The Dry

by

Jane Harper

Teachers and parents! Our Teacher Edition on The Dry makes teaching easy.

Sergeant Raco Character Analysis

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
).
Chapter 5 Quotes

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: Falk, Luke, Sergeant Raco
Page Number: 39
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 6 Quotes

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: Falk, Luke, Sergeant Raco, Karen, Billy
Related Symbols: The Ute
Page Number: 49
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 9 Quotes

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, Sullivan, Lachie, Gran
Related Symbols: Rabbits
Page Number: 74
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 11 Quotes

“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: Whitlam (speaker), Karen (speaker), Falk, Luke, Sergeant Raco, Ellie, Deacon
Page Number: 84
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 19 Quotes

“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, Sergeant Raco, Karen, Gretchen, Billy
Page Number: 160
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 27 Quotes

“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), Falk, Sullivan, Dr. Leigh
Page Number: 225
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 31 Quotes

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: Falk, Sergeant Raco, Ellie, Deacon, Gretchen, Dow
Page Number: 256
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 35 Quotes

“It was never about Luke.”

Related Characters: Falk (speaker), Luke, Sergeant Raco, Whitlam, Karen, McMurdo
Page Number: 275
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 39 Quotes

“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: 302
Explanation and Analysis:
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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
).
Chapter 5 Quotes

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: Falk, Luke, Sergeant Raco
Page Number: 39
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 6 Quotes

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: Falk, Luke, Sergeant Raco, Karen, Billy
Related Symbols: The Ute
Page Number: 49
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 9 Quotes

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, Sullivan, Lachie, Gran
Related Symbols: Rabbits
Page Number: 74
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 11 Quotes

“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: Whitlam (speaker), Karen (speaker), Falk, Luke, Sergeant Raco, Ellie, Deacon
Page Number: 84
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 19 Quotes

“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, Sergeant Raco, Karen, Gretchen, Billy
Page Number: 160
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 27 Quotes

“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), Falk, Sullivan, Dr. Leigh
Page Number: 225
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 31 Quotes

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: Falk, Sergeant Raco, Ellie, Deacon, Gretchen, Dow
Page Number: 256
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 35 Quotes

“It was never about Luke.”

Related Characters: Falk (speaker), Luke, Sergeant Raco, Whitlam, Karen, McMurdo
Page Number: 275
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 39 Quotes

“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: 302
Explanation and Analysis: