Secrets

Partially because this novel is a mystery novel, much of its narrative and thematic construction operates on the basis of the characters’ personal secrets. The most significant secrets are those of Tom Lawless and the Catholic Church, which reflect the very real history of abuse and cover-ups that have defined the Church’s actions for years. By the end of the novel, it becomes evident that Lawless was a serial sexual predator, and that the Church covered up his abuses rather than firing him or exposing his crimes. Archbishop McQuaid even tries to coerce Strafford into dropping the case, in order to keep those abuses secret: “And some aspects of reality are better…withheld” (163). About 45 years following the time period in which the main narrative is set, this long history of abuse and cover-ups became much more widely known. However, the novel’s time period is...