Dead Lions is set in the world of espionage. The link between identity and performance is a foundational part of this world—people adopt false identities and perform these identities while risking their lives. River grows up in the shadow of his grandfather’s reputation. He is told stories about the Cold War, fueling his dream of becoming a spy, only to find himself consigned to the slow horses. When Lamb sends River undercover in Upshott, River performs the identity of a spy exactly as he was taught by his grandfather. He does not just adopt a cover identity; he performs the role of a spy. River has sexual liaisons with locals, breaks into military bases, and reports back to his superiors about his progress, yet he discovers little about what is happening in Upshott. To River, performing this role of spy is almost as important as actually uncovering the secret plot. He is reveling in his first opportunity to express an identity that has been denied to him. Ironically, this performance is exactly why he was lured to Upshott by Katinsky. Katinsky presumed that River would be so preoccupied with performing the identity of the spy that he would not stop to consider whether he was being manipulated.