Deadly Animals

Detective Sergeant Seth Delahaye is one of the main characters of the narrative. He dropped out of university to join the police force, and despite working in the service his entire professional life, he has no ambition to climb the force’s ranks. Delahaye joined the police force out of a basic desire to help people and “not to ‘do good’ but ‘do right’” (120), which he thinks he can do most successfully as a boots-on-the-ground detective. He moved to Birmingham to get away from the politics of London, which hindered him from achieving this goal. Delahaye is a workaholic, and the text introduces him as “restless” to get back to work after a day off. Delahaye develops tunnel vision in the case, and his work occupies his every waking moment. Delahaye’s colleagues have to remind him not to neglect his physical or social health, as he appears visibly exhausted as the case draws on.

Delahaye is rational and tries not to jump to conclusions, but he is also open to testing unusual theories. When Delahaye first meets Ava, he is impressed by her extensive knowledge of niche topics. Instead of regarding her as odd, he sees the value in her knowledge and uses her as a resource during the case when traditional methods of research fall short. Delahaye shows respect to all people he interacts with—whether he likes them or not, and whether they are adult or child—which makes people more willing to be honest with him. Delahaye’s speech is professional and levelheaded, and he does not reveal his true emotions often. In a rare moment, Delahaye loses his temper at a police dispatcher who admits to dismissing John’s call about Nathaniel’s lair. This outburst at once demonstrates a divergence from his usual collected composure as well as his willingness to follow all leads—which the dispatcher was not.

Ava sees Delahaye as “attractive in a severe, old-fashioned way” (14). Delahaye doesn’t smile often, but when he does, he has a dimple that Ava finds charming. Delahaye’s arms are completely covered in tattoos, which shocks Ava and Delahaye’s colleagues, who see him as too strait-laced for such body modifications. Delahaye’s partner, Steve Lines, teases Delahaye for having no love life, but Delahaye comes to like Professor Simmons. He asks her to do a records check for him and meets her in a pub after work hours, where the two have instant chemistry. At the end of the text, Delahaye is hopeful that Simmons will be his new “lady friend.”

Nathaniel Marlowe is the main antagonist of the story, although his identity as the Rubery killer remains a secret until the final part of the book. Nathaniel is a 16-year-old boy and the prefect at Ava’s school. He and Karl Jones own a delivery business, which gives Nathaniel an intimate understanding of the entire village. Nathaniel has secret dens around the village, and he has access to places that are usually off-limits. Nathaniel often speeds around Rubery on his oversized, motorized bike, which has an attached trailer. Throughout the text, Nathaniel appears as “charming and kind” (340), but few people know him deeply. He conceals his murderous activities so well that when the press releases details about his crimes, the community “only has good things to say about Nathaniel Marlowe” (341).

Ava finds Nathaniel “impossibly handsome” and is intimidated by his good looks. He has a large scar on his face from an injury he sustained at his father’s scrapyard, and he has heterochromia iridium, making one eye blue and the other brown. Nathaniel pays special attention to Ava, like giving her the nickname “Lady A” and protecting her from bullies. Nathaniel develops a connection to Ava because he senses that her interest in death and crime makes her different, like him. As Ava interacts with Nathaniel more, she sees a darkness peeking through his usually jovial exterior. He sometimes appears “moody” to her, but Ava believes this is due to a troubled family life. Ava’s supposition that Nathaniel endures parental abuse like her makes her more sympathetic to him, but it also stops her from seeing the clues that point toward Nathaniel’s violent nature.

Nathaniel has the unique ability to control his pack of dogs using their canine sounds. Nathaniel feels happiest among his dogs, and for the first three years of his life, he mimicked walking on all fours like them. Nathaniel developed major trauma from being locked in the kennels at Banlock Farm in his youth, and his brain injury catalyzed his delusional belief that he could transform into a wolf. Nathaniel suffers sudden, violent rages that he relieves by killing. When he kills, Nathaniel transforms into his canine persona, who agilely runs on all fours, attacks using his teeth, and wears a suit of dog pelts and bones. Despite his delusions, Nathaniel is aware of his actions, and he applies what he learns from each kill to his next attack. Ava considers Nathaniel her dark foil, since he uses his interest in death for evil rather than good. By the end of the text, Nathaniel completely gives in to his animalistic alter-ego, and when he is cornered, he throws himself off the roof of his Sky Den.

