Don't Let Him In

Ash is the 26-year-old protagonist of the novel. When the story begins, she is living in Whitstable, in her mother’s house, and working at a village resale shop. Previously, Ash was in London, living a carefree, pleasurable lifestyle made possible by a good job and a large circle of friends. She has moved home to collect herself and make a new plan for her future after a devastating sequence of events in which she developed a crush on her married boss and ended up facing stalking charges.

These events show that Ash is as vulnerable to bad judgment and manipulation as any other human being. Her ashamed reaction in the aftermath characterizes her as conscientious, humble, and able to learn from her mistakes, but it also shows that she can be too hard on herself. Her mistakes in London make Ash feel different from her other family members, because she is still holding onto childish beliefs about being the only flawed member of an otherwise “perfect” family.

Even though Ash questions her ability to move forward and trust herself again, she proves herself to be alert, clever, and determined when she realizes that there is something off about Nick Radcliffe and pursues the truth regardless of what other people think.