Point of View

The novel is written in the first person and is narrated directly by Mick Kennedy. This is typical of the Dublin Murder Squad mysteries, each of which follows a different detective protagonist as he or she works a case. Kennedy begins the first chapter writing from his perspective following the conclusion of the case, introducing the novel with a sentence that reflects both his characteristic self-confidence and foreshadows the case’s dark turns: “Let’s get one thing straight: I was the perfect man for this case” (1). However, after this initial page and a half, he conveys the narrative as it happens, relating his emotions and surprise as the case unfolds. This access to his inner thoughts in the moment creates narrative tension and allows the reader to experience the case in the detective’s shoes.

However, Kennedy is on occasion an unreliable narrator. His...