BKMT READING GUIDES
The Angel
by Carla Neggers
Hardcover : 352 pages
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1 member has read this book
Introduction
Her passion for myth and magic leads a woman into the heart of a murderous evil. On a remote stretch of the rugged coast of Ireland, folklorist and illustrator Keira Sullivan pursues the mysterious Irish legend of an ancient Celtic stone angel. As she searches an isolated ruin, she's certain she's discovered the mythic angel, but before she can examine her find, she senses a malevolent presence...Is someone in there with her? Then the ruin collapses, trapping her. Keira's uncle, a Boston homicide detective, enlists the help of Simon Cahill to find his missing niece. Simon, an expert with Fast Rescue, a rapid response search-and-rescue organization, is trying to keep a low profile after secretly assisting the take-down of a major criminal network, but he rushes to Ireland, pulling Keira out of the rubble just as she's about to free herself. Simon isn't interested in myths or magic, nor is he surprised when Keira can't find a trace of her stone angel. He doesn't believe it exists. But the gruesome evidence of a startling act of violence convinces him that whatever she found in the ruin, the danger she faces is real. When the violence follows them to Boston [and escalates], Simon and Keira realize that the long-forgotten story that has captivated her has also aroused a killer...a calculating predator who will certainly kill again. Suspenseful and evocative, THE ANGEL is a riveting novel of dangerous myths, haunting secrets and the shattering truth concealed within them. It is Carla Neggers at her best.
Excerpt
Chapter 9Beara Peninsula, Southwest Ireland
8:00 p.m., IST
June 21, The Summer Solstice
Keira Sullivan climbed over a barbed-wire fence—her third fence crossing of the evening—and dropped to the soft, thick grass on the other side, its ankle height suggesting that no cows or sheep fed out here. As far as she could tell, nearly every square inch of the virtually treeless hills around her were marked for grazing. Sheep could navigate the rock outcroppings and steep terrain higher up in the mountains. ...
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Discussion Questions
1.Author Carla Neggers loves travel and adventure—she hiked the Beara Peninsula in Ireland and spends a great deal of time in Boston, “her” city, both key to The Angel. How do you think those first-hand experiences improve a suspense novel like The Angel?2. Who is your favorite character in The Angel—and why?
3. What role do you believe the stone Celtic angel plays in the story?
4. Irish, Irish-American and Celtic influences can be found throughout The Angel. How do they make the story better, more compelling, more believable?
5. Family secrets lie at the root of The Angel’s plot. Have you ever researched your family history? If so, what surprises did you find? How do you know when to tell a family secret?
6. Keira Sullivan is a folklorist, an artist and a woman with a certain wanderlust. Where does it come from, and how does it work for her or cause her problems? How is her restless spirit different from or similar to Simon’s? What are the pros and cons of spontaneity and a desire to wander?
7. In The Angel, Keira’s mother gives her a lesson about the difference between sin and evil. Have you ever thought about such a distinction? What role do you feel this concept plays in the understanding of criminal intent?
8. Although far from typical herself, Keira seems torn about her mother’s choice of lifestyle. Would you be able to remove yourself from the world as Eileen O’Reilly Sullivan did? What does Keira’s mother gain from her isolated life? What price does she pay for living alone? Is her mother’s decision to be a modern-day hermit fair to Keira?
9. In this world of small, mobile families, what is refreshing about having an uncle such as Bob O’Reilly? Is he a throwback to another time? Can you imagine one of your uncles or aunts knowing enough about your life to notice if you went missing as an adult? Who stands in for family in your life? Who is your Bob O’Reilly?
10. Do you believe in magic? In mysticism? In legends? If not, why do so many endure? And what is the key to making one work in a story like The Angel?
We hope this reading guide has enhanced your enjoyment—and understanding—of this riveting novel. Carla Neggers’s next suspense novel is Cold Pursuit, which will be available in November of this year. She has also done an extensive update of her thriller Tempting Fate, which will be reissued in paperback this August.
Notes From the Author to the Bookclub
1. What is the central idea of the new book? The nature of evil plays a decisive role in the book—evil as a deliberat choice . . . and what that choice means to the people it touches. It’s also a book about the power of family secrets. That’s the question that runs through the book: what do you tell your children and what do you keep private—and, once again, what are the ramifications of that. 3. Tell us a little about the story: Folklore expert Keira Sullivan heads to the rugged, remote southwest coast of Ireland to investigate an old Irish story that not only fascinates her but, she believes, holds the key to questions about her own past. While investigating an isolated ruin, she’s convinced she sees the ancient Celtic stone angel at the heart of the tale. But the ruin collapses, trapping Keira inside. Just as she’s about to extricate herself, search-and-rescue expert and undercover FBI agent Simon Cahill, sent to Ireland to find her, turns up. There’s no sign of the stone angel, not that it would matter to Simon—he isn’t interested in myths or magic. But when he and Keira encounter a savage act of violence and return to Boston, they realize the legend of the angel has emboldened a predator . . . a calculating killer determined to possess the priceless artifact. 4. What triggered the idea of a story centered on an Irish folktale? I fell in love with Ireland on our first visit there in the summer of 2006. We returned this past Christmas. It’s truly as beautiful as people always say it is, and nothing is quite like sitting in a small Irish pub on a rainy, windy night sipping a Guinness and listening to the stories. I got caught up in Irish folklore just being in Ireland. It has become what I know will be a lifelong interest.Book Club Recommendations
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