Sergeant Raco Character Analysis in The Dry

Sergeant Raco is the head of the police station in the small town of Kiewarra and the husband of Rita. He and Falk form a friendship based on their shared belief that there is something strange about the murder of the Hadler family and that the police investigators from the bigger neighboring town of Clyde did a sloppy job. Raco and Falk become investigation partners, with Raco offering his police resources and Falk providing his insider knowledge of Kiewarra’s past as well as investigating financial crimes. Unlike the police investigators from Clyde, Raco is invested in the case and willing to go above and beyond what his job requires in order to help bring the Hadler family’s killer to justice.

Sergeant Raco Quotes in The Dry

The The Dry quotes below are all either spoken by Sergeant Raco or refer to Sergeant Raco. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:

The Human Cost of Climate Change Theme Icon

Raco sighed, and flipped open Luke’s aged pack of cigarettes. He put one between his lips and offered the pack to Falk, who surprised himself by taking one. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d smoked. It might easily have been in this very same spot with his late best friend next to him.

Related Characters: Sergeant Raco, Luke, Falk

Page Number and Citation: 39

Explanation and Analysis:

He’d always assumed Luke had been found in the ute’s driver’s seat, but the images showed his body flat on its back in the cargo tray. The lip of the tray was open and Luke’s legs dangled over as though he’d been sitting on the edge. A shotgun by his side pointed towards the mess where his head would have been. His face was completely missing.

Related Characters: Billy, Falk, Luke, Sergeant Raco, Karen

Related Symbols: The Ute

Page Number and Citation: 49

Explanation and Analysis:

It would have been easy to miss, but when Falk thought about it afterwards, he felt sure. In the corner of his vision, Mrs. Sullivan had jerked her pale gaze up in surprise. She’d stared at her grandson for barely half a moment before casting her eyes back down. Falk had watched closely, but she didn’t look up again once.

Related Characters: Falk, Sergeant Raco, Deacon, Gretchen, Sullivan, Lachie, Gran

Related Symbols: Rabbits

Page Number and Citation: 74

Explanation and Analysis:

“Scott,” she began, then stopped. He waited. She took a deep breath. “Scott, to be honest, I wasn’t sure about coming to you with this. My husband—” Karen held his gaze, but Whitlam felt she was forcing herself. “Luke, well. Look, he wouldn’t be happy.”

Related Characters: Karen (speaker), Whitlam (speaker), Luke, Falk, Sergeant Raco, Deacon, Ellie

Page Number and Citation: 84

Explanation and Analysis:

“I’m trying to keep Kiewarra safe for our kids. Is that too much to ask? Haven’t things been bad enough? I know you didn’t have much time for Karen, but you could at least show some respect, Gretchen.”

Related Characters: Mandy (speaker), Falk, Karen, Gretchen, Sergeant Raco, Billy

Page Number and Citation: 160

Explanation and Analysis:

“I’m not judging you for being gay, mate. I’m judging you for wasting our time when a family’s lying dead.”

Related Characters: Sergeant Raco (speaker), Sullivan, Dr. Leigh, Falk

Page Number and Citation: 225

Explanation and Analysis:

Falk leaned over him, ignoring the dog as it bared its teeth. He stood over an ill man lying on the ground. Later he would hate himself for it. At that moment, he didn’t care.

Related Characters: Dow, Falk, Gretchen, Ellie, Deacon, Sergeant Raco

Page Number and Citation: 256

Explanation and Analysis:

“It was never about Luke.”

Related Characters: Falk (speaker), Karen, Sergeant Raco, Luke, McMurdo, Whitlam

Page Number and Citation: 275

Explanation and Analysis:

“Stay back,” he said, rotating his hand. Falk caught a first glint of metal and his brain screamed gun, while a deeper part flitted frantically, trying to process what he was seeing. Raco tensed next to him. Whitlam unfolded his hand finger by finger, and Falk’s breath left his chest. He heard Raco groan long and deep. A thousand times worse than a gun.

It was a lighter.

