The Housemaid's Secret

Millie knows she needs to tell Brock about her past, but she continuously puts it off. Why? What does this reluctance to tell Brock say about Millie’s feelings for Brock? How does Brock react when Millie does tell him? What does this say about Brock as compared to the way Millie thought he would react?

Millie’s college professor introduces the story of Kitty Genovese and a story about Josh Bell to the class on different occasions. What is the purpose of discussing these stories in class? How do these stories describe American society? How do these stories establish the theme of the Bystander Effect Versus the Everyday Hero?

What makes Millie suspect Wendy is a survivor of domestic violence? What signs appear in the Garrick penthouse before Millie ever sees bruises on Wendy’s face? How does Douglas’s behavior suggest abuse? How does Wendy’s behavior suggest abuse?

What role does Enzo play in the novel? Why does he follow Millie throughout the first part of the novel? Does Enzo’s following of Millie undermine his character as a good guy who saves women from violent men?

How does Millie treat Brock? Why does Millie constantly compare Brock to Enzo? What does this comparison say about intimate relationships between men and women? Does this comparison complicate the issues of domestic violence that appear in the story? How so?

Why does Wendy marry Douglas? Are there any redeeming qualities about Wendy? Does her pursuit of wealth ever seem justified? How does her behavior contribute to the depiction of intimate relationships between men and women in the novel?

What is the purpose of Wendy choosing Millie to set up for the murder of Douglas? Why not set up Marybeth or Russell? Why does Wendy create such a complicated scheme to murder her husband when she could have much more easily and successfully poisoned him with his own medication?

Millie confesses to giving Marybeth the digoxin at the end of the novel. To what purpose? Why did Millie want Wendy to die? Why didn’t Millie do it herself? How does Millie’s act of murder compare to Wendy’s? Is one more morally correct than the other? If so, how?