Neville Coleman is a minor character and one of the central figures in the murder mystery. Coleman is an 81-year-old man who has Alzheimer’s syndrome, though he exaggerates the true extent of his illness so he can cover up his knowledge of the killer’s identity. Ava figures Coleman was handsome in his youth “because he was handsome when old” (212), and she originally mistakes him for a movie star. He has one blue eye and one brown eye, though he covers them with sunglasses. Coleman’s unique eye condition helps the police and Ava draw familial connections between him and Nathaniel. Coleman, nicknamed “Nev” by Maureen, is the secret grandfather of Nathaniel, whom he raised for the first three years of his life in neglectful and abusive conditions. Coleman doesn’t feel remorse for the way he treated Nathaniel because he saw his conduct as a form of discipline. He feels blameless about Nathaniel’s violent turn.

Coleman used to be a police sergeant who raised a unique breed of German shepherds at Banlock Farm. Coleman had a mental health crisis after the death of his wife Sophia and daughter Tisiphone, and he had to be forcibly removed from the farm into hospital care, which is where he now resides. Ava manipulates Coleman’s interest in dogs by using her dog Fizz to endear herself to him. Coleman’s alert attention to Fizz makes Ava and Maureen suspect that the old man’s mind is sharper than he is letting on. Coleman’s entire life is shrouded in mystery, and he often avoids answering questions directly. Underneath Coleman’s frail façade, Ava senses cruelty in the man, especially when he appears more concerned about Mickey’s trespassing than his murder. Ava and Delahaye must learn information about the man from other sources, like Ava’s grandmother and Delahaye’s retired colleagues, because Coleman is so secretive. Coleman only begrudgingly confesses the truth about his life and Nathaniel’s identity after Nathaniel’s death.

John Eades is a minor character and Ava’s childhood best friend. John is a year older than Ava, and the pair met when they were 8 and 9 years old. John doesn’t have the same macabre interests as Ava, but he “could listen to her talk all day” because he knows it makes her happy (61). He is the only person Ava feels truly comfortable around, and he knows all the secrets she won’t tell anyone else. John attends a different school than Ava, though he wants her to transfer so he can protect her from bullies. John recently went through puberty, grew “taller and broader” (253), and started playing rugby. John develops a crush on Ava, but he worries that she doesn’t feel the same way. John is jealous of Nathaniel’s attention toward Ava and holds a hostility for the boy that he can’t explain.

John acts as Ava’s sidekick throughout the text, acting as the “voice of caution” to her risk-taking (299). John constantly asks Ava if they should stop and tell an adult what they know, and he fears Ava’s interest in the murders is placing her in danger. John wants to be Ava’s protector, but Ava’s stubborn desire to find things out for herself often leaves John out and makes him feel weak. In Part 5, John finally acts alone when he decides to investigate Nathaniel’s house and shield Ava from a potential confrontation. By the end of the text, the murders and little Adam’s attack make John so exasperated that he doesn’t think twice when attacking Nathaniel to protect Ava.

As the Wolf, Nathaniel kills three boys and attacks two others, and these five minor characters function to emphasize Nathaniel’s escalating brutality. The first victim, Mickey Grant, is a 14-year-old bully. Mickey was not well-liked in his community because of his meanness and entitlement, and many characters grapple with their lack of grief for his death. Ava believes Mickey’s only good quality was that he loved animals. Mickey started hanging out with Nathaniel before he died, and Ava suspects that Mickey’s death was an accident.

Conversely, the next two victims—six-year-old Bryan Shelton and nine-year-old Gary Clarke—were beloved by the community, and most of the characters in the text mourn their deaths. Tierney highlights the childlike behavior of these boys, like Bryan cuddling with his mom and Gary playing hide and seek—a childhood game that foreshadows Nathaniel’s later, predatory stalking of the boy. Bryan and Gary serve as symbols of childhood innocence and vulnerability.

