St. John Strafford

St. John Strafford is the novel’s main point-of-view character. His first name is pronounced “Sinjun.” He is a detective who is based in the Dublin Police Department. Strafford is not entirely sure why he became a detective, but he does appear to have a strong desire to uncover truth and pursue justice. At the beginning of the novel, he is called to investigate a murder that occurred in the small town of Ballyglass. The victim is a priest. Over the course of the investigation, he faces several obstacles, most notably the Catholic Church’s requests that he stop investigating. Strafford is Protestant, making him a minority among Ireland’s Catholic majority.

Strafford eventually discovers that the murdered priest was a serial rapist. Strafford gives the story to a newspaper, much to the Church’s chagrin. The murderer appears to be Fonsey Welch, one of the...