A manipulative and deceptive antagonist who poses as various personas, including a therapist and private investigator, to exploit the vulnerabilities of his victims.

Alice's live-in love interest, whose secretive behavior and mysterious past raise suspicions throughout the narrative.

Initially seen as hostile towards Alice, she emerges as a key figure due to her connection to the victim and her own traumatic past.

The murder victim whose death triggers the events of the novel, she shares a significant connection with Alice due to their similar names and circumstances.

Elderly residents of the Circle who outwardly appear respectable but are revealed to have critical connections to the dark undercurrents of the community.

Referenced in the narrative as one of the therapist’s clients and the story’s first murder victim, whose disappearance initially draws little public attention.

A British woman described as the therapist’s second murder victim, with her death occurring in Paris where she lived with her husband.