Red Harvest · Character

Donald Willsson

Elihu Willsson's reform-minded son, a newspaper editor whose murder in a foggy street sets the whole bloody machinery of Personville in motion.

supporting

Also known as Don Willsson, Donald, Mr. Donald Willsson, young Mrs. Willsson, Willsson

First appearance: Red Harvest

As a supporting figure in Red Harvest, Donald Willsson is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.

The newspaper owner who hires the narrator and is later murdered.

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Donald Willsson is the respectable face of the Willsson family, a young editor who tried to publish a reform paper in a city his father owned body and soul. He was killed within hours of hiring the Continental Op, a .32 slug in his back, a five-thousand-dollar check certified to Dinah Brand the day before. His death is the first domino: it drags the Op into Personville's underworld and forces Elihu to reckon with the son he couldn't control.

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Character Web

4 connections

A slice of how Donald Willsson sits in the book — open the reader for the full interactive map.

Relationship types

Professional
Other

Character groups

Minor figures and associates
Protagonist
Underworld enforcers and rivals

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Narrative arc

Story tension across the book.

Setup
Escalation
Breaking point
Aftermath
Closing

In this scene, the emotional peak occurs when Dinah Brand, in a fury, physically attacks the Continental Op af…

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Relationships

The Narrator
professional · positive
Donald Willsson, the murdered reformist newspaper publisher, hired the Narrator, making… How this plays out →
The Narrator
professional · positive
Donald Willsson, the murdered reformist newspaper publisher, hired the Narrator, making… How this plays out →
The Narrator
professional · positive
Donald Willsson, the murdered reformist newspaper publisher, hired the Narrator, making… How this plays out →

The Narrator
Donald Willsson, the murdered reformist newspaper publisher, hired the Narrator, making their relationship that of a client and operative, cut short by his death.
The Narrator
Donald Willsson, the murdered reformist newspaper publisher, hired the Narrator, making their relationship that of a client and operative, cut short by his death.
The Narrator
Donald Willsson, the murdered reformist newspaper publisher, hired the Narrator, making their relationship that of a client and operative, cut short by his death.

Relationship notes

How these ties play out is in the reading companion — open the free preview.

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In the story

Donald Willsson appears across 5 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

Red Harvest
The newspaper owner who hires the narrator and is later murdered.
I: A Woman in Green and a Man in Gray
Murdered before the narrator's appointment; his reform campaign is linked to the town's corruption.
II: The Czar of Poisonville
Murdered the previous night; his reform campaign and strained relationship with his father are discussed.
III: Dinah Brand
The murdered man; his $5,000 check to Dinah Brand is a key piece of evidence. He is described by Bill Quint as a 'lousy liberal.'
IV: Hurricane Street
Mentioned as the murder victim who had a certified check and was buying information from Dinah.

Chapter companion notes

Spoil-light check-ins for Donald Willsson unlock in the free preview.

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