Old God’s Time Themes

Old God’s Time initially appears to be a mystery novel about a cold case, but beneath the surface, the true heart of its narrative lies in the exploration of protagonist Tom Kettle’s past. At the beginning of the novel, Tom is nine months into his retirement and lives a peaceful but aimless life in his seaside flat in Dalkey, Ireland. However, when Detectives Wilson and O’Casey visit him for cold case advice, Tom is…

The predominant emotion in Old God’s Time is grief: namely, Tom’s grief at the loss of his family, but also the grief of other characters such as Mr. Tomelty and Ms. McNulty who have lost loved ones. The ubiquity of grief throughout the novel often manifests as ghosts that intermittently appear and disappear around Tom’s flat. The most notable ghost is that of Winnie, Tom’s daughter, who routinely “visits” him at the flat…

Protagonist Tom Kettle’s trauma is the driving force behind the narrative of Old God’s Time. From his abusive childhood to the struggles of his job as a detective to the tragic death of his family, Tom’s life has been defined by various tragedies that have left him with deep emotional pain and difficulty in facing his own memories. The profound effect of trauma is also seen in other characters. June is eventually driven…