Murder Road

In Murder Road, Simone St. James forces her audience to reconsider what appearances tell us, or don’t tell us, about the reality of a person. Although she does this in a variety of ways, including through conflicting perceptions of the Lost Girl herself, one of the most consistent ways in which she makes this point is through the character of Eddie Carter. At the beginning of the novel, Eddie, handsome, strong, and quiet, seems to be mostly a supporting character for April, the protagonist and narrator. However, over the course of the novel, all the characters, including April herself, learn not to underestimate Eddie, and not to assume that appearances reflect reality.

At the beginning of the novel, when April and Eddie are questioned by the police, April worries about Eddie’s ability to handle the aftermath of Rhonda Jean’s death, including the police interrogations and investigation. Although she knows that “[e]veryone underestimated [her] husband” (73), she feels that she has a deeper understanding of what he can handle, knowing more about his past trauma than anyone else. She believes that “Everyone underestimated my husband. Everyone but me” (73). When they are in police custody, she reflects, “I hoped Eddie would follow my lead, because I had the feeling I had more experience with the police than he did” (46).