The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

Christopher’s father, Ed Boone, owns a small business doing heating repair and maintenance. He tends to eat too much and drink a lot of whisky. For a time, after his wife leaves him for neighbor Roger Shears, he has an affair with Roger’s ex-wife, Eileen. He loves his son and does what he can to provide for him, and they get along pretty well until Christopher learns that his mother is still alive, and his father killed Wellington the dog. Ed’s misery over his mistreatment of his son inspires him to recommit to his family, and he grows from cranky and self-indulgent to devoted and patient as he and Christopher slowly repair their relationship.

Lively, intense, and—like her ex-husband, Ed—prone to anger, Christopher’s mother, Judy Boone, leaves to live with another man. She writes letters to Christopher in which she confesses that she left partly because she believed she wasn’t a good mother to Christopher. He discovers the letters and realizes she isn’t dead, like his father claimed, but is alive and misses her son very much. His reunion with her forces her to re-evaluate herself and her relationships, and she sets aside anything, including her boyfriend Roger Shears, that interferes with her ability to be an active and devoted mother to Christopher.

Siobhan (“shih-VAHN”) is a tutor of children with Autism. Hers is a soothing and reassuring presence in Christopher’s life. She helps Christopher navigate his social world, and she encourages him to write a book about his experiences. The book, along with Siobhan’s gentle guidance, enable Christopher to ponder his life situation, increase his ability to cope with his Autism, and enlarge his social and intellectual skills. 

Mrs. Shears lives across the street from Christopher and Ed Boone. Her husband, Roger, had an affair with Christopher’s mother, and Eileen later has an affair with his father, though Christopher is oblivious to all this for some time. She helps tidy up Christopher’s house when she visits, and Christopher likes this. After she breaks up with his father, though, she doesn’t want to see Christopher, and her irritation with his questions about her dog’s murder propel Christopher further along in his investigation. 

Roger Shears has an affair with Christopher’s mother, and they move away to London to live together. Judy is very much smitten by Roger, but his lack of interest in helping her raise Christopher drives a wedge between them. 

Christopher likes the police—they wear nice uniforms and they represent order and control—but he finds that they interfere with his dog-murder investigation and his attempt to travel to his mother in London, in both situations detaining him. The police mean well in each instance, but they’re not trained to deal effectively with people with Autism, and the resulting misunderstandings between them and Christopher cause conflict. 

An elderly lady who lives down the street from Christopher, Mrs. Alexander wants to help the boy solve the mystery of Wellington’s murder, but she feels caught between his need to know and neighborhood social secrets his father would rather Christopher didn’t learn. She tells Christopher about his father’s affair with Mrs. Shears, which leads Christopher in a new direction in his detecting. 

Ed Boone’s assistant in the heating maintenance business, Rhodri sometimes drops by to visit. He has an easy laugh, even when talking to Christopher, which bothers the boy. He likes Christopher and makes a point of calling him “Captain.” Sometimes he asks him to multiply multi-digit numbers together. Christopher enjoys this, though there’s a sense that Rhodri is using the boy as a kind of circus act for his own amusement. 

Toby is Christopher’s pet rat, the only creature to which Christopher can show affection. Toby escapes, then bites Christopher when he tries to retrieve the rat, which suggests that Christopher’s love for the rodent is a one-way street. When Toby dies of old age, Christopher’s father gives him a puppy to care for. 

Sandy is a golden retriever puppy that Christopher receives from his father after the death of Toby the rat. Sandy is much more affectionate and loyal than Toby was. Christopher loves the new dog, and this helps mend the rift between the boy and his father.