The River King tells a tale of murder and deceit that might be no more than that, but for the fact that Hoffman weaves a thread of the supernatural into the story. She has a subtle, imaginative way of interlacing the natural with the supernatural that allows the reader to make the leap of faith without too much turbulence. Along the way, Hoffman never strays from her chief goal of understanding the social mores of truth and lies, and the consequences they can have within a small-knit community.

1. Hoffman dedicates much of the novel to describing The Haddan School campus in detail. In what ways do the school's physical descriptions mirror actual events in the novel? Is Hoffman's description of the Chalk House foreboding for its inhabitants?

2. The line between past and present, living and dead, is often blurred in the story, creating a mystical atmosphere...