So I just finished book one of David Pace's Red Riding quartet. I quite liked it but I could have used some more exposition. I wonder if there's anyone around who could elucidate some points, as there isn't all that much to Google. Specifically I don't get

1) the main thing: who killed George Marsh and why? We're given to understand that things spun out of control for Team Dawson when Patricia Foster and John Kelly hit George Marsh on the road, but why? Simply because he saw Patricia cheating on Don doesn't justify the brutality.

2) Mandy the psychic. Huh? Sidestepping the whole "was she really a psychic", how does she fit between the the Fosters and the Boxes? What does Derek mean by "no architect, no shopping center"?

3) Swan shopping center, is, I suppose, a joint project between the Fosters and the Boxes. Why do the Dawsons end up dead? Is it the Box endgame? Why kill Mandy then?

4) Did Paula send Edward the postcard with Johnny's address? Is that why they killed her?

5) Why is it important that Johnny was the father?

6) What did the Boxes hope to achieve by drawing Edward in? He does blackmail Shaw but nothing in his actions seems to put undue heat on the Fosters. Who kills Don anyway?

7) Craven and the other guy. Were they playing both sides? They seem to be in the Foster-Oldman-Hadden circle on account of public kudos, yet they (presumably) lead Edward on and are seen celebrating with Team Box in the end.

8) What was Gannon's agenda?

Of course some of these points may be obscure by design and/or for effect. But I'll be happy to know if they're spelled out in later installments (PLEASE DON'T SPOIL THE OTHER BOOKS!) or if they just wheezed past me...