Turner in Hell Bent: Detective, Witness, and Priest Pilgrim — A Character Analysis

Detective Abel Turner enters Leigh Bardugo's Hell Bent as a grounded, skeptical force—a professional investigator who believes in evidence, procedure, and the rule of law. By the novel's end, he has walked into hell itself, served as the priest pilgrim in a forbidden ritual, and confronted the limits of his own moral code. Turner's arc is one of the book's most compelling: a man who has spent his career trying to do good in a corrupt system must decide whether to break every rule he holds dear to rescue a soul he doesn't even like. His journey from outsider to believer—not in God, but in the reality of evil—anchors the novel's exploration of duty, guilt, and the cost of wielding power.

Overview: The Detective as Moral Compass

Turner is a New Haven police detective who becomes entangled with Alex Stern's world when faculty members begin dying under mysterious circumstances. He is introduced as a pragmatic, slightly weary professional who has seen too much to be easily shocked. Yet his encounter with Darlington's demonic form at Black Elm shatters his worldview, forcing him to accept that the supernatural is real. Unlike Alex, who has lived with the dead her whole life, or Dawes, who has studied magic academically, Turner must reconcile his rationalist training with the impossible. This makes him the novel's most relatable figure—the reader's proxy in a world gone strange.

Turner's role evolves across three distinct phases: first, as an investigator of the faculty murders; second, as a reluctant witness to Darlington's transformation; and third, as an active participant in the Gauntlet ritual. Each phase strips away another layer of his certainty, culminating in his decision to serve as the priest pilgrim—a role that requires him to embrace a faith he only half-believes in.

Plot Role: From Investigator to Pilgrim

Turner's primary function in the plot is to investigate the murders of Professor Marjorie Stephen and Dean Beekman, deaths that initially appear to be the work of a deranged killer but are later revealed to be part of a larger supernatural scheme. He first appears in Chapter 8, showing Alex the body of Professor Stephen, whose death is marked by theatrical clues: a Bible open to Judges, a desk calendar reading "Hide the outcasts," and a prematurely aged face. Turner suspects the secret societies, and his suspicion draws him into Alex's orbit.

His role deepens when Alex invites him to Black Elm in Chapter 14. There, he witnesses Darlington's demonic form—horned, marked, and trapped in a golden circle—and hears the creature predict a third death. This moment is pivotal: Turner, who has dismissed the occult as "cult nonsense," can no longer deny what he has seen. He refuses to help at first, but the murder case and his own conscience pull him back.

By Chapter 21, Turner has agreed to help find a fourth person for the Halloween ritual, and in Chapter 24, he is assigned the role of priest pilgrim. His participation is not born of belief but of obligation: he has seen the devil, and he believes a soul must be pried from its grasp. In the Gauntlet itself (Chapter 26), Turner descends into hell alongside Alex, Dawes, and Tripp, marking entrances with blood and enduring the ritual's horrors. His flashback during the descent—to the shooting of Delan Tuttle—reveals the moral wound that has shaped him, making his willingness to risk his soul all the more poignant.

Motivations and Traits: Shown Through Actions

Turner's motivations are revealed primarily through his actions and his internal flashbacks. He is driven by a deep-seated sense of justice, but that justice is complicated by his past. The flashback in Chapter 26 is the key to understanding him: as a junior detective, he witnessed his mentor, Chris Carmichael, murder an unarmed young man and then attempted to coerce Turner into planting a gun and lying about the shooting. Turner's choice—to wipe the gun and go along with the cover-up—haunts him. He tells himself he had no choice, that Carmichael threatened his family, but the guilt remains.

This backstory explains several of Turner's defining traits:

Moral rigidity as a defense: Turner clings to procedure and the letter of the law because he has already bent it once. His insistence on "good old detective work" is an attempt to reclaim the integrity he lost.
Cynicism born of experience: He knows how easily good people are corrupted, which is why he is initially hostile to Alex's world. He has seen the "bent, not crooked" line blur before.
Courage despite fear: Turner is afraid—of Darlington, of the supernatural, of his own past—but he acts anyway. He agrees to enter hell not because he is brave, but because he believes it is right.
A quiet faith: When Alex asks if he believes in God, Turner says he thinks he does, but he "definitely believes in the devil." This is not theological certainty but a hard-won acknowledgment that evil is real and must be resisted.

