Characters
The main character in the story.
Who is Miles Ryan?
Miles Ryan was a normal police officer, family man until one day his wife got hit by a car and died. He and his son Jonah were left all alone. Miles goes through the journey of being a single dad, falling in love, and trying to find his wife's murder in this story.
The father figure / hero.
Who is Miles Ryan?
Miles Ryan is a single father and his son looks up to him as his only parental guide. He is also a hero because he brings people to justice. He is a police officer, so he brings people to justice everyday. But, he also ends up bringing his wife's killer to justice in the end of the book.
The city that the story takes place.
What is New Bern, North Carolina?
The story is set in New Bern, North Carolina in 1988. New Bern is a small town by the sea where everyone knows everyone. People on porch swings, kids playing in the street, and going to the ocean is what the city consists of. Some bendy roads too...
Man .vs. Man.
What is Miles Ryan .vs. Otis Timson?
Miles and Otis are ongoing enemies. Otis commits a lot of crimes, so the local police officer Miles obviously does not like him very much. But, once Miles's wife dies, he believes that Otis could have killed her. Miles thinks he has evidence that Otis killed Missy, so they have a physical fight and Miles arrests him.
A reoccurring theme.
What is: do not forget the ones you love?
Throughout the story, Missy Ryan is mentioned a lot and is basically a main character in the story. Jonah is reminded of her and how much she loved him all the time. Miles misses her and wants to avenge her death.
Miles's son and the matchmaker.
Who is Jonah Ryan?
Jonah Ryan is a child in second grade who had been having trouble in life and school since his mom passed away. He loves his dad of course, but will always miss his mom. Jonah was having trouble in school, so his teacher, Miss. Andrews, sets up a parent teacher meeting with his dad ...
The innocent.
Who is Jonah Ryan?
Jonah Ryan is an innocent little kid. He doesn't really know anything about his mom's death and the vents that have happened with it since. He is also clueless at the end when the killer is revealed. But, he is not clueless about his dad's relationship with his teacher.
The living location of the main character.
What is Miles and Jonah's house?
The home of the Ryan family is a standard family home. Watching tv in the living room, eating breakfast in the kitchen, and keeping your tools in a shed in the backyard is what this family's home life consists of. The house is important because they originally lived in it with Missy and it is one of the last things Jonah and Miles have to remember her.
Man .vs. Nature.
What is Missy Ryan .vs. a bend in the road?
Missy Ryan was angry at her husband when he didn't do something she had asked him to do multiple times. He came home and said he would do it, but did something else before he did this chore. She decided to go for a run to get rid of some anger. As she was coming along a bend in the road, a car hit her and she died.
A theme you realize at the end.
What is: do not jump to conclusions?
Miles Ryan jumps to a lot of conclusions and acts very impulsive. Some of these conclusions are correct while some are way off. But, he learns the truth in the end and learns to stop being so impulsive. He fixes all of the conclusions he jumped to.
Jonah's second grade teacher and Miles's love interest.
Who is Sarah Andrews?
Sarah Andrews moved to a new town for a new start after going through a rough divorce. She gets a job at the local elementary school teaching second grade. She decides to help out a struggling student and ends up falling in love with the student's dad while doing so.
The temptress / damsel in distress.
Who is Sarah Andrews?
Sarah is the temptress because she ends up asking Miles out when he cannot get the courage or the words to do so. Miles comes to her rescue multiple times by saving her from Otis Timson harassing her and her mom questioning her choices.
The living location of Jonah's teacher and Miles's love interest.
What is Sarah Andrews's house?
Sarah lives in an apartment in the main center of the city. Single city girl in an apartment in a small town. Sarah's house is important because Sarah and Miles have some of their first dates there and some big information is revealed in her living room.
Man .vs. Society.
What is Miles Ryan .vs. the citizens of New Bern?
When Missy Ryan first passed away, the citizens of New Bern obviously felt sorry for him and everyone mourned his loss. But, after a couple years passed, people start believing that he needs to move on. But, he is still trying to bring justice to his wife's mystery killer and the citizens of New Bern do not approve.
Another theme you realize in the end.
What is: love beats all?
This book is a romance novel, so love beats all is a very appropriate theme. I cannot explain this theme very well without giving spoilers. But, the love between Miles and a certain woman is very strong in the end.
The villain and hypothesized murderer.
Who is Otis Timson?
Otis Timson is a bad guy. He and his family cause a lot of trouble and commit a lot of crimes throughout the story. Miles Ryan, a police officer, obviously is not his biggest fan. They are enemies, especially since Miles thinks Otis killed his wife and is hitting on his new girlfriend. Did Otis really kill Missy?
The monster / villain.
Who is Otis Timson?
Otis and his family are the villains of the story. They commit crimes in a safe neighborhood and creepily harass women. Otis jokes that he killed Missy Ryan. He also gets into a physical and verbal fight with Miles.
Where people learn, teach, and meet.
What is Jonah's school and Sarah's work?
Jonah goes to a normal elementary school. A playground, a field, and kids with backpacks running to their parents. The school is important because Miles and Sarah first meet at school. Their relationship develops because they talk everyday after school when Miles comes to pick up Jonah.
Man .vs. Self.
What is Miles Ryan .vs. himself?
Miles Ryan has many internal battles with himself. But, the main one is that he hates himself because he cannot find and get revenge on his wife's killer. As a police officer, his job is to solve murders and protect the city, but he feels he is not doing his job. He also feels that he is not doing his job as a husband by protecting and bringing justice for his wife.
Other archetypes / conflicts to mention.
What is: the search for love, the quest for knowledge, and the quest for revenge?
The search for love is the main thing in this story since it is a love story. The quest for knowledge is Miles wanting to know who killed his wife and the truth about what happened on the road. The quest for revenge is Miles trying to get revenge on his wife's killer and people that have done bad things to him.
Side characters that play an important role.
Who is Sarah's family?
Sarah's family also live in New Bern and are very involved in her life. So, when they find out that Sarah is dating one of her student's dads, they are very intrigued. Miles and Jonah meet the family, but do not know the surprise they are in for...
The mother figure.
Who is Missy Ryan?
Missy is Jonah's mother. Missy was an all around loved person by the whole city of New Bern. She was everyone's mother and was amazing at it. Even if she was not physically there anymore, she will always be Jonah's mother and Miles will make sure he remembers that.
Where people play a certain sport.
What is the soccer field?
The soccer field consists of grass, a goal, and little kids running around kicking a ball. But, the soccer field is important because it is the place where Miles and Sarah realize that they like each other and have their first unofficial date.
Man .vs. Self.
What is the killer .vs. themself?
Towards the end of story, you get to hear the killer's side of the story (which is later admitted to the characters in the story). You hear the internal battle that the killer had after Missy Ryan died in the road.