Who is McGinty?

Mentioned in Part I, but not fully introduced until Part II, Boss McGinty is one of the major villains of this novel. The cruel and brutal leader of “the Scowrers," a murderous society not unlike the Mafia, McGinty is a fearsome leader, described as looking almost like a lion, with fierce eyes and a mane-like beard. McGinty is the undisputed lord of Vermissa Valley, which many call the “Valley of Fear.” The Bodymaster (the title of the head of the Scowrers) rules over the valley with an iron fist, crushing anyone who gets in his way through the agents beneath him. McGinty could be seen as an American Moriarty, though neither as intelligent nor as powerful.