Summit Lake

As the protagonist and primary investigator, Kelsey is a dynamic, round character whose professional pursuit of a story becomes inextricably linked with her personal journey of recovery. She begins the novel physically and emotionally scarred from a recent, brutal assault, which left her isolated and fearful. Her editor, Penn Courtney, sends her to Summit Lake on an assignment she initially dismisses as a “fluff piece,” a deliberate attempt to ease her back into work. However, Kelsey’s resilience and sharp journalistic instincts quickly take over. She refuses to let fear control her, forcing herself to jog along a forested path that echoes the setting of her attack and pushing forward with the investigation despite her unease. This assignment provides the framework for the novel’s exploration of Investigation as a Path Toward Healing, as Kelsey channels her trauma into a relentless pursuit of justice for a woman whose experience mirrors her own.

Kelsey’s tenacity as a reporter is one of her defining traits. She’s adept at navigating reluctant sources and official roadblocks. Sensing a cover-up, she quickly dismisses the simplistic “burglary-gone-bad” theory pushed by state investigators. She skillfully builds rapport with the disgruntled local police chief, Commander Stan Ferguson, securing his entire case file by promising him editorial oversight, a deal she knows her editor would disapprove of.