She Didn't See It Coming

Detective Jayne Salter acts as a protagonist in the novel and serves as the lead investigator into the disappearance and murder of the victim, Bryden Frost. Her investigative partner is Detective Tom Kilgour. Jayne is a dedicated investigator who is fully invested in her work. When she receives the call about Bryden’s disappearance, she immediately leaps into action and “put[s] her job first” (15).

Jayne is a flat character who does not develop over the course of the novel. Instead, she largely acts as an engine for the plot. As Jayne investigates, she uncovers information and clues that ultimately lead to the realization that Bryden was murdered by her best friend, Paige. Jayne keeps an open mind throughout the investigation, and she considers many of the characters as suspects. Her examination of each of their lives in turn casts suspicion on their actions, motives, and culpability.

The most dynamic aspect of Jayne’s characterization and a source of her internal conflict is her relationship with her boyfriend, Michael Fraser, a psychologist and lecturer at the “University at Albany” (51). Jayne’s investigation begins on the evening that she and Michael are celebrating their one-year anniversary.