A Slow Fire Burning

“For by mooring his boat next to hers and then getting himself brutally murdered, Daniel Sutherland had presented Miriam with an opportunity she could simply not allow to slide by: an opportunity to avenge the wrong that had been done to her.”

The quotation establishes the inciting incident of the plot and reveals Miriam’s motive for revenge. It also reveals the dynamic between serendipity and contrivance, which will continue to animate the plot throughout the novel. Miriam intentionally interferes with the investigation into Daniel’s death, but it truly was a coincidence that he ended up living next to her when he was murdered. The quotation also shows that Miriam is relatively unmoved by Daniel’s death and focuses instead on what it means for her.

“She’d wanted to punish him, but she’d also wanted to give herself an excuse to return, to see him again.”

This quotation refers to Laura’s motivation for taking Daniel’s watch when she left his boat. Even though Laura was hurt and angry by Daniel’s mistreatment of her, she was still attracted to him and craved his approval. The quotation reveals that Laura is not as tough as she appears on the outside and is actually quite vulnerable. Like most people, Laura secretly longs for love, acceptance, and connection.

“They had motive and they had opportunity and they had Laura, who they knew could be counted on, sooner or later, to say something really stupid.”

This quotation shows how a person with a disability can encounter many kinds of discrimination and explains why Laura is in a vulnerable position when the murder investigation begins. The police aren’t interested in details or nuance; they want to close the case as quickly as possible, and everything seems to point to Laura being the killer.