In the Woods

Cassie Maddox is Rob’s partner on the Murder Squad. She is 28 years old and barely medium height, with dark bobbed curls, brown eyes, and a slim, square-shouldered build. She defies the unspoken detective dress code and prefers an eclectic look—cargo pants and pullovers.

Cassie lives in a studio flat that becomes the epicenter for impromptu meals and crime-solving discussions. Cassie and Rob bond instantly. When they team up as partners, they build an impressive arrest record despite their shared rookie status.

At 35, Sam O’Neill is still considered a rookie member of the Murder Squad. Rob describes him as “placid, reliable, and everyone’s favorite backup” (100). His political contacts make him the ideal candidate to work the Devlin case alongside Rob and Cassie. He soon becomes a member of their inner circle. The three become inseparable until Rob and Cassie have a falling out. Then he supplants Rob as Cassie’s partner and, later, as her fiancé.

Rosalind Devlin is Katy’s older sister. Though only a teenager, she looks more sophisticated than her years. She’s expertly made up and wears tailored clothes. Rob says of her, “She had a kind of vital, electric presence that filled the room. In that house, she was utterly, startlingly incongruous” (65).

Although Rosalind likes to play the victim and pretends to be fragile, she’s a lying sociopath who coldly plans her own sister’s murder. She attempts to seduce Rob and nearly succeeds. Rosalind doesn’t like Cassie because Cassie can guess her true nature.

Damien Donnelly is one of the workers at the dig site. He’s a college student with “short brown curls and a sweet, frank, freckled boy-band face” (49-50). Damien is eager to please and desperate for validation. He’s more comfortable with women and is used to being coddled by them.

Because he is so naïve and easily influenced, Damien is the perfect patsy for Rosalind’s murder scheme. He believes that he is saving Rosalind from abuse by killing Katy.