Chapter Thirty-Nine Summary: The Longing and the London Lead

⚠️ Spoiler Warning: This guide contains detailed spoilers for the entire novel. Proceed only if you've finished reading or are comfortable knowing the plot.

Summary

Jen Rafferty returns home to find her children isolated in their rooms. She reflects on her parenting regrets and feels a surprising longing for another child after learning her ex-husband’s girlfriend is pregnant. She drowns these thoughts with leftover wine and begins an online search for Grace Fanshaw. Jen discovers Grace was a children’s fantasy author whose books were adapted into a film. The Wikipedia entry mentions Grace’s brother Roderick, an adventurer, and a nephew named David who contested the will. Jen starts her investigation the next morning by calling potential David Fanshaws. She rules out the city lawyer (whose father was also David, not Roderick) and the defunct betting-shop number. She then calls the Putney prep-school headmaster, David Fanshaw, who immediately recognises the case. He denies involvement but Jen insists on visiting him in person, booking a train to London.

Key Events

Jen arrives home to find her children withdrawn and the kitchen showing signs of solo snacking.
She experiences a wave of maternal longing triggered by news of her ex-husband’s impending fatherhood.
Jen drinks the last of a white wine bottle and eats leftover cheese and wrinkled grapes.
Online, she researches Grace Fanshaw and learns about the author’s career and her brother Roderick.
She discovers that Grace’s only nephew, David, contested her will.
The next morning, Jen methodically contacts three possible David Fanshaws.
She rules out the city lawyer (father also named David) and the betting-shop manager (disconnected line).
Jen calls the Putney prep school and reaches headmaster David Fanshaw.
Fanshaw immediately understands the call concerns Jeremy Rosco’s death.
Jen decides on impulse to travel to London to interview him in person.

Character Development

Jen Rafferty—This chapter reveals a vulnerable side of Jen that has not been prominent before. Her regret over work-life balance and her sudden desire for another child show deeper emotional layers. The Catholic guilt she feels (“coveting” the child) adds complexity. Her investigative tenacity remains strong, but her decision to travel to London seems partly driven by a need to escape her own thoughts and to assert control by confronting a powerful man face-to-face.

David Fanshaw (introduced)—Presented as a composed headmaster, he immediately recognises Jen’s purpose and denies involvement. His guarded tone and quick shift to blame-shifting in the safeguarding comment hint at a man used to managing crises.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

Longing and Loss—Jen’s fantasy of a toddler on the beach contrasts sharply with her actual home life, symbolising an idealised past she cannot reclaim. The “coveting” of her ex-husband’s child highlights how unresolved grief (over her marriage) fuels present desire.

Work as Escape—Jen’s impulsive decision to take the train to London mirrors earlier patterns where she buries personal turmoil in police work. The investigation becomes both duty and distraction.

Inheritance and Bloodlines—The Fanshaw will dispute echoes the novel’s broader concern with legacies. Grace’s adoption of Jeremy Rosco as a surrogate child parallels Jen’s yearning for a family connection.

Why This Chapter Matters

Chapter Thirty-Nine shifts the investigation’s focus from the immediate suspects on the Petra to the historical dispute over Grace Fanshaw’s fortune. By eliminating two David Fanshaws and narrowing to the headmaster, Jen sets up a direct confrontation that may reveal whether the will contest motivated violence. More importantly, the chapter deepens Jen’s personal storyline, reminding readers that the case carries emotional weight for everyone involved. It also reinforces the motif of parenting and sacrifice that runs through her character arc.

Study Questions and Answers

Why does Jen decide to travel to London to interview David Fanshaw in person, rather than continue by phone?
Jen’s decision is driven by multiple factors: a desire to escape her empty house and troubling emotions, a need to assert authority over a man she perceives as privileged, and practical considerations (avoiding Zoom fatigue). She also acts impulsively, perhaps sensing that a face-to-face meeting will yield more truth than a distant phone call.
How does Jen’s research into Grace Fanshaw hint at a possible motive for Jeremy Rosco’s murder?
Grace was a wealthy author who left her estate to Jeremy Rosco, bypassing her nephew David. The nephew contested the will, suggesting lingering resentment. If David Fanshaw still feels cheated after all these years, he might have had reason to kill Rosco—especially if Rosco’s return to the area revived old grievances.
What does Jen’s flashback to her convent school reveal about her attitude toward teachers?
Jen’s fear of teachers stems from a childhood of intimidation by nuns. This fear translates to insecurity around her own children’s educators, whom she believes judge her for her accent, single-parenthood, and messy home life. The exchange with David Fanshaw—herself a police sergeant—highlights her internal struggle to feel equal to authority figures.