Broken Harbour

Scorcher is the protagonist and first-person narrator of the novel. He is portrayed as controlled and put together, but other characters, like Quigley, view him as overly focused on his physical appearance. As the narrative unfolds, Scorcher’s preoccupation with control is revealed to be an effect of his childhood trauma, based in his mother’s death by suicide. However, the image he cultivates is connected to the pride he takes in his work, and Scorcher believes in Using Appearance to Shape Reality. Physically, Scorcher describes himself as making a strong first impression: “I’ve got height, I’ve got a full head of hair and it’s still ninety-nine percent dark brown, I’ve got decent looks if I say so myself” (16). Scorcher’s feelings about his appearance are tied not to vanity but to their effect on his job and the importance of first impressions on both witnesses and suspects in murder investigations.

At the start of the novel, Scorcher has been on the Murder Squad for 10 years and is 42 years old. He is known for being uncompromising and is “bloody good at [his] job” (1). He usually has the highest solve rate on the squad, though he came second the previous year, in part because of a tough case.