comment on Structure

Part 1 of the novel as well as the entries from Joyce’s journal serve as exposition in the novel. The action begins to rise in Chapter 8 when Elizabeth and Stephen are kidnapped and Elizabeth is ordered to kill Viktor.

The action continues to rise as Elizabeth fakes Viktor’s death and Viktor joins the Thursday Murder Club investigating Bethany’s murder. The climax comes when Andrew meets with Henrik because he needs a money launderer and falsely confesses that he murdered Bethany.

The action falls as Pauline tells Ron that she helped Bethany change her appearance so she could escape the man who is threatening her. The denouement comes when the reader learns that Bethany disappeared because she had been sent a bullet with Mike’s name on it.