“Elizabeth always stays alert, because you never know what might fall into your lap. A snippet of conversation in a Berlin bar, a loose-lipped Russian sailor on shore leave in Tripoli.”

This passage establishes Elizabeth’s character traits and background early in the novel. Her sharp mind and colorful history as a spy are both strikingly conveyed. The references to the subterfuge of espionage foreshadow the complex trail of clues Douglas sets for Elizabeth to follow.

“He’s gone car mad recently. He’s even driving into Fairhaven tomorrow. He has really come out of his shell since everyone started getting murdered. Driving here, there and everywhere like he’s Murray Walker.”

Joyce references the change in Ibrahim since the previous novel’s events. A cautious character, he has become more adventurous and determined to seize life’s opportunities. Joyce’s observation is significant as it precedes the assault on Ibrahim in Fairhaven. In the aftermath of the attack, Ibrahim will no longer drive anywhere or leave Coopers Chase. The abrupt change in his behavior emphasizes how deeply he is traumatized by the event.

“I imagine if you could hear all the morning tears in this place it would sound like birdsong.”

This observation follows Joyce’s diary account of waking up crying after dreaming she was reunited with her late husband, Gerry. Her reference to “all the morning tears” acknowledges the many other residents of Coopers Chase who mourn lost loved ones, reinforcing the theme of aging and mortality. By using a simile to compare the sound of their tears to the beauty of birdsong, Joyce highlights the bitter-sweet nature of love and loss.