What did you think of Leah? Do you feel she was Annie’s image of the perfect daughter? Do you think Niamh was justified in envying her, even though Leah’s a fictional character?
I think she was putting together a character that is seen in dozens of books, if not thousands. It’s a trope found in mystery books just as all the characters in the novel are. I think Niamh’s insecurity would have her comparing herself to real people and fictional characters regardless.
I think Niamh would have compared herself to anyone that her mother spent time with. In this case it was a fictional detective who happened to be better than Niamh at certain things.
Leah seemed to be a cardboard or cartoon character, an idealized version of the strong, capable person Niamh wanted to be. I don’t think Annie saw her as an image of the perfect daughter, but as an image of a one-dimensional super hero.
I don’t think Annie thought Leah was the perfect daughter; she was creating a strong fictional character for her books. I’m sure, though, that Annie wanted her daughter to figure her life out - every mother wants her child to be at least happy, and it didn’t seem that Niamh was. It was natural for Niamh to feel jealous of Leah, especially now that her mother was gone.
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I don’t believe that Annie thought of Leah as a perfect daughter. However, I do understand that was Niamh’s perception. She compared all of her own shortcomings to Leah’s perfections. She also resented the time and attention that Annie devoted to Leah. Niamh experienced sibling rivalry with a fictional sibling!
I think Annie created Leah as a typical no nonsense PI who was confident & knew how to handle situations in her mystery novels. Annie would have wished her daughter Niamh was happier and more comfortable with life in general but I don’t think her fictional PI was intended to be the image of the perfect daughter. Although a depressed and insecure daughter might think that was true.