Week Three discussion of The Dispatcher

[dhaupt]

Week three
The Dispatcher

The Dispatcher remains one of my all time favorite in the crime drama genre, it's hard to put a finger on one reason it's just overall exciting, enticing, and edge of your seat from the first page to the very last.

Later on in the week we'll explore our own interpretations of the ending. So check back

Use these thoughts to start the conversation

The Rescue-what did you think

Beatrice-we haven’t discussed her much give us your thoughts

Diego-was he a good friend to Ian, should he have turned him in or assisted him like he did

The ending- did you like it

Final thoughts-

[Catherine111]

---

dhaupt wrote:

Week three
The Dispatcher

The Dispatcher remains one of my all time favorite in the crime drama genre, it's hard to put a finger on one reason it's just overall exciting, enticing, and edge of your seat from the first page to the very last.

Later on in the week we'll explore our own interpretations of the ending. So check back

Use these thoughts to start the conversation

The Rescue-what did you think

Beatrice-we haven’t discussed her much give us your thoughts

Diego-was he a good friend to Ian, should he have turned him in or assisted him like he did

The ending- did you like it

Final thoughts-

---

As I stated in the other thread, I am happy with the ending.  There is a sense of resolution, but the ending is open.  I think it mirrors real life.   

Diego was a pleasant surprise and his actions regarding Donald’s death creates an avenue for Ian to possibly go on without being “punished.”  As I thought about this, and I am still thinking about this, I believe there is a chance that the police will decide to overlook the evidence.  There is what is often referred to as the “thin blue line” --- law enforcement protecting their own.  With the death of one officer and the Chief’s life hanging in the balance, maybe the police will not be so quick to focus in on Ian?  This, of course, is just in my imaginings – how I would like to see things go.  I do confess that it is disturbing to me that I am kind of okay with Diego’s cover up. 

I cannot give final thoughts really because the novel is still in my brain for some reason. 

I have one more question for Ryan, if that is okay . . .

In the interrogation/torture scene, Donald tells Ian that he (Ian) is no better than Henry.  This is to me a moral question you are raising.  Are you asking the reader, yourself, or both?   I thought that particular choice on your part was very realistic in the sense that Donald is trying to reach out to Ian's humanity as a way of pleading for his life. 

[Catherine111]

Oh, I noticed I jumped ahead of the "ending discussion."  Sorry!

[elaine_hf]

For me, Beatrice turned out to be full of surprises! I feel like we were led to believe she was a bit 'dim-witted', but clearly something came through at the end, and she could no longer live with her complicity in all of the crimes. She HAD to know what was going on all along, from all of the kidnapped children, through their deaths, and the captivity of Maggie/Sarah, yet she convinced herself she was blameless and nothing was wrong. But the truth is, she was the motivation behind everything for Henry. He's certainly not blameless, but how different their lives may have been, had she 'woken up' sooner.

And I'm glad that Diego took the actions that he did, sometimes the law doesn't seem to cover quite everything, and Ian deserved a chance to find his daughter. From all of the events that occurred, if other policemen had become involved, there seems to be a good chance they'd have been killed; Ian had a strong motivation to both avoid Henry and be re-united with his daughter, and maybe that kept him alive. 

I found the ending and the rescue to be satisfying. I do feel a little bad about Henry dragging his brother into his own problems, but he could have refused to be a part of it. I'd still like to know what happens afterward - write that epilogue!!

Elaine

[Catherine111]

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elaine_hf wrote:

For me, Beatrice turned out to be full of surprises! I feel like we were led to believe she was a bit 'dim-witted', but clearly something came through at the end, and she could no longer live with her complicity in all of the crimes. She HAD to know what was going on all along, from all of the kidnapped children, through their deaths, and the captivity of Maggie/Sarah, yet she convinced herself she was blameless and nothing was wrong. But the truth is, she was the motivation behind everything for Henry. He's certainly not blameless, but how different their lives may have been, had she 'woken up' sooner.

Elaine

---

I like what you say here.  I didn't comment on Beatrice because, frankly, as a character, she has me stumped. 

[dhaupt]

Thanks for the responses so far

here's another thread for week three

http://bookclubs.barnesandnoble.com/t5/Fiction-General-Discussion/The-Dispatcher-5-years-from-now/m-...

