Vlad

Vlad, who is initially Fidelma’s love interest, is actually a Bosnian President who committed countless atrocities during the Bosnian War. Essentially, Vlad is an allegory for Radovan Karadzic, the former President of Republika Srpska during the Bosnian War. Sprska, like Vlad, evaded capture for years before being captured, tried for war crimes, and convicted for said war crimes. Also like Vlad, Srpska was somewhat of a supposed mental healer due to his degree is psychiatry. Finally, both Vlad and Srpska are accused of crimes against humanity, participating in a type of genocide regarding the Bosniaks, and violating the Geneva Convention.

While Vlad is not the main character of the novel (and he has little character development), he is essentially the centerpiece of it. Vlad, fleeing from arrest, moves to Ireland where he meets Fidelma, who falls in love with his hypnotic personality and wisdom. Through the two...