Related Characters: Whitlam (speaker), Falk, Sergeant Raco

Related Symbols: Rabbits

Page Number and Citation: 302

Explanation and Analysis:

Sergeant Raco Character Timeline in The Dry

The timeline below shows where the character Sergeant Raco appears in The Dry. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

...anyway. Inside, he notices that the old police sergeant has died, and a new one, Sergeant Raco , has taken his place, starting the job right before the murders. (full context)

...debt. Gerry trusts that the police already considered all the possibilities. Falk learns that because Sergeant Raco is new, the police sent some officers from the larger nearby town of Clyde. (full context)

Falk wanders around the property until he finds Sergeant Raco in front of one of the barns. Falk introduces himself, and Raco says Gerry already... (full context)

Sergeant Raco asks Falk if there’s a hiding place Luke might use if he wanted to stash... (full context)

Falk asks Sergeant Raco why the city of Clyde hasn’t sent anyone to help him search. He realizes Raco... (full context)

While sitting on the front porch of Luke’s farmhouse, Sergeant Raco tells Falk that a courier discovered the murders two weeks ago. The doctor, Dr. Leigh,... (full context)

After finding Charlotte, Sergeant Raco went into Billy’s room and found his corpse, which was the worst thing he’d ever... (full context)

Sergeant Raco tells Falk that based on the position of Karen’s body, it seemed like she was... (full context)

Sergeant Raco then takes Falk to Billy’s bedroom, where large parts of the carpet have been ripped... (full context)

Sergeant Raco then muses that whoever killed Billy would’ve only had to take eight or nine more... (full context)

Sergeant Raco and Falk go back to a pub. Falk suggests that Raco take his concerns to... (full context)

Sergeant Raco gives Falk a folder of everything he’s put together so far. Raco summarizes some of... (full context)

Sergeant Raco doesn’t find the streaks unusual—the ute would’ve carried a lot of things. In any case,... (full context)

Sergeant Raco then reveals to Falk that Luke’s farm had a security camera. Most of the day,... (full context)

...since no one else comes or goes until the courier arrives 35 minutes later, but Sergeant Raco argues that you can’t see who’s driving Luke’s ute. Raco admits that Luke still seems... (full context)

Falk starts telling Sergeant Raco about when he and Luke were both 16. But just then, there’s a disturbance in... (full context)

In the present, Falk and Sergeant Raco step outside for the bar for a cigarette, although this time, Falk decides not to... (full context)

Falk and Sergeant Raco go to visit Sullivan at his fields. Sullivan’s place is messy and full of knick-knacks—his... (full context)

Falk and Sergeant Raco tell Sullivan they’re just clearing up loose ends. Sullivan feels guilty because if he’d known... (full context)

In the present, Sullivan tells Falk and Sergeant Raco that that was the last he saw of Luke, and the next thing he knew,... (full context)

Sergeant Raco tells Falk he’d go crazy if he had to live like Sullivan, holed up in... (full context)

Falk asks Sergeant Raco why he’s still in Kiewarra, and Raco says it was just the first available opportunity... (full context)

As Falk and Sergeant Raco approach the clearing where the search party found Luke’s body, Raco confirms that based on... (full context)

Later that day, Falk goes by the school with Sergeant Raco and sees a sapling dedicated to Billy and Karen. He remembers how back in school,... (full context)

Sergeant Raco asks Whitlam to tell them about Karen, who worked at the school. Whitlam gives them... (full context)

Falk complains to Sergeant Raco that the two of them would’ve known about Billy’s invitation to see Whitlam’s daughter if... (full context)

Just then, Gretchen jogs by. Falk goes to talk with her alone while Sergeant Raco goes back to the car. Gretchen asks Falk why he’s still in Kiewarra. Falk doesn’t... (full context)

Falk goes back to Sergeant Raco . They decide to go back to Raco’s station to open the cardboard box of... (full context)

In the present, Sergeant Raco explains to Falk that the officer that Clyde sent to Kiewarra seemed well-intentioned enough but... (full context)

...he expected. Gretchen mentions that everyone in town knows that Falk is going around with Sergeant Raco investigating the murders. She thinks Falk should be cautious, although she’d like to find out... (full context)

...of the driver keeping Luke’s secret, Luke was keeping the driver’s secret. Falk calls up Sergeant Raco , telling him that he may have found something. Raco invites him to the station.... (full context)

...weren’t as close as other moms at school. Just then, Falk gets a text from Sergeant Raco : “Jamie Sullivan lied. Come now.” (full context)

Falk comes to Sergeant Raco ’s station, where Sullivan is in the interview room. Raco tells Sullivan that Falk will... (full context)

