The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year

“If Killhaven were a high school, then Ethan was the golden boy, player of sports and breaker of hearts. The kind of guy who could get voted prom king at a school he didn’t even go to. Meanwhile, Lance and the other Leather Jacket Guys were nothing more than Ethan’s asshole acolytes. Or Assolytes, as Maggie like to call them.”

This metaphor, which compares Ethan to the most popular boy in high school, uses common social stereotypes to create an immediate image of him as socially popular and physically attractive, with an implied air of easy entitlement. As Maggie sees it, Ethan can do no wrong in the eyes of his adoring audience. This description of him, and his “assolytes”—Maggie’s wry corruption of the word “acolytes”—conveys her summary judgment of Ethan’s character even as it suggests that her bitter resentment unfairly influences her interpretation.

“He was pretend. An illusion. A lie. Maggie had known him for five years, and they’d never had a single conversation.”

This angry list of derisive names highlights Maggie’s anger and contempt toward the version of Ethan that she currently perceives. However, because the novel later reveals that she is misjudging him in this moment, her anger over his suave public personal reflects the narrative’s examination of The Misleading Nature of Appearances. She has been so deceived by Ethan’s “leather jacket” appearance—itself a protective mask—that she cannot even remember the eventful conversation that she had with him in an elevator five years ago.

“It was like Murders-R-Us had had a sale and Eleanor had bought one of everything.”

This whimsical description of Eleanor’s library contains both hyperbole and allusion. The phrase “Murders-R-Us” alludes to a now-defunct chain of stores called Toys’R’Us, which sold only children’s toys. This description implies that Eleanor’s choice of décor is solely focused on old weaponry, a quirk that intensifies the ominous mood that Carter has already begun to invoke.

“‘[Y]ou’re one of my favorite authors.’ And then Maggie died. The End.”

Even the objective narration employs hyperbole to create a sense of Maggie’s extreme admiration and borderline hero-worship of Eleanor. This particular moment arises when Eleanor claims that Maggie is one of her favorite authors, and the hyperbole suggests that to receive such praise from one’s idol is such a powerful experience that it could cause literal death. The exaggeration lends the narrative a comical tone that reappears often throughout the unfolding story, lightening moments that would otherwise become too emotionally dire.

“Probably because no one could take the full force of his smile without protective equipment. It was like looking at the sun. Or handling nuclear waste.”

In this passage, the author uses another hyperbole to underscore Ethan’s powerful charisma and physical attractiveness. The simile compares his smile to the sun, wryly suggesting that Ethan’s brilliance has the power to blind those who behold it. Conversely, the final simile compares looking at his smile to touching a dangerous material, and this negative association conveys Maggie’s wariness towards Ethan at this point in the novel.

“Maggie realized that not a single one of them had introduced themselves as Eleanor Ashley’s friend. She had written nearly a hundred books. She was wealthy and famous and powerful. But she was also an old woman with a bum leg and a drafty mansion. And she was alone. So perhaps she was a little bit like Maggie after all.”

From afar, Maggie idolizes Eleanor, but upon glimpsing the loneliness of her life and the distance that exists between the famous author and the people who are supposedly closest to her, Maggie begins to gain a more realistic view of Eleanor and finds a measure of kinship with her. Both of these stages are key steps in Maggie’s journey toward developing a stronger sense of confidence and self-worth. Ultimately, she realizes that although she is different from Eleanor, she is just as smart and capable as her favorite author. Only at that point will her character’s dynamic journey be complete.

“‘I have you.’ Maggie wanted to laugh. She was going to cry. Because, the truth was, no one had her and no one ever would. Maggie had herself. And that was enough.”

In this passage, Maggie shows incredulous disbelief in response to Ethan’s reassuring statement. Because her childhood was lonely and her parents died when she was still young, she has had an insecure view of the world from a very early age. This issue was compounded in her adulthood when her best friend and husband betrayed and abandoned her. As a result, she has learned not to rely on others so as not to be disappointed when they eventually leave her. Her inability to trust a person who claims to “have her” and to support her is one of The Long-Term Effects of Gaslighting.

“She needed to know if it was okay to hope because Maggie had learned a long time ago that hope was the most dangerous emotion.”