I'm really enjoying the conversation

[aprilh]

The rescue kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time. I had a hard time putting the book down the closer I got to the end. I just had to know what was going to happen to all these characters. Every time I thought Ian would catch Henry and be reunited with his daughter again, something would happen and the rescue would be delayed.

Beatrice seemed to be living in a fantasy land for most of the book. In my opinion she had to have known what Henry had been doing all along, kidnapping all the little girls and abusing them, but she chose not to acknowledge what was really happening right in front of her. I think in her mind by not acknowledging what was going on around her, it didn't make it true. Seeing Henry stab and kill Flint and Naomi though must have been a wake up call to Beatrice. Seeing what he was capable of with her own eyes, I think made her wonder who he really was and maybe even made her question if she was safe with him. I did feel a little sympathy toward Beatrice. It seemed all she desperately wanted was a child to love, one who would love her back. Through the book I had thought of her as someone who would never hurt Maggie physically but I did see anger on Beatrice's part when she shoved Maggie while she was handcuffed to the desk in the school. That made me wonder what Beatrice could really be capable of if she was pushed to her limit. I think that act also scared Beatrice. It sounded like that was the first time she had intended to hurt someone else and I think she started to wonder what she had let herself become.

Diego was the character who surprised me the most in the end. I knew he was friends with Ian, but I underestimated how far he would go to help his friend. His friendship with Ian meant the world to him and he would do anything in his power to protect him, even if it meant putting himself in danger both physically and with the law. I think if Diego would have turned Ian in that the ending would have been completely different. If the police would have been involved, Henry might have been tipped off and if that was the case, I'm not so sure Ian would have been able to get Maggie back and more people might have gotten killed in the end.

The ending was everything I could have hoped for. I was so glad Ian was able to track down Henry and Beatrice and was able to get Maggie back. I liked that the book left us with an open ending. The reader is allowed to make up their own conclusion about where all the characters ended up. I thought this book was a great read and although I've finished it days ago, I'm having a hard time letting go of these characters. They feel like a part of me and I'm not done wondering what has happened in their lives since Maggie was rescued. 

[elaine_hf]

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aprilh wrote:

...

The ending was everything I could have hoped for. I was so glad Ian was able to track down Henry and Beatrice and was able to get Maggie back. I liked that the book left us with an open ending. The reader is allowed to make up their own conclusion about where all the characters ended up. I thought this book was a great read and although I've finished it days ago, I'm having a hard time letting go of these characters. They feel like a part of me and I'm not done wondering what has happened in their lives since Maggie was rescued. 

---

Another vote for that epilogue, Ryan!!  ;-)

[TarHeelGirl00]

I know I'm lagging a little behind, but I just wanted to say that I have really enjoyed reading everyone's comments. This has been my first online book discussion, so thanks for making it such an enjoyable experience.

I think everyone here has done a great job already of summing up week three. The only thing I really wanted to add was a comment on Beatrice.  I think my feelings toward her are best described through Maggie's eyes.  When she frees her hand from the desk, she realizes that a part of her wants to give Beatrice the love she obviously needs, but she knows she can't even like her, much less love her.  To quote the author, "She can only feel a strange combination of pity and hatred."  Even though I feel sympathy towards Beatrice, I still despise what she has done and overlooked being done. She is still ultimately responsible for her actions.

[dhaupt]

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TarHeelGirl00 wrote:

I know I'm lagging a little behind, but I just wanted to say that I have really enjoyed reading everyone's comments. This has been my first online book discussion, so thanks for making it such an enjoyable experience.

I think everyone here has done a great job already of summing up week three. The only thing I really wanted to add was a comment on Beatrice.  I think my feelings toward her are best described through Maggie's eyes.  When she frees her hand from the desk, she realizes that a part of her wants to give Beatrice the love she obviously needs, but she knows she can't even like her, much less love her.  To quote the author, "She can only feel a strange combination of pity and hatred."  Even though I feel sympathy towards Beatrice, I still despise what she has done and overlooked being done. She is still ultimately responsible for her actions.

---

TarHeelGirl- Thank you for participating. I love new members, added voices to our choir I like to call them.

I hope that you liked it enough to join in another discussion month.

Thanks for all your comments

[ryandavidjahn]

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Catherine111 wrote:

---

dhaupt wrote:

Week three
The Dispatcher

The Dispatcher remains one of my all time favorite in the crime drama genre, it's hard to put a finger on one reason it's just overall exciting, enticing, and edge of your seat from the first page to the very last.