Sergeant Raco tells Sullivan that the firefighters saw his farm coming from the main road. Sullivan claims... (full context)

...knows what caused them. Sullivan suggests rust, but he seems to be lying. Falk and Sergeant Raco finally let Sullivan go, but they wonder if Sullivan is afraid of something even worse... (full context)

Sergeant Raco leaves to bring Dow in for questioning while he’s out working on a plumbing job.... (full context)

Falk and Sergeant Raco get ready to interrogate Dow. Raco says that to keep things above board, he called... (full context)

Falk and Sergeant Raco ask more about Karen, whom Grant admits he always found attractive. They bring up Grant’s... (full context)

Falk and Sergeant Raco go to Whitlam to look at surveillance footage from the school. They watch Karen come... (full context)

Falk and Sergeant Raco go back to the station to review more surveillance footage from around town with Barnes.... (full context)

Falk and Sergeant Raco go to examine the spot where Sullivan was driving in the surveillance footage. He was... (full context)

...mad, but eventually walks out without buying anything. When he gets back at the car, Sergeant Raco says his wife insists that Falk come to their place for dinner. (full context)

At Sergeant Raco ’s place, his wife, Rita Raco, serves Falk pasta. Rita says her husband is nervous... (full context)

Falk leaves Sergeant Raco ’s place and goes back to his room to take a shower. All of a... (full context)

...just a misunderstanding. Sullivan also sticks to the story that it was just a misunderstanding. Sergeant Raco tells Sullivan to come by the station early the next day. Raco offers to drive... (full context)

...on with Luke. As Falk pulls out of Whitlam’s driveway, he gets a text from Sergeant Raco that says to call him: Raco just found out what Sullivan was doing when the... (full context)

Falk goes to the station and finds Dr. Leigh there with Sergeant Raco . Raco asks Dr. Leigh where he was on February 22 (the day of the... (full context)

Before letting Dr. Leigh go, Sergeant Raco asks him if he can comment on how advanced Deacon’s dementia is. Dr. Leigh can’t... (full context)

In his room, Falk spreads out his notes to review them. He calls Sergeant Raco and tells him that he thinks Deacon used to abuse Ellie. Falk wonders if Deacon... (full context)

Falk goes to the police station, where Sergeant Raco informs him that Deacon is accusing Falk of tampering with Ellie’s grave. Deacon and his... (full context)

Falk overhears Sergeant Raco informing the lawyer that Deacon lives next door to a triple homicide and is suspected... (full context)

Sergeant Raco interrogates Deacon about vandalizing Falk’s car, but he doesn’t get him to reveal anything meaningful... (full context)

In the present, Sergeant Raco angrily calls Falk and asks him what he’s been up to. Raco knows Falk eavesdropped... (full context)

Falk rushes over to the station, telling Sergeant Raco that he just realized the crime was never about Luke. In a flashback to the... (full context)

In the present, Falk explains to Sergeant Raco that when Karen wrote “Grant??” she didn’t mean Grant Dow, she meant a monetary grant.... (full context)

In the present, Falk, Sergeant Raco , and Barnes go to the school. Barnes finds Remington shotgun ammo locked in the... (full context)

...recent request called the school 20 minutes ago and spoke to Mr. Whitlam. Falk and Sergeant Raco rush over to the school. (full context)

In the present, Falk, Barnes, and Sergeant Raco make it to the school, but Whitlam’s office is empty. Whitlam’s daughter is still in... (full context)

...his lighter—if they shoot him, he’ll drop the lighter and set everything on fire. Reluctantly, Sergeant Raco puts down his gun. Whitlam confesses to the murders but says that his wife, Sandra,... (full context)

...and is seemingly ready to set all of Kiewarra on fire. At last Falk and Sergeant Raco rush him, trying to use their jackets to smother the fire. They try to roll... (full context)

Falk survives but sustains some serious burns on his hands. The doctors predict that Sergeant Raco will also survive, but he is in worse condition. They learn that Whitlam is in... (full context)

The Dry

Sergeant Raco Character Analysis

Sergeant Raco Quotes in The Dry

Chapter 5 Quotes

Chapter 6 Quotes

Chapter 9 Quotes

Chapter 11 Quotes

Chapter 19 Quotes

Chapter 27 Quotes

Chapter 31 Quotes

Chapter 35 Quotes

Chapter 39 Quotes

Sergeant Raco Character Timeline in The Dry