Introduction

WOULD YOU MURDER TO PROTECT A CHILD? You can admit it because this is the world of psychological thrillers, the world of fiction. Loring Jeremias has it all: stunning looks, a career as a San Francisco stockbroker, and her loving husband David, a lawyer who defends the justice system—even when it fails. But she can’t forget her father’s child abuse and her angry memories threaten to destroy her marriage. During a girl's night out and way too much wine, Loring and her two best friends, outraged at society’s failure to protect our children, play at being vigilantes—they devise ten rules for committing the perfect murder. Their targets… Predatory pedophiles. Just a game? Not for long, because when Loring stalks a pedophile to test the rules of the conspiracy and her resolve, she doesn't know her target is a serial killer and tortures his victims to death. She doesn't know he spotted her following him, but when he threatens her life and David's, the hunter becomes the hunted, and it's far too late for regret. For the fans of "Dexter" and "Law and Order:SVU", and for the many parents who worry about their children's safety, ANGRY ENOUGH TO KILL fulfills their fantasies of vigilante justice. Wonderful satire. Packed with suspense and action, yet much more than mere revenge fantasy. (Book club Discussion Guide included.)

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Discussion Questions

From the author (**Spoiler alert**)

I. VIGILANTES AND VIGILANTISM

1. David and Loring have different opinions about vigilantism (“David for the system. Loring for the child.”) Before reading this novel, did you ever think that you would kill anyone who abused your child? How often have you come right out and said it? How did your friends respond to your comments? After reading this story, do you still think you would do the same? If not, why not?
II. PEDOPHILES AND PEDOPHILIA

5. In the car on the way to Whistler, the women listen to a radio documentary called, “A Million Closed Eyes,” about a pedophile the townspeople called 'Three Dollar Bill,' and yet they all deny any knowledge of his actions. Have you failed to notice that someone was a pedophile? If you did notice, what action, if any, did you take? If you took no action, were you an accomplice as Loring says (“It's our fault because we are society, and we are failing our children. We're accomplices ...”)? Would you behave differently now? Why are people often surprised to learn that a relative or a friend is a pedophile? Is it willful blindness or something else?
III. SPIRITUAL AND RELIGIOUS ISSUES

7. Robin was raised Roman Catholic but considers herself an atheist. [Spoiler deleted] Do you think someone has to believe in God to be a good person? If you were raised Roman Catholic (or in any other religion, for that matter), do you ever want to “escape” your religious upbringing or do you cherish it?

11. At Whistler, after Loring finally confides the details of her childhood abuse in Robin, Robin thinks “if Evil existed, so must Good.” Does Robin think Loring's father is evil. Are pedophiles evil? Do you think that the forces of Good and Evil exist in the world and are “battling for control of our souls” as Robin's parents taught her?
IV. THE SURVIVORS

14. During the argument about turning fantasy into reality, Loring says, “You can't possibly understand how ashamed the victims feel, and how that shame colors almost every breathing moment of our lives.” Is it possible for survivors of childhood sexual abuse to escape the past and live unhaunted lives even with counseling or are “some memories like crayon marks on the wall. Even when you paint over them, they bleed through the surface”? Does it depend on the individual, the timing of the counseling or other factors?
V. THE CHARACTERS

19. David wants to protect Loring, but his desire to protect her verges on controlling her. She calls him David the Protector or David the Controller depending on the circumstances. Which is he? Where do you draw the line between protecting someone and controlling them? Is this different if the person you're protecting is a child rather than an adult?

22. Kendy believes her friends are the most important part of her life (“...what kind of girl likes to murder all by herself? Well, maybe a girl like Kendy, but even she likes company.”) She showers them with gifts but doesn't like accepting any gifts. Is giving more important than receiving, or is receiving just as important? [Spoiler deleted.]

23. Of the three women, which one do you think is the most disturbed? Why did the author choose to make that character the ‘crazy’ one?
VI. “LITERARY” ISSUES

28. In a literary sense, the characters in this story play various roles, e.g., Gervais is the villain's foil. Loring is the protagonist, but is there anyone in the story, other than the villain, who is her antagonist?

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