Although Duncan reputedly incorporates murder and violence into her suspense novels, this trait is almost nonexistent in The Twisted Window. While a rifle is introduced as a potential threat, it is used only in an accidental way which actually benefits the characters and acts as a caution to readers against handling a loaded gun. The problems of divorce and separation of children from their natural parents is thoroughly presented, but most young people of today are familiar enough with this topic to have little problem dealing with its importance in this plot. The confrontation of death of a beloved family member is a problem the two main characters share, and by the end of the book, both have come to terms with their losses.