A series of four internals were created in addition to the book cover all hand screen-printed and heavily processed photography. Conceptually showing how time complicates, darkens and warps the plot as it inevitably marches on throughout the novel.

For the final cover, 6 matches were photographed, representing the 6 characters who are murdered within the novel. The smoke portrays each of their individual stories slowly and almost gracefully becoming twisted and intertwined within each other, becoming more complex to untangle as time goes on and the plot deepens. The use of matches heralds back back to the 1940’s era, in which they were common-place. Interestingly the longer a match burns the more warped, crooked and distorted it becomes. Serving its purpose by dying out; mirroring the novel’s plot.

Four prominent objects throughout the novel were chosen to work with for the internals, they follow the concept of time eroding, destroying, and darkening. Another key theme throughout is how the protagonist (Detective Marlow) is referred to as a chess knight. Each internal image represents a section of a chess board, with the concept of black vs white/ bad vs good. The detective strategically making the his moves.