Turner's actions consistently reflect these traits. He risks his career by helping Alex, he refuses to let Anselm's dismissal stop him, and he continues to investigate the murders even after being relieved of his Centurion duties. His decision to help Alex find a fourth pilgrim—despite having no love for Darlington—is framed as a moral imperative: "If he gets hold of a soul and doesn't want to let it go, I think you have to try to pry it away from him."

Chronological Arc: The Slow Unraveling of Certainty

Turner's arc can be traced through his key appearances:

Chapter 8: He shows Alex the body of Marjorie Stephen, establishing his professional competence and his suspicion of the societies. He notes that Alex "looks like trouble has caught up with her," a wry acknowledgment of her dangerous orbit.
Chapter 13: At Dean Beekman's murder scene, Turner and Alex discuss the theatrical clues. He suggests someone may be "pretending to be unhinged," showing his detective's instinct for deception. Alex asks if he has ever killed someone—a question that foreshadows his confession.
Chapter 14: Turner witnesses Darlington's demonic form. His reaction—freezing, reaching for his gun, demanding to know what he is seeing—marks the collapse of his rational worldview. He refuses to help, calling it "cult nonsense," but he cannot unsee what he has seen.
Chapter 16: Turner helps Alex and Dawes access the Peabody basement, where they discover the amethyst map that reveals the locations of homicide perpetrators. Turner is angered to learn the map was built to find runaway slaves, a reminder of how institutions can be twisted toward evil.
Chapter 21: Turner agrees to help find a fourth pilgrim. In the car, he presses Alex about her past killings, and she deflects. He tells her he believes in the devil, having seen it at Black Elm.
Chapter 24: Turner is assigned the role of priest pilgrim. He discusses Professor Lambton's son, Andy, and suggests rechecking his alibi—a lead that will prove crucial.
Chapter 26: During the Gauntlet descent, Turner's flashback reveals the truth about Carmichael. He is shown as a man who has already crossed a moral line, which makes his participation in the ritual a form of redemption.
Chapter 28: After the ritual is interrupted, Anselm relieves Turner of his Centurion duties. Turner leaves, but he does not abandon the case.
Chapter 34: Turner interviews Andy Lambton, who confesses to the murders. Turner's questioning is methodical, but he is visibly shaken when Alex realizes Darlington may have been manipulating them all along.

Relationships: The Cop and the Occultists

Turner's relationships are defined by his outsider status. He is the only major character who is not a member of Lethe, and he remains suspicious of the society throughout.

With Alex Stern: Turner and Alex share a wary mutual respect. He sees her as a troubled young woman with a violent past, and she sees him as a cop who might betray her. Yet they trust each other enough to enter hell together. Turner's question—"You killed those people in Los Angeles, didn't you?"—is not an accusation but an attempt to understand her. He likes her, but he knows a cop is a cop.
With Dawes: Turner is dismissive of Dawes at first, calling her out for looking exhausted and underpaid. But he respects her competence, and she, in turn, is terrified he will report them to Anselm. Their dynamic is one of grudging cooperation.
With Darlington: Turner has no love for Darlington, whom he never knew before his transformation. He calls him a monster and refuses to help at first. Yet he ultimately risks his soul to save him, driven not by affection but by principle.
With Carmichael: The flashback reveals the defining relationship of Turner's life. Carmichael was his mentor, his "rabbi," and the man who tried to corrupt him. Turner's guilt over Tuttle's death is the wound that drives his need to do good.

Key Decisions and Consequences

Turner's most significant decisions are:

Going along with Carmichael's cover-up: This is the original sin that shapes his character. He wipes the gun, plants it on Tuttle, and lies. The consequence is a lifetime of guilt and a desperate need to prove he is "one of the good ones."
Agreeing to see Darlington: When Alex invites him to Black Elm, Turner could have refused. His decision to go—and to witness the demon—changes everything. It forces him to accept the supernatural and commits him to the rescue mission.
Agreeing to be the fourth pilgrim: Turner has no obligation to help. He does it because he believes a soul must be saved. The consequence is that he descends into hell, endures the ritual's horrors, and is stripped of his Centurion duties.
Continuing the investigation after being dismissed: Anselm relieves Turner of his duties, but Turner does not stop. He interviews Andy Lambton and helps Alex uncover the truth about Darlington's manipulation. His persistence is both admirable and dangerous.

Themes and Symbolism: The Priest Who Doubts

Turner embodies several of the novel's central themes:

Institutional complicity in evil: Turner's backstory with Carmichael is a microcosm of the novel's critique of institutions. Just as Lethe protects its own, the police force protects Carmichael. Turner's guilt is the price of that complicity.
Debt, guilt, and obligation: Turner is haunted by his failure to stop Carmichael. His decision to enter hell is an attempt to repay a debt he can never fully discharge. He is, in a sense, a man trying to save his own soul by saving another's.
Transformation and the struggle to remain human: Turner's journey is a transformation of a different kind than Darlington's. He does not grow horns, but he is changed by what he witnesses. His struggle is to remain the man he wants to be—honest, just, and good—in a world that makes that nearly impossible.
Demons as emotional predators: Turner's encounter with the demon disguised as his grandfather (mentioned in Chapter 34) shows how demons feed on human weakness. They target his guilt, his fear, and his love for his family.

As the priest pilgrim, Turner is a deeply ironic figure. He is a man of uncertain faith who must perform a sacred role. His participation is not an act of belief but of duty—a fitting symbol for a novel about the obligations we owe to others, even when we doubt the cause.

Five Questions and Answers

1. Why does Turner initially refuse to help Alex rescue Darlington?

Turner refuses because he is a rationalist who has built his life on evidence and procedure. He calls Darlington a monster and the rescue plan "cult nonsense." He also fears for his career, telling Alex that whatever this is, it's "not worth all the money in the devil's pocket." His refusal is rooted in self-preservation and a genuine belief that the supernatural is not his job.

2. What is the significance of Turner's flashback to the Carmichael shooting?

The flashback reveals the moral wound that defines Turner. As a junior detective, he witnessed his mentor, Chris Carmichael, murder an unarmed young man, Delan Tuttle, and then coerced Turner into planting a gun and lying about the shooting. Turner's guilt over this cover-up explains his rigid adherence to the law and his desperate need to do good. It also makes his decision to enter hell a form of redemption—a chance to save a soul after failing to save Tuttle.

3. How does Turner's view of the supernatural change over the course of the novel?

Turner begins as a skeptic who dismisses the occult as "hocus-pocus bullshit." His encounter with Darlington's demonic form at Black Elm shatters his worldview. He tells Alex he "definitely believes in the devil," having seen it with his own eyes. By the end, he is willing to participate in a forbidden ritual and descend into hell, not because he has become a believer, but because he has accepted that evil is real and must be resisted.

4. Why does Turner agree to be the fourth pilgrim?

Turner agrees because he believes it is right. He has no love for Darlington and no obligation to help, but he tells Alex, "If he gets hold of a soul and doesn't want to let it go, I think you have to try to pry it away from him." His decision is driven by principle, not affection—a desire to do good in a world where he has already done wrong.

5. What role does Turner play in solving the faculty murders?

Turner is the investigator who connects the murders to the societies and eventually to Andy Lambton. He interviews Andy in Chapter 34, drawing out the confession that Marjorie Stephen and Dean Beekman were killed for their role in ruining Ed Lambton's reputation. Turner's detective work is what brings the case to a close, even as Alex realizes that Darlington may have been manipulating events from behind the golden circle.

Conclusion: The Good Cop in a Bad World

Turner is not a hero in the traditional sense. He is a man who has already compromised his integrity, who carries the weight of a cover-up he can never undo. Yet it is precisely this flaw that makes his courage meaningful. He enters hell not because he is pure, but because he knows what it means to fail. In a novel full of demons, monsters, and magic, Turner is the most human character—a man trying to do right in a world that makes it almost impossible. His journey from skeptic to pilgrim is the novel's quiet heart, a reminder that even the most broken among us can choose to act with grace.

For more on the novel's themes, explore our analyses of the price of wielding supernatural power, demons as emotional predators, and institutional complicity in evil. You can also read the ending explained or browse questions and answers for further discussion.