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The Innocence of Father Brown · Character

Commandant O'Brien

A military officer involved in a mysterious death.

minor

Also known as O'Brien, Commandant Neil O'Brien, The Commandant, Mr. Neil O'Brien, Mr. O'Brien, Neil, Neil O'Brien

First appearance: the sign of the broken sword

Commandant O'Brien shows up with force in The Secret Garden. The page is where that presence becomes real.

Suspected of murder but cleared by Lady Margaret's testimony; later receives his sword back.
In the storyThe Secret GardenOpen this moment free

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In The Secret Garden: Suspected of murder but cleared by Lady Margaret's testimony; later receives his sword…

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See Commandant O'Brien in the sign of the broken sword

Character Web

23 connections

A slice of how Commandant O'Brien sits in the book — open the reader for the full interactive map.

FBFather BrownAVAristide Valen…GIGilderLGLord GallowayCPColonel PoundCOCommandant O'Brien

Relationship types

  • Other

Character groups

  • Military and aristocratic scandal
  • Protagonist
  • Philanthropist death investigation
  • Italian family crime

+18 more in the full Character Web

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Narrative arc

Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Falling action.

SetupEscalationClimax
  • Setup
  • Escalation
  • Breaking point
  • Aftermath
  • Closing

In this passage, the dramatic climax occurs because Father Brown first sees the golden Eye of Apollo, the symb…

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In the story

Commandant O'Brien appears across 1 companion beat. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

Chapter companion notes

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See Commandant O'Brien in the sign of the broken sword