Later on in the week we'll explore our own interpretations of the ending. So check back

Use these thoughts to start the conversation

The Rescue-what did you think

Beatrice-we haven’t discussed her much give us your thoughts

Diego-was he a good friend to Ian, should he have turned him in or assisted him like he did

The ending- did you like it

Final thoughts-

---

As I stated in the other thread, I am happy with the ending.  There is a sense of resolution, but the ending is open.  I think it mirrors real life.   

Diego was a pleasant surprise and his actions regarding Donald’s death creates an avenue for Ian to possibly go on without being “punished.”  As I thought about this, and I am still thinking about this, I believe there is a chance that the police will decide to overlook the evidence.  There is what is often referred to as the “thin blue line” --- law enforcement protecting their own.  With the death of one officer and the Chief’s life hanging in the balance, maybe the police will not be so quick to focus in on Ian?  This, of course, is just in my imaginings – how I would like to see things go.  I do confess that it is disturbing to me that I am kind of okay with Diego’s cover up. 

I cannot give final thoughts really because the novel is still in my brain for some reason. 

I have one more question for Ryan, if that is okay . . .

In the interrogation/torture scene, Donald tells Ian that he (Ian) is no better than Henry.  This is to me a moral question you are raising.  Are you asking the reader, yourself, or both?   I thought that particular choice on your part was very realistic in the sense that Donald is trying to reach out to Ian's humanity as a way of pleading for his life. 

---

I think I was -- through Donald -- pointing out how murky the line can be between the good guys and the bad guys. Ian's actions are certainly not heroic here; they're the actions of a desperate man doing whatever he can to get his daughter back. And desperation, too, was what caused Henry to do what he did. I do think there is a difference between their actions, of course, but I think the difference is rather more subtle than one might think if going just by gut, because what Ian does somehow feels more right than anything Henry does (at least to me). And I'm also asking, in a way, why that is. What is it, really, that makes his actions different in quality from Henry's?

I'm not entirely sure I have the answer to that myself.

[ryandavidjahn]

---

elaine_hf wrote:

For me, Beatrice turned out to be full of surprises! I feel like we were led to believe she was a bit 'dim-witted', but clearly something came through at the end, and she could no longer live with her complicity in all of the crimes. She HAD to know what was going on all along, from all of the kidnapped children, through their deaths, and the captivity of Maggie/Sarah, yet she convinced herself she was blameless and nothing was wrong. But the truth is, she was the motivation behind everything for Henry. He's certainly not blameless, but how different their lives may have been, had she 'woken up' sooner.

And I'm glad that Diego took the actions that he did, sometimes the law doesn't seem to cover quite everything, and Ian deserved a chance to find his daughter. From all of the events that occurred, if other policemen had become involved, there seems to be a good chance they'd have been killed; Ian had a strong motivation to both avoid Henry and be re-united with his daughter, and maybe that kept him alive. 

I found the ending and the rescue to be satisfying. I do feel a little bad about Henry dragging his brother into his own problems, but he could have refused to be a part of it. I'd still like to know what happens afterward - write that epilogue!!

Elaine

---

Thanks for the comment, Elaine. Interesting thoughts, re: Beatrice. I admit to never having thought her awakening through in that way, but I think you're right, since she really is at the center of everything that happens despite her not being an active participant in most of it.

[ryandavidjahn]

Thanks for the comment, April. So glad you enjoyed the read.

[Catherine111]

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ryandavidjahn wrote:

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Catherine111 wrote:

. 

I have one more question for Ryan, if that is okay . . .

In the interrogation/torture scene, Donald tells Ian that he (Ian) is no better than Henry.  This is to me a moral question you are raising.  Are you asking the reader, yourself, or both?   I thought that particular choice on your part was very realistic in the sense that Donald is trying to reach out to Ian's humanity as a way of pleading for his life. 

---

I think I was -- through Donald -- pointing out how murky the line can be between the good guys and the bad guys. Ian's actions are certainly not heroic here; they're the actions of a desperate man doing whatever he can to get his daughter back. And desperation, too, was what caused Henry to do what he did. I do think there is a difference between their actions, of course, but I think the difference is rather more subtle than one might think if going just by gut, because what Ian does somehow feels more right than anything Henry does (at least to me). And I'm also asking, in a way, why that is. What is it, really, that makes his actions different in quality from Henry's?

I'm not entirely sure I have the answer to that myself.

---

Thanks,Ryan, for your personal thoughts on that scene.