Hidden Pictures

When the Maxwells present Mallory with the list of “house rules,” is there anything there that should have given her cause for concern? How do the rules foreshadow the nature of the Maxwells’ crimes?

Mallory emphasizes several times that Adrian’s love for pulpy science fiction and fantasy is an endearing trait. How does Adrian’s openness to genre fiction make him a useful ally to Mallory? Why is he willing to listen to her theories when no one else is?

There is a steady tension between metaphysics and empirical proof throughout Hidden Pictures. The Maxwells insists on empirical proof for every claim, despite knowing that ghosts exist. Mitzi is largely a caricature of a new-age, hippy metaphysician, but she turns out to be correct in her assumptions about the presence in the cottage. How do the Maxwells and Mitzi serve as foils to each other, and in what ways are they alike?