Reading Group Guide
Promise Not to Tell
Jayne Ann Krentz
Readers Guide
Questions for Discussion
1. Trusting your gut instinct plays a major part in the book, whether it’s when Cabot Sutter trusts his investigator instincts, or when Virginia decides not to ignore her instincts that something seems off with Hannah’s “suicide.” Has there been a time when you knew that trusting your gut was the right thing to do? Were you ever wrong to do so?
2. Red herrings are used in mystery and suspense novels to throw the reader off the track of the real suspect. What were some of your favorite red herrings used in this book? Who did you think was really behind all of it?
3. Seattle comes alive as a character in the book, and not just the setting. Have you ever been to Seattle? How does Seattle play a role in defining the characters, and how appropriate is it that they are living in Seattle?
4. The book ends on a huge cliffhanger in terms of the real person at the heart of the novel. Who do you think Quinton Zane really is? What do you think he is planning to do?
5. Cabot and Virginia have a traumatic past in common, which brings them together. Do you think their shared past is also the main reason for their romantic interest in each other? Why or why not?
6. The theme of family is explored throughout the novel. Discuss the ways in which family is important to the various characters.
7. Cults have existed in society throughout human history. What do you think is the appeal of a cult, and why are people drawn to them? Do you know anyone who has had an experience with a cult? Was it a positive or negative experience?
