Tell Me What You Did

Ian Hindley is the pseudonym adopted by John Worbly, the novel’s primary antagonist. The name is a portmanteau of Ian Brady and Myra Hindley, notorious serial killers who committed a string of child murders known colloquially as the “moors murders” in and around Manchester, England. Hindley contacts Poe via her podcast, claiming to be the man who killed her mother. He soon reveals himself to be a stalker who knows intimate details of Poe’s past and threatens to reveal her secrets to the world. Hindley takes sadistic pleasure in tormenting Poe and making her relive the details of her mother’s murder. He attempts to psychologically manipulate her into believing that she killed an innocent man. There is a sexualized undercurrent to his actions, as he often taunts Poe with pet names and makes suggestive comments.

By drawing on Poe’s weaknesses, Hindley inadvertently catalyzes her character growth. She must let her walls down and confess the truth of her past to protect herself and her loved ones. Hindley ultimately blackmails Poe into making her own confession on Tell Me What You Did, revealing the secrets of her past to the world. He turns her platform against her, illustrating the destructive potential of true-crime media as he exploits Poe’s trauma for entertainment. Hindley often compares Poe’s crime to his and states that they are more similar than Poe would like to believe. He voices his belief that no murder victim is more deserving than another and that all acts of violence are morally equal.

Hindley and Poe’s cat-and-mouse game escalates in intensity, culminating in Hindley abducting Kip. When Poe confronts him, Hindley reveals himself to be the brother of Leonard Avery, whose real name was Leonardo Worbly. He confirms that the man Poe killed was her mother’s murderer. Like Poe, Hindley is motivated by a desire for revenge. Wilson draws an uneasy parallel between his protagonist and his antagonist, which strengthens the novel’s theme of Accepting Moral Ambiguity.

Throughout the narrative, Poe grows increasingly certain that she will never be safe from Hindley unless she kills him. During their final confrontation, Hindley attempts to force either Poe or Kip to kill the other, threatening to murder the family of the remaining person. With the help of her father, Poe overpowers Hindley. She kills him to ensure her safety and “end the Worbly lineage of evil” (393).

Leopold Hutchins and Leonard Avery are the assumed names of Leonardo Worbly, the man who killed Poe’s mother. Since witnessing Hutchins kill her mother at 13, Poe has been haunted by the thought of him. Even after killing the man she believed to be Hutchins in New York, Poe half-suspects that she will encounter his “ghost” on her podcast. This fear is realized when Hindley calls in, claiming to be Hutchins. Hindley’s deception causes Poe to doubt whether she killed the right person.

Hutchins is characterized as a serial killer of women. He displays traits associates with psychopathy, including a lack of empathy and remorse. After brutally murdering Poe’s mother in front of her, a naked and bloody Hutchins taunts Poe by telling her that Margaret didn’t use their agreed-upon safe word. He then threatens Poe against telling anyone and restrains her, making her watch as he sets her childhood home on fire.

The doubt surrounding Hutchins’ identity introduces questions about the morality of Poe’s actions. Wilson leads readers to question whether Poe, motivated by a desire for revenge, accidentally killed an innocent man in a cruel manner. As the details of Hutchins’ agonizing death are described, it’s unclear how much empathy should be extended to him. This uncertainty strengthens the novel’s theme of The Blurred Line Between Victim and Perpetrator.

At the end of the novel, Hutchins is revealed to be Leonardo Worbly, Hindley’s brother and the man responsible for Margaret’s murder as well as the murders of five other women. This knowledge allows Poe to claim Hutchins’ murder with pride, retroactively absolving her of any guilt.

Margaret McMillian is Poe’s late mother. She was murdered by Hutchins 17 years prior to the events of the novel, when Poe was 13.

Margaret initially began an affair with Hutchins after Poe’s father confessed to cheating on her. Feeling lonely and unwanted, she was vulnerable to Hutchins’ advances. Hutchins claims that Margaret fell in love with him. His decision to kill her was catalyzed by him growing bored of their relationship and seeking the ultimate thrill.

Though Poe adored her mother, she struggles to process the fact that she was having an affair at the time of her death. The fact that Margaret was both a loving mother and wife and an unfaithful partner highlights the importance of Accepting Moral Ambiguity.

Kip Nguyen is Poe’s producer and boyfriend. He coordinates the recording and production of Tell Me What You Did. At the beginning of the novel, Kip tells Poe that they cannot continue dating if she refuses to be vulnerable with him, leaving their relationship status unresolved. Though Poe loves Kip, she does not fully trust him, highlighting how deeply her traumas have impacted her ability to form relationships. She only confesses the events of her past to him after Hindley appears in her life, and the two slowly two grow closer as Poe shares more with him.

While she is dealing with Hindley’s harassment, Poe briefly wonders whether Kip could be working with him. Her fears are assuaged after they have a vulnerable conversation in which Kip tells her about the abuse he suffered at the hands of his father. Kip models for Poe that even highly functional, successful and kind people have secrets, making her feel less alone. Poe’s evolving relationship with Kip reflects her character development as she grows into a more open and trusting person.

Hindley kidnaps Kip to force Poe into doing the second live stream. He uses Poe’s love for Kip to manipulate her. During their final confrontation, he tries to get the couple to turn on one another, but both refuse, evincing the strength of their bond. Kip ultimately escapes from Hindley, and the novel ends with him and Poe still together, planning for a long-term future.

Alice Hill is a Manchester woman whom Poe befriends over the course of the novel. Alice is a two-time survivor of attempted murder. At 14, Alice was stabbed by two fellow teenagers who envisioned their crime as a tribute to the comic book character “Mister Tender”—an allusion to the real-life 2014 incident in which two 12-year-old Wisconsin girls repeatedly stabbed another young girl in tribute to the fictional internet character Slenderman. After Alice’s family moved to Manchester to escape publicity, the case re-captured public interest. A man named Jack began stalking Alice, eventually stabbing her on Halloween night.

Alice’s character demonstrates the potential downsides of the popular media’s fixation on true crime. The surge of public interest in her case directly leads to her second stabbing. As a result, Alice is wary of true-crime media and declines to share details of her past with the public.

Alice is a foil to Poe because she has learned to cope with her experiences in a healthy way. She is involved in victim advocacy for women who have experienced stalking and draws strength from helping others. She also finds fulfillment in running her coffee shop, the Stone Rose. Alice shows Poe that, while trauma never goes away, she can still experience moments of peace and happiness.