Maggie’s reluctance to allow herself to hope for something good is another indication of The Long-Term Effects of Gaslighting. She hoped that Emily would always be a good friend and that Colin would always love her, but these hopes were dashed. Even in her professional life, as when she hoped to win an award from the national book club, she has been frequently disappointed. These experiences make it hard for her to hope—and risk getting hurt—yet again.

“In the past ten minutes—or maybe the past two days—she had started leaning on Ethan Wyatt. Literally. Metaphorically. He had one arm draped across the back of the couch, not touching her—not exactly. But it made her feel shielded and safe and not alone.”

Maggie is used to having to do everything alone. However, Ethan wants to work with her, support her, and be near her, and his earnest approach makes Maggie feel much less alone than she has in a long time. The comfort he provides via his physical and emotional presence emphasizes The Value of Teamwork and implies that his healthy regard for Maggie is the ideal balm for Colin’s past abuses.

“He didn’t feel like the competition in that moment. It was the two of them against the world, which should have been terrifying, but something about the way he was looking at her made her feel calm.”

Not only does Maggie experience the feeling of support from Ethan, but he also provides her with a sense of comfort. Because she is used to thinking of him as her competition in the professional world (especially after the book club chose his novel over hers), she initially sees him as her enemy in the context of Eleanor’s party. However, once they begin to work together to find the missing Eleanor, she realizes the myriad benefits of teamwork and gains a better understanding his true nature.

“‘How is it?’ Maggie’s legs gave out and she dropped onto the bed. ‘I don’t know. It’s…different. And I can’t really put my finger on why.’”

Maggie can tell that Eleanor’s last, incomplete novel is different from all her others: a significant observation about an author who has published 99 novels in the same genre. Maggie’s description foreshadows the later revelation that Eleanor’s last novel is in fact a work of nonfiction: the true story of the young woman she helped to escape the murderous Inspector Dobson 40 years ago.

“‘There’s no way, no universe, no reality in which you aren’t the brightest star in the whole damn sky, and…’ His cheeks flushed. His hand shook, and he looked away like suddenly, he was the one who was embarrassed.”

In this emotional, flustered moment, Ethan uses a clumsy but hyperbolic metaphor to compare Maggie to “the brightest star” in the heavens. This halting attempt at poetry conveys the strength of his feelings for her, even if she is not quite prepared to accept or even recognize his regard just yet.

“It had been a long time since she’d felt that kind of back-and-forth. The parry and thrust of possibilities. Her thoughts swirled like the chilly air and blowing snow, but one thought felt real and tangible and right there in the palm of her hand: he’s not Colin.”

Maggie enjoys the support and comfort she gets when she works with Ethan to solve the mystery of Eleanor’s disappearance, and she also appreciates the witty and intellectual banter that arises between them and highlights their similar interests and skills. They work well together, finishing each other’s thoughts and building on one another’s ideas, and as Maggie realizes all the ways in which Ethan differs from Colin, her inner wounds begin to heal bit by bit. Their constructive dynamic also highlights The Value of Teamwork.

“Maggie knew for a fact that her headaches were nothing because Colin had spent the better part of ten years telling her so.”

Although Maggie’s headaches can feel very severe to her, she is so accustomed to distrusting her own perceptions that she feels certain that they must not be that bad. In the past, Colin denied Maggie’s own bodily experiences, telling her that she wasn’t really experiencing the pain she was feeling. His callous disregard for her experiences—and her internalization of his dismissal—once again illustrates The Long-Term Effects of Gaslighting.

“Maggie didn’t recognize her own voice. She didn’t smile or soften the words or do any of the million things she’d been trained to do to keep a man from feeling threatened. No.”

As a dynamic character, Maggie changes dramatically over the course of the novel, developing a new sense of assertiveness. This shift becomes especially apparent when she addresses the other guests and Inspector Dobson. She has been accustomed to submitting to others’ authority and behaving in a compliant and passive manner so as not to threaten the men in her life, but now she breaks free of these past restrictions and boldly reclaims her agency.

“Maggie never shouted. She’d been conditioned and trained and she knew better than to be loud because the loud girl doesn’t get invited back.”

