech and SF is the main hub for that so it wouldn’t be out of the question that they may have travelled in similar circles.

On page 72 Abigail asks Bruce who that is smoking and he says his friend Mike. Possibility of Bruce and Scottie knowing each other but if so Bruce would know his real name. Perhaps Mike and Scottie are the same person? And that’s why Bruce wouldn’t find it strange for someone he didn’t recognise being at the wedding.

At one point I did wonder if Bruce had sent Scottie to seduce Abigail to test her loyalty but now I’m not so sure.

What are your initial thoughts?

Things are getting set up right now. I think the mystery/thriller part is going to be set up in the next part. It was slow, but not in a bad way. It was a good introduction.

What has the book done well?
The book has done a set-up, with lots of background, without it seeming to tedious. I liked how we found out Abigail's history.

Where do you hope it goes? Any predictions to share?
I wonder if Bruce knows about the cheating or he and "Scottie" have some connection. I'm wondering if Abigail's past relationships are some how involved?

I’m finding Abigail and Bruce a bit dull and flat and not feeling any attraction or chemistry between them. The only time she had a spark of personality when she was talking to “Scottie”. Perhaps intentional?

Like others have mentioned, I also think that Bruce and Scottie know each other. If they are not conspiring, maybe it’s Scotties taking revenge for something he felt Bruce did to him.

And maybe because it’s the genre, but I’m suspicious of everyone, so everyone is creepy.


Side note: grammar errors I can ignore. However, this type of thing takes me out of the story. It’s annoying.

“He was having his own bachelor party back in California, flying all his friends to an island in the Puget Sound.”

Puget Sound is off the coast of Washington, not California.

Great point!

So far I’m intrigued, lots of character stories and development. My only concern is why is Bruce so adamant about paying for her college loans and opening up the theater? Also do “Scotty” and Bruce know each other? Bruce recommended the bachelorette location... and we don’t know his real name. Wonder if We already know of him.
Just some thoughts. But I’m really excited to see the wedding and honeymoon location.. .situation.

I'm quite liking it so far! I've never read anything by Peter Swanson before but I'm really enjoying his writing - simple but still compelling. I also like that this is a slow burn, that we've got a lot of background info, I'm just hoping it all ties together in the end. I'm also finding it really reminds me of Lock Every Door - young woman, unsure what to do with her life, gets mixed up with a bunch of rich people in a remote/isolated place. I gave LED five stars so I'm hoping that's a good thing!

Yes, compelling and slow burn. Unbeatable combination.

yeah, it really builds up the tension!

Initial thoughts- I just read this first section within an hour, so I think this is going to be a very quick, plot-driven read. I think it’s doing a great job of setting the stage for what’s to come and slowly building the tension. I love the foreshadowing use of the song, “Every Breath You Take”. As far as predictions, I think
Scotty will stalk and harass Abigail on her honeymoon, and I wouldn’t be surprised if him and Bruce are somehow connected- estranged brothers or something. I don’t really have a favourite character as there hasn’t been too much character development, but I will say that I’m not a huge fan of Abigail and the choices she’s making. Excited to keep reading and see where this goes!!

Very inciteful.

people really have interesting perspectives about this book but I'm just bored. the main character is extremely dull, all the conversations are so long, it feels like a romance or drama. however, I am extremely intrigued with scotty, who he is, what hes gonna do. he's very mysterious and so far we dont know what he's thinking or feeling. I really like him as a chatacter. and I feel super bad for bruce. its enough to keep me reading

I’m liking the build up and enjoying gathering background info on our MC. I will say that I’m suspicious of Bruce and the way they met. Seems like a to-good-to-be-true moment if there ever was one. Makes me wonder if he isn’t somehow involved with the whole California/cheating sitch.

This is my first Peter Swanson book so I’m excited to keep reading and hopefully have a new favorite mystery/thriller writer to look out for.

Yes, I liked the build up too, Summer.

Anaïs wrote: "It’s a slow beginning but I think this book is going to be really slow paced. I’m trying to remember all the small things because I think they’re going to be important.
And there seems to have a l..."

These are all the thoughts that I had while reading these first chapters as well. It wouldn't have been brought up if it wasn't at least a little bit relevant. Also, the fact that Scottie happened to turn up in New York is worrying.

I'm not fully invested yet, but I can see the potential for me to get sucked in.

Yes, that's what happened to me.