You Shouldn't Have Come Here

Grace Evans is the protagonist of You Shouldn’t Have Come Here, and one of two unreliable first-person narrators. She is described as a beautiful woman with long blonde hair and blue eyes—later revealed to be dyed (as her natural hair color is brown) and colored by contacts (as her eyes are light brown), respectively. She identifies herself as a book-loving banker from New York City, who takes annual vacations to random places. The novel follows Grace’s 10-day vacation at Calvin’s ranch Airbnb outside Dubois, Wyoming.

Barring subtle references, Grace shares nothing about her personal life. She feels overworked in her professional life and takes vacations to regain a sense of freedom. Her unexpected encounters at the ranch, both human and animal, demonstrate she is physically strong and resilient. As the novel comes to a close, it is revealed that “Grace Evans” is a pseudonym created by Avery Adams, a seasoned killer and married mother of two from Chicago. She kills fellow serial killer Calvin and the Gunslinger 66 gas station attendant to cover her tracks, but goes out of her way to free Calvin’s latest victim (of four), Briana Becker. Overall, Avery weaponizes her intellect and physicality (specifically, her sexuality) to direct every situation within her control.