Book Club Questions for The Gambler

We hope these questions help guide your book club discussion for this incredible thriller. We’ve done our best to avoid spoilers, but don’t read these questions unless you’ve finished The Gambler – you don’t want to run the risk of ruining any reveals!

1. Have you read any other books by J.P. Pomare? If so, how were they similar or different to The Gambler?
2. What do you think of the book’s title and cover? Are they particularly evocative?
3. What did you think of the Bertrand Russell epigraph? Do you think it accurately reflects the book's tone?
4. Which genre would you use to describe The Gambler? Discuss the genre specifics if applicable. What novels would you compare it to?
5. Did you find J.P. Pomare’s depiction of the setting authentic? Is the setting similar or different to any places you’ve visited or lived in?
6. The novel’s core themes include mathematics, conspiracy theories, intuition, partisanship and group polarisation. What do you think of the way JP explored these themes?
7. ‘Maybe I should have been scared, or more suspicious. Maybe if I’d probed more, or pushed for an explanation, things wouldn’t have gone the way they did. If only.’ What do you think this quote reveals about Katie?
8. How does PI Vince Reid grow and change because of the events in the novel? Did your opinion of him change as the book progressed?
9. Did you see any of the book’s dramatic twists coming? Did any revelation surprise you more than the others?
10. What did you think of the ending? Did it surprise you? Did you feel everything was resolved? What might the future look like for Reid?