What She Knew

Ben is Rachel’s only child. He is a sweet-tempered eight-year-old with blond hair, blue eyes, and the freckles he inherited from his mother. We only come to understand his character through the eyes, and camera lens, of Rachel.

At the beginning of the story, Ben demonstrates an open, trusting nature. The experiences he endures during his abduction change him, and he refuses to speak about that dark time. After his return, he is far less trusting and sometimes exhibits problem behavior. With Rachel’s help, Ben recaptures some of his optimism about life and discovers his talent for music when he learns to play the violin.

Nicky is Rachel’s older sister. She has an energetic and forceful personality. Nicky manages a husband, four daughters, and a successful food blog. She steps in to help Rachel after Ben goes missing. Nicky views her sister as fragile and vulnerable and does everything she can to protect Rachel. This protection includes lying about their secret family past.

Because Nicky lost a brother, she always wanted a son rather than four daughters. She envies Rachel for having a boy, especially since Ben is the living image of Nicky’s dead brother. She is briefly a suspect in Ben’s kidnapping.

Jim Clemo is the second principal narrator in the novel. He is the detective assigned to direct the Finch investigation. He’s tall and well-built with dark brown hair and hazel eyes. Jim takes a by-the-book approach to his cases and refuses to allow himself to become emotionally involved.

Ben’s disappearance takes a heavy toll on Jim’s emotional health. He blames himself for not being the detective who finds Ben. He’s also distraught over the break-up of his relationship with Emma Zhang, his colleague. His chronic insomnia and panic attacks result in forced psychological counseling. Jim doesn’t make a psychological breakthrough until the very end of the book when he tentatively begins to acknowledge his feelings.

Emma is an attractive Asian woman who is romantically involved with Jim. He appreciates the calming effect she has on him. Rachel sees her as stable and approachable. Emma is the family liaison officer assigned to the Finch abduction case.

Emma isn’t what she seems. Because of her own troubled relationship with her father, she decides to punish Rachel for parental negligence by leaking confidential police information to a blogger. Her actions jeopardize the entire case and destroy her relationship with Jim. Late in the story, she apologizes to him, leaving the door open for a reconciliation.

Joanna May is Ben’s teacher. An attractive woman in her early 30s, she’s always well-groomed, soft-spokern, and tactful. Ben is very fond of her because she helped him through his emotional difficulties after his parents split up.

Joanna keeps her dark side well hidden. Her parents say she has been a manipulative liar ever since she was a child. Because Joanna wants a child of her own, she abducts Ben. When he proves too difficult to handle, she abandons him. After pleading guilty at her trial, Joanna refuses to give the details of Ben’s missing days and never explains her motivation for the crime.