Content Warning: This section describes depictions of civil warfare, terrorism, and the aftermath of the Northern Ireland conflict (also known as the Troubles), which feature extensively in the novel.

Tessa Daly is the protagonist of Northern Spy. She is Finn’s mother, Tom’s ex-wife, and Marian’s older sister. She has shared custody of Finn with Tom since their divorce. She has not inherited any of her mother’s traits, who is described as being “blonde and sturdy, with an air of brisk warmth” (11). Rather, Tessa is described as having a similar appearance to her sister by way of her dark hair, cheekbones, and eyes. Tessa, however, has a more austere demeanor than her sister, as she often has to “reassure people that [she’s] not worried when [she is] in fact thinking” (11). Though she has a close bond with both her sister and her mother, Tessa is estranged from her father, who left their family when she was young. She holds a master’s degree in history and politics from Trinity College and works for the BBC in their Belfast location as a news editor, which would later make her an ideal recruit for Seamus and the IRA.

Her character acts as a vehicle for the

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