Inspector Tyador Borlú
The narrator, central protagonist and detective in charge of solving the murder at the heart the novel’s crime thriller plot. In the grand tradition of detective fiction and film noir, both of which the novel sorta-kinda resembles but not really—Borlú relates his story in terse, conversational first person narration. The primary distinction here is that while his investigation is central to the narrative, the mystery part is less interesting than all the weird stuff framing it. Important to understand is that he is working the case in Besźel.
Mahalia Geary
Mahalia is introduced on page one as naked corpse lying face down with just one of her high heels still attach to the appropriate foot. It is not the most auspicious of character introductions since the victim in most murder novels typically doesn’t get a lot page space for any backstory but that which is associated directly with their death. Mahalia, however, is genuinely what is often termed a major character as her backstory leading to that awkward introduction is fully fleshed out so that her murder is integral to that more interesting story about the elements framing it.
Detective Qussim Dhatt
Important to understand about Dhatt is he is a police officer working in Ul Qoma, the other city occupying the same physical space as Besźel. The premise of the entire story is the residents of these two cities which exist simultaneously in the same place are not allowed, through mutual consent, to even acknowledge the existence of the other, much less actually interact. This complicates the investigation since Mahalia’s corpse was discovered in Besźel, but she was a resident of Ul Qoma. Also in the grand tradition of police stories, Dhatt is the loose and laid back opposite to Borlú serious and no-nonsense personality.
Dr. David Bowden
Bowden gained fame writing a book called Between the City and the City which posits the idea that two cities occupying the same physical space is not nearly enough: he argues for the existence of a third city called Orciny. The reaction to this idea did not go according to plan as it was universally ridiculed as little more than the delusion ravings of a conspiracy theorist. Mahalia’s murder stems from the fact that this criticism is on the right track.
Lizybet Corwi
Corwi is Borlú police partner in the investigation into Mahalia’s death. They make a good team as she fills in the gaps in missing from Borlú strengths in terms of skills and aptitude. And, yes, that is shorthand for saying she’s the computer geek to the more traditional hands-on methodology of her partner.
