1. Nobody Knows is a cross-genre Southern Gothic/cozy mystery. Southern Gothics involve the region’s particular cultural issues and usually are set around an old mansion. One or more characters may be considered “grotesques, that is, they have unusual tics or flaws; often the paranormal is involved. Cozies are high on mystery and low on sex and gore; their characters are ones the reader might encounter anywhere and are set in small, picturesque towns or villages. Does Nobody Knows seem to fit this cross-genre? How?
2. Nobody Knows is a stand-alone novel, the third in the Overhome Trilogy. Does it satisfy as a stand-alone? Does it make you want to read the preceding two novels if you have not already done so? Does it satisfactorily conclude the trilogy if you have read the first two novels?
3. A major theme of Nobody Knows involves the hateful legacy of slavery before, during and for 100 years after the Civil War and how many brave and resilient victims of the slave system emerged as vital, thriving individuals in spite of or maybe because of oppression. Can you find examples of this?
4. Another theme is we cannot overlook the past in terms of what we expect of the future. “Layers of history” affect our attitudes and values and may determine our destiny. In order to make sense of the present, we must look to the past—the people, events, culture and climate that contributed to the fabric of our being today and in the future. How does this theme emerge in Nobody Knows? Do you feel this is relevant in our current American climate?
5. The power of grass-roots opposition to destructive forces also plays a part in Nobody Knows’ theme. Does this type of resistance occur in your experience? Is it effective? Examples?
6. The author indicates she does a lot of research before and during the writing of her novels. What evidence of research do you find in Nobody Knows?
7. Peonage, or the virtual re-enslavement of African Americans after the Civil War plays a central role in the conflict and characters. Were you aware of this hateful time in America? What did you learn about it from Nobody Knows?
8. Does the “flavor” of the South come through in this novel? If so, how?
9. Discuss some of the characters. Did the author do a good job of fleshing out the African American characters of Ellis, Merlyn Cooke and the Reverend Silas Crawford?
10. Ghosts and spirits play a large role in the conflict. Was this handled realistically? How do you feel about the authenticity of the spirit world in your life or the lives of those you know?
11. Susan Coryell, the author, considers the spirits in her novels to represent our guilt regarding slavery—the ghosts of our past, present and future that haunt us as Americans and Southerners. Was the author successful in suggesting this through Nobody Knows?