Aaron Falk is a forty-something detective with the Australian Federal Police specializing in financial crimes. Living in Melbourne, he travels to the rural Marralee Valley to serve as a godfather, only to be drawn into an unofficial investigation regarding a missing woman. He relies heavily on spreadsheets and planners to organize his demanding workload. He carries physical and emotional scars from surviving a bushfire years earlier, making him deeply uncomfortable around open flames.

A police sergeant in the rural town of Kiewarra. He maintains a fierce loyalty to Falk after the two survived a deadly bushfire together. He possesses a strong sense of duty and organizes an extensive, meticulous file of photographs and witness statements regarding Kim's disappearance to aid the investigation.

A thirty-nine-year-old woman who vanished at the Marralee Valley festival a year prior. Originally a local resident, she relocated to Adelaide but returned for the event, leaving her infant daughter behind in a stroller near the gates. Her disappearance haunts the community, with many locals assuming she took her own life.

Kim's forty-two-year-old husband from Adelaide. Following his wife's mysterious disappearance, he returns to the Marralee Valley for the festival's public appeal. He presents a stoic, brooding exterior and frequently clashes with members of Kim's former social circle, preferring to isolate his family from her past.

Greg Raco's older brother and the owner of Penvale Vineyard. He dated Kim for many years before she left him for Rohan, and he retains custody of their teenage daughter, Zara. He frequently offers jobs and support to locals who fall on hard times, serving as an anchor for the Marralee community.

The director of the Marralee Valley festival. She previously lived in California and London before returning to Australia and marrying into the Marralee community. As a widowed stepmother, she focuses on raising her stepson, Joel, while expressing a steady mutual attraction to Falk.

The seventeen-year-old daughter of Kim and Charlie. She lives with her father at the vineyard after refusing to stay in Adelaide with her mother and stepfather. She vehemently rejects the theory that her mother died by suicide and actively campaigns for new leads during the annual festival.

The eighteen-year-old son of Dean Tozer. He works the first-aid post at the local festival and prepares to leave town for university. He remains frustrated by the lack of progress in his father's hit-and-run case and regularly cleans his father's vandalized memorial plaque.

Greg Raco's wife and the mother of Eva and Henry. She offers Falk a welcoming environment at the vineyard's guesthouse and formally treats him as a member of their extended family, actively trying to draw him into the Marralee community.

The local police sergeant in Marralee. He oversees both Kim's missing persons case and the investigation into Dean's fatal accident. Locals frequently criticize his investigative skills and openly question his dedication to resolving the town's cold cases.

A general practitioner in Marralee. She once shared a close bond with Kim but lost touch entirely when Kim relocated to Adelaide. She carries private regrets regarding her past interactions with her missing friend and serves as Henry Raco's godmother.

A former Australian Football League player who returned to Marralee following a career-ending injury and a stint in rehab. He works at Charlie's vineyard but struggles to manage the bookkeeping aspects of his job following the death of the town's primary accountant.

An accountant who died in a vehicle collision near the reservoir. His death occurred shortly before Kim's disappearance, prompting local rumors about a potential connection. Vandals frequently deface his memorial plaque in the woods.

The infant daughter of Kim and Rohan. Festival staff found her abandoned in a stroller with her mother's phone and belongings on the night Kim vanished.

The five-year-old daughter of Greg and Rita Raco. She attends the Marralee Valley festival with her family, and her innocent observations during a Ferris wheel ride help Falk reconsider his perspective on the case.

The infant son of Greg and Rita Raco. His rescheduled christening serves as the primary event that brings Aaron Falk back to the Marralee Valley.