All the Devils are Here

Jean-Guy Beauvoir is Armand’s son-in-law and former second-in-command of homicide investigation. Brusque and more aggressive than Armand, Jean-Guy is nonetheless a loving father and a good friend. He has struggled with substance abuse in the past and has a tinge of anger for the world. But with the help of Armand, Jean-Guy has evolved into a responsible and happy person. He is very loyal and trustworthy. Jean-Guy is astute, brave, and looks through the people who try to manipulate him. In this book, Jean-Guy is nervous about bringing more children in to the world, knowing how dangerous that world can be. He is more cynical than Armand, but still knows how to appreciate his life.

Daniel is the character with the most development throughout this novel. At first, he appears to be quite rude. He is short with his father, secretive with his family, and acts suspiciously because he is so secretive about his new wealth. However, Daniel finally confronts his father with the reason for his decades-long resentment. Daniel struggles to truly listen to other people, to see the good in his father and accept the love of his family. Daniel feeds off of his resentments in order to keep an emotional distance between he and Armand. Daniel is forced to come to terms with his anger and acknowledge the overarching love between he and his father when Daniel is captured and held at gunpoint. Armand saves his life, and Daniel, without knowing it, saves Armand’s life, too. Going through this traumatic experience helps Daniel understand better the depth of support that informs the relationship between his brother-in-law and Armand. By the end of the novel, Daniel has forgiven his father, received forgiveness for his own behavior, and reforms his relationship with Armand.

Claude Dussault’s character is at the center of this novel’s conflict. An old friend of Armand’s and a long-time homicide investigator, Dussault is the French counterpart of Armand. He is intelligent, devoted to his wife, brave, and quick on his feet. However, for much of the novel, it is unclear if Claude is an antagonist or a protagonist. Claude would be an ideal antagonist—fighting with him means that Armand would essentially be fighting against himself. As a protagonist, Claude highlights the dangerous depths good people will go to seeking justice. That Claude is so good at keeping secrets and planting seeds for Armand means that the mystery the reader follows is basically the mystery that Claude sets up for Armand. Thus, Claude is both a central character and a function of the plot.

Stephen Horowitz is like an adoptive father to Armand. Stephen had been friends with Armand’s father during World War II, so when Armand’s father died Stephen took over the father role in Armand’s life. He helped raise Armand but has always kept his own secrets. Stephen is an extremely wealthy businessman who knows how to game the system. In World War II, he had worked for the Resistance, a set of skills that continues to serve him in his current life. Stephen is wary of bad people, constantly on the lookout for how to reinstate justice in his own way in the world. Stephen is a victim in this novel, but even in a coma the truth about his investigations into GHS Engineering show that he is a quieter protagonist in the story. His miraculous survival is symbolic of the rewards of being a truly good person. Stephen gives up his fortune and nearly dies for the good of the world, highlighting the core of goodness hidden behind his rough business exterior.