Quite a lot of the fear and worry that is expressed by Marion, Rika and Aineytta was inspired, indirectly at least, by a film called ‘In The Name of The Father’ about the arrest and imprisonment of a number of people in connection with the Guildford IRA bombings in 1974. Among them were a middle aged couple called Annie and Paddy Maguire and an elderly man called Guiseppe Conlon, all of whom proved to be innocent many years later when the evidence was re-examined. It’s hard going stuff. And it is only loosely relevant to this story. What it did very well was its portrayal of the relatives of the central character, Gerry Conlon, waiting for news about him only to find more of their friends and family arrested and implicated. The shock and disbelief, the feeling that they had been betrayed by the justice system, is palpable. Of course, that is the idea. The film is pitched in such a way as to engender sympathy for them.

But anyway, this story in which Remonte is first arrested, and then Kristoph himself, for the murder of Idell Malthis de Lœngbærrow, Remonte’s estranged wife, is pitched in the same way. It isn’t about whether Remonte and Kristoph are innocent or guilty. It is not even about the murder investigation. It is entirely about the women left behind to worry and wait.

There are two subplots, of course, setting up future stories. The first is Rika and Remonte. Now Idell is dead, their future prospects are changed. Remonte could not divorce his wife, but as a widower he is now free to make Rika an honest woman. Assuming he is cleared of the charges, of course. But I don’t think any reader imagines they will make it stick. This is Marion and Kristoph, not Law and Order and justice will only take a couple of stories to be done.

The other subplot, of course, is that Marion is pregnant again! But of course, we all know that isn’t going to end well.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In_the_Name_of_the_Father_%28film%29