The characters of You Don't Own Me. Be aware of potential spoilers.
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Bell family and friends
Kendra Bell
Kendra Bell
The widow of Martin Bell and mother of Bobby and Mindy. She is a former stay-at-home mother and now doctor's assistant, strongly suspected of being involved in her late husband's murder.
- Addled Addict: It was suspected she was a drug addict at the time of her husband's murder and was possibly an alcoholic too; she would often sleep her days away at home and was difficult to rouse, and during rare public appearances she was confused, irritable and not all that present. She was also known to frequent a dive bar, where she would drink heavily while ranting about Martin's behaviour. Kendra confesses to Laurie that she was addicted to pain medication and had issues with alcohol, but it only started because Martin pushed medication on her to treat her depression. He then expected her to quit cold turkey with no other support, so she secretly bought pills off the black market due to being unable to cope. She managed to get proper treatment for her depression and get off the pills and booze after Martin died; she's been clean and sober for five years.
- Baby Factory: Part of her wonders if continuing the Bell family line was all Martin and his parents valued about her and that once she'd had children, she was of no more use to them. Martin, at the very least, quickly tired of Kendra after Bobby and Mindy were born and was secretly planning to leave her for Leigh Ann, with the intention of getting primary custody of the children. While there's no evidence Robert and Cynthia were actively conspiring against Kendra, they also never appeared to care about her beyond her being the mother of their grandchildren and now seek to take the children away from her (admittedly, they do believe she arranged their son's death).
- Blatant Lies: Laurie first approached Kendra about appearing on Under Suspicion four months ago but Kendra declined, saying she had already gone through enough with the police and media judging her, and she wanted to protect her children's privacy. When Laurie is approached by Robert and Cynthia about Martin's case, Laurie quickly realises Kendra let them believe that she was willing to cooperate and Laurie never got in touch. Laurie questions why Kendra would lie about this. Kendra later admits she didn't want to do the show because she was scared it would come out she used to be addicted to painkillers and that she's being blackmailed by Joe Brenner; she believed if this came to light she could lose custody and potentially even go to prison, not to mention Brenner had threatened her children. Kendra lied to Cynthia and Robert because they'd make things more difficult if they knew she wasn't cooperative.
- Disappeared Dad: Her father died of a heart attack when she was in junior high school, with her mother raising her by herself after that. When her mother died, Kendra had no other family to support her.
- Family Versus Career: This was essentially forced on Kendra; she still aspired to be a pediatrician after having her first child and initially tried to return to work after Bobby was born, but struggled to cope due to what she later realised was post-partum depression. Her husband strongly 'encouraged' her to become a stay-at-home mother like his own mother had been, but Kendra's mental condition only deteriorated further, especially after the birth of their second child. She believes it was Martin's plan all along to manipulate her into giving up her career to be a housewife. Following Martin's death, Kendra got treatment and is now happy as a working mother, with a nanny to help.
- Housewife: Subverted; she decided to give up her career and become a housewife after her son was born because she couldn't cope at work, but she soon found she couldn't cope at home either, to the point her husband hired a live-in nanny to care for their children. Kendra says she later realised she had post-partum depression, with her husband's emotional abuse and lack of sympathy doing nothing to improve her mental health. After her husband died, Kendra got help for her condition and although she could afford not to work because of her late husband's trust fund, she chose to get employment because she likes working.
- I Coulda Been a Contender!: She did well at medical school and was doing her residency to become a pediatrician when she got pregnant. She intended to go on leave to have her baby then return to her residency, but had leave her job within a month, later realising she was suffering from post-partum depression. Her husband persuaded her to become a stay-at-home mother, with Kendra telling herself she didn't really need to work because Martin made more than enough as a successful neurosurgeon. Unfortunately, her mental condition deteriorated so badly she could barely take care of herself, let alone her children. Kendra has now recovered and has a job as a dermatologist's assistant that she enjoys, but she admits she still feels sad and disappointed she never got to become a pediatrician, saying that no one would take her on as a resident because of the rumours she was a drug addict and had Martin killed.
- Junkie Parent: She was nicknamed "Stoner Mom" in media coverage of Martin's death, due to her often appearing confused, lethargic and "zombie-like", and being incapable of caring for her children to the point Martin hired a live-in-nanny (despite her being a stay-at-home mom). Kendra insists that her inability to properly care for her children - or herself - was because of severe post-partum depression, but even Caroline admits that while she believes Kendra was depressed, there was something seriously off with her behaviour. Kendra also refused to take a drug test on the night Martin was killed. Kendra confesses to Laurie that she was addicted to painkillers, but it was her own husband who got her hooked on the pills. Kendra managed to get clean after Martin died, but tried to hide her past addiction out of shame and because she was afraid her parents-in-law would use it to remove her children from her custody.