The final two victims survive their run-ins with Nathaniel and help bring about his capture. Keith “Trigger” Magaw is a 12-year-old Scottish boy who lives in foster care but frequently runs away. His experiences living on the street make him daring and astute, which helps him escape captivity in Nathaniel’s underground lair. Keith takes evidence from the lair for police to analyze, draws directions, and identifies Nathaniel as the culprit. Little Adam Booth is Nathaniel’s final victim, whom he attacks in retaliation for the graffiti messages about his crimes. Adam’s attack helps demonstrate Nathaniel’s escalation and draws the police to his location.

Several minor, flat characters make up the investigative team and play different roles within the narrative. Detective Inspector Perrin is Delahaye’s superior and leader. He is a “well respected and old-fashioned” officer who offers wisdom to Delahaye about police work and encourages him not to give up (111). He makes the executive decisions during the investigation, allowing Delahaye to spend his time following leads. Detective Constable Olivia Gibson is a fellow officer who has a knack for finding obscure information. Her keen research skills help the police locate Neville Coleman’s other piece of land, which houses the killer’s trophies. Police Constable Daryl Morgan is a young officer who grows close to the Shelton family when Bryan goes missing. Morgan’s inexperience makes him naïve, and his fellow officers try to protect him from seeing the full gruesome details of the crimes.

Professor Angela Simmons is a pathologist who performs autopsies on the murdered children. She is described as beautiful and intelligent, and her composure while performing her unconventional job makes her intimidating to Delahaye and Lines. Professor Simmons is Delahaye’s love interest, and by the end of the text, the two start spending time together outside of work.

Bob Aster is a minor, static character and the police’s main suspect in the unsolved murder. Bob, in his early sixties, is a convicted sex offender who sexually abused preteen boys and left bite marks on their bodies. The similarities between Bob’s past crimes and the current murders draw the police’s attention, but they find no concrete evidence to connect him to the crimes. Bob served time in prison where he was attacked, leaving him with a permanent facial disfigurement. The Rubery community nicknames him “Bob the Nonce,” and Bob tries to avoid interaction with the locals as much as possible. Bob’s house is on the outskirts of the village, but he also often leaves to sleep rough on the streets or in the woods to escape attention. After the police request Bob’s dental records, Bob leaves his home in a hurry and isn’t seen for the remainder of the narrative. Bob’s status as an outcast makes him a convenient scapegoat for the unsolved murders, and locals eventually vandalize Bob’s house as an outlet for their frustration and fear.

Colleen Bonney is a minor, static character and Ava and Veronica’s mother. Colleen has difficulty controlling her anger, and she is both verbally and physically abusive toward her daughters. Colleen believes her daughters deliberately try to annoy her, and she yells at them or hits them when they do anything she disapproves of. She blames her daughters for her husband, Mike, leaving, but Ava and Veronica know that isn’t the case. Colleen is narcissistic and tries to “act classy” in front of strangers to conceal the poor living conditions that she is ashamed of. She tries to compete with every other woman, including her own daughters, because she craves male attention. As a narcissist, Colleen doesn’t reflect on her actions and always blames others for her problems. Ava resents her mother for the tense atmosphere in their house, but she tries to maintain the peace because she and Veronica still rely on Colleen.

Veronica is a minor, flat character and Ava’s younger sister. Veronica is one of the figures in the text whom Ava feels compelled to protect, particularly from their mother and her creepy boyfriend. Ava alludes to the mean-spirited fights she has with her sister, but the two try to stick together so they can put up a united front against their mother.

Trevor Bax is a minor character and one of Ava’s suspects during her investigation. Trevor is Colleen’s boyfriend, whom she keeps a secret because of the clauses in her separation agreement. Trevor is a known womanizer, and Ava often catches him sneaking out to be with his “fancy women.” Ava and Veronica are both uncomfortable around Trevor because he makes inappropriate comments toward them, and Ava fears that as they get older, he may try to become physical. Delahaye sees Trevor as an insecure man who projects his faults onto those around him. Trevor works odd jobs at odd hours, which makes Ava suspicious about his whereabouts on the nights of the boys’ disappearances. Ava eliminates Trevor as a suspect when she solidifies his alibis, though she was hopeful that Trevor would be put in prison. Trevor buys the Bonneys the dog, Fizz.