Greenwich Park

Content Warning: The source text depicts domestic violence, pregnancy loss, rape, and death by suicide, which this section of the guide discusses.

Thriller novels often take place in settings that characters believe are safe. Greenwich Park is set in an upscale neighborhood of London, where mansions abound, most people have high income, and crime appears to be relatively low. However, as the novel suggests, the socioeconomic class of the neighborhood’s residents does not mean that Greenwich Park lacks danger. Crime, murder, and secrecy can occur anywhere, and if it’s hidden under the surface, this can make it even more terrifying. Helen believes Greenwich Park is safer and even superior to other parts of London, such as Hackney, the working-class borough where her younger brother Charlie lives. Helen tells Charlie, “I don’t know why you insist on living here. Not when you have all that money. You could live somewhere better. Somewhere with a garden. That roof terrace isn’t even safe” (274). Ironically, although some of the apartment buildings in Hackney are not up to code and Helen’s house is fancy, the murder in the novel occurs in Greenwich Park, whereas no murders are mentioned in Hackney.