Maggie’s history of masking her real personality and feelings reflect her age-old compulsion to avoid being abandoned by others. Because she diminishes herself to avoid being hurt, her actions once again demonstrate The Long-Term Effects of Gaslighting. Maggie often fears that her real self will be either “too much” or “not enough” because Colin often made her feel this way. As a result, she has learned to moderate her behavior constantly in order to escape such criticism. Part of her growth in the novel is learning that she isn’t to blame for others’ choices.

“‘Is it wrong?’ she was honestly asking. ‘I mean, I may be wrong. I probably am’ […] ‘Hey. We’re not wrong.’ It was the we that did it. Ethan watched Maggie start to speak—to argue. She could have fired off a dozen pithy comebacks, but her eyes went soft and warm and she inhaled a rushed little breath before letting it out, slowly.”

Early in the novel, Maggie doubts her memory and her judgment, another of The Long-Term Effects of Gaslighting. Because Colin always convinced her that her views were wrong, she is now prone to believing that she is rarely correct in life, especially when her judgment conflicts with someone else’s. Her involuntary response to Ethan’s reassurance—the softness and warmth in her eyes—demonstrates the new ways in which she can relax in his presence.

“She shook her head like she didn’t know what to say—what to think. Like she’d been told black was white and up was down so many times that she couldn’t trust her own eyes, much less her memory. Like she’d been taught to live by two simple rules: 1) When in doubt, assume you’re the problem. And 2) Always be in doubt.”

When Maggie and Ethan approach her room after the power goes out, she notices her door ajar and says that she thought she’d closed it. Despite the attempts on Eleanor’s life, Maggie automatically assumes that she must be wrong rather than suspecting that someone else might have gained access to her room. This is another example of The Long-Term Effects of Gaslighting.

“Ethan wasn’t supposed to be warm and caring and kind. He was supposed to be a thin veneer with nothing at all beneath that glossy surface. He was supposed to be less but he was actually more.”

Just as Maggie continues to be affected by the gaslighting she endured from Colin, she also continues to be surprised by Ethan’s goodness and warmth because she has distrusted his charismatic persona for so long. This dynamic highlights The Misleading Nature of Appearances, especially because even when Maggie gains firsthand proof of Ethan’s goodness, she does not yet trust this new perception of him.

“Be. Someone. New. Maggie felt the words rattling around in her head. Like bells beginning to chime. Ringing out because, suddenly, the world made sense. Ethan made sense.”

When Maggie learns of Ethan’s difficult childhood and his mother’s abandonment, she understands why he felt the need to adopt the charismatic mask. Every time he switched schools, it was easier to be someone new than to explain his past. A simile compares his words to bells ringing inside Maggie’s head, alerting her to the truth behind his appearance.

“‘You’d need my help,’ she filled in. ‘No. I knew I’d need you.’ He inched closer because he couldn’t stay away. ‘I’m better when I’m with you, Maggie. Everything is better when I’m with you.’”

Ethan’s earnest words of love and acceptance showcase The Value of Teamwork and hint at the development of a much deeper connection between the two protagonists, even though Maggie still struggles with The Long-term Effects of Gaslighting and fails to credit herself for her leadership of their investigation. When she gives credit to Ethan, he rightly returns it to her, proving that he, unlike Colin, has a healthy respect for Maggie’s innate abilities.

“‘And you’re right—’ ‘I am?’ She was never going to get used to someone saying that.”

Even after all her growth, Maggie is still surprised when Ethan gives her credit for being right. The lack of familiarity she feels when being correctly recognized for her intellectual achievements suggests that even though she is now healing from The Long-Term Effects of Gaslighting, this issue will continue to arise from time to time. However, the novel also suggests that with Ethan’s unconditional support, Maggie will eventually move past this mental block.

“She sighed again, sinking against him, like she’d spent her whole life just trying to stay upright. Like it was the first time she’d ever been allowed to lean.”

Being able to count on someone, to rely on another person—especially a man for whom she cares—feels unfamiliar. After her childhood solitude, her parents’ deaths, Emily’s betrayal, and Colin’s gaslighting, Maggie has come to believe that the only person she can truly rely on is herself. The idea that she can depend upon the emotional support of a person who only wishes the best for her is a huge relief.