In Ashes toAshes one must read closely to discover the novel's explicit and implicit arguments, but one must also question the validity of these arguments, their ideological blind spots, and their political implications.

1. How does Hoag differentiate "good" cops from "bad" city officials, businessmen, and lawyers? What techniques does Hoag use to give certain characters authority? How do we know that Kovac and Quinn are "right" in Hoag's eyes? What sort of political stance does the novel take?

2. Why did Hoag choose Minneapolis for the novel's setting? Does the Midwest's position in America's collective consciousness explain its relevance as a setting for the novel? Does the novel's generally populist political position help us understand the choice of setting?

3. Not only is Ashes to Ashes full of victims, it is also concerned with debates over what it means to be a victim. Most members of the police...