Reader, I Murdered Him Podcast Book Club discussion

Welcome to the discussion for our 1/29 book The Last Time I Lied by Riley Sager. The following are just some questions to get the discussion started, all topics, questions, comments, and critiques are welcome. (As a reminder, as long as you're talking about *this* book, there's no need for spoiler or content note alerts. The assumption is that anyone in this thread has read the book and is aware of what topics it touches on.)

What do you think of Emma Davis as a narrator? Does the reader gain anything by having a first person account from an unreliable narrator? How would the book have been different if it were written more as a procedural/third person mystery?

Why is the setting of a summer camp important to this story? (How would the story be different if it were set at a boarding school, etc.?)

Why do you think Sager included the mental asylum subplot? Does it make a difference to the story?

What were your thoughts on Franny as a character? Do you think she had her campers best interest at heart? Or was she more concerned with protecting her camp's reputation and family legacy?

Why do you think Vivian wanted to get back in the cabin that night? What do you think her original plan was?

From a true crime perspective, do you think it's realistic that Emma was really the first person to stumble upon Allison's and Natalie's bodies underwater? Or is it more likely the bodies would have been found much more quickly by law enforcement or professionals hired by the family?

What did you think about the epilogue? Was it necessary to the book? Do you believe Vivian really did kill the other two girls, or was Emma just making up a story to give herself closure about Vivian's disappearance?