BOOK CLUB QUESTIONS FOR MUDDY THE WATER

• What do you think drives Grimes more—her personal connection to Carlos or her professional duty? How does her relationship with Mulligan shape her actions?

• What does the novel suggest about the ability to reinvent oneself? Could Ben's plan actually work?

• Florence initially dislikes Ben-as-Charlie. What do you think makes her start investigating him? Do you think she will be haunted by this case in her career?

• In what ways are Ben and Grimes similar or different?

• Throughout the novel, Ben isn’t the only one who puts on a ‘mask’—many characters hide aspects of themselves for different reasons. How do characters like Grimes, Florence, or even Sheriff Tate present a version of themselves that may not be entirely true? What does the story suggest about the masks we all wear in different situations?

• Setting as a character – The novel moves from a gritty Massachusetts fishing town to the steamy, small-town South. How do these two settings shape the tone of the story and influence Ben’s transformation? In what ways does Belle Isle, with its journalism scene and coastal marshes, act as both a refuge and a trap for him?

• The power of journalism – How does the book portray journalism, both as a career and as a tool for exposing truth? What do you think about Florence’s role in the story?

• Symbolism of the octopus tattoo – What do you think Ben’s tattoo represents in the story? Does it serve as a clue to his true nature?

• Casting the adaptation – If this book were made into a movie or TV series, who would you cast for Ben, Grimes, Florence, and Sheriff Tate?