- Loving a Shadow: She says that Martin "swept [her] off [her] feet" when they first met; she was taken in by charms and good-looks, admired his intelligence and genuinely believed him to be a compassionate, hard-working man who was in medicine to help people and respected her own ambitions. After their son was born and she developed post-partum depression, Kendra gradually realised that Martin had put up a facade to reel her in; he was actually selfish and manipulative, and expected her to sacrifice her own dreams and well-being to cater to him. The experience was so awful it's one of the reasons Kendra is reluctant to date again.
- Missing Mom: Her mother was killed in a car accident shortly after Kendra's second child was born, driving home from supporting a struggling Kendra with her toddler and newborn baby. Kendra feels responsible, believing her mother was so worn-out trying to help her that she fell asleep at the wheel and crashed (though it's not confirmed if this is what happened, or if it's just a manifestation of Kendra's grief and guilt).
- Parents as People: She always loved her children, but even she admits she wasn't a good mother to them when they were younger; she had untreated post-partum depression and her relationship with her children’s father was increasingly dysfunctional, with Kendra receiving little support or sympathy from anyone. Kendra couldn’t even get out of bed some days and when she was awake she was emotionally detached and distracted, with the nanny Caroline primarily taking care of the kids. Five years on, Kendra has gotten proper treatment and is now a very involved and affectionate mother, trying to make up for her previous poor parenting. Even back then, she was scared of losing custody of her children and being alienated from them by her husband and parents-in-law, not wanting to them to grow up to be like their father.
- Retail Therapy: Prior to being widowed, Kendra would go on spending sprees to temporarily make herself feel better due to her depression; it was a way for her to regain some control in her life and to stick it to her controlling husband, who was the breadwinner. Kendra tells Laurie that she has some clothing items, including a pair of designer heels, that she's still never worn.
- Sanity Slippage: She openly admits to Laurie she wasn't in a good mental place ever since her eldest child Bobby was born and didn't really improve until after her husband's death four years later. She says she was eventually diagnosed with post-partum depression, but Martin refused to let her see a therapist or get any sort of help besides pushing pills on her and hiring a nanny under her. This was exacerbated by Kendra's grief for her mother, who died suddenly not long after Mindy was born and was her only real support. Martin's emotional abuse and gaslighting of Kendra further worsened her mental state, with Kendra often questioning what was real or if she was being paranoid, and feeling so depressed and worthless she could barely get out of bed most days; the drugs she was on also made her confused and fatigued.
- Sleepy Depressive: Her depression sapped her energy and she would spend a lot of time in bed; she even slept through the gunshots when her husband was killed just outside the house. It's to the point that the police and media speculate there was something more going on than just depression. Kendra eventually admits she'd been taking painkillers to cope with her depression, which made her even more lethargic and confused.
- Turn Out Like His Father: She says she's scared of losing custody of her children to her parents-in-law not just because she'd likely be barred from seeing them, but because she believes that Robert and Cynthia would raise them like their father and they'll end up being just as unempathetic, manipulative and ruthlessly ambitious as Martin was.
Martin Bell
Dr Martin Bell
An acclaimed neurosurgeon specialising in alternative pain treatment; he was the son of Cynthia and Robert Bell, husband of Kendra and father of Bobby and Mindy. He was fatally shot in his driveway five years ago, with his murder remaining unsolved.
- Abusive Parents: There are hints he was a cold, emotionally abusive father to his children, though they were so young when he died they can't really remember him. He was a mostly hands-off father who spent more time at work than with his children, leaving child-rearing to their nanny as their mother wasn't mentally capable of caring for them. When he was home, he disliked the children playing loudly or making messes, demanding they be quiet and tidy (for reference, his children were 4 and 2 when he died and there's no evidence they were abnormally noisy or destructive). Most damningly, he dismissed his toddler daughter Mindy crying when she was upset as her just wanting "attention" and said the adults in the house shouldn't "encourage" her by comforting her, even comparing it to dog training.
- Asshole Victim: The more we learn about Martin, the harder it becomes to feel much sympathy for him. Beyond his positive public facade and his parents' rose-tinted view of him, he was controlling, manipulative and egotistical with a dash of misogyny. It's strongly implied he duped his patients into taking a cocktail of painkillers that turned them into "zombies" while touting himself as a miracle worker. He was especially cruel to his long-suffering wife, having no empathy for her mental health struggles, getting her hooked on pills and making her out to be crazy. While his killer doesn't exactly come across as a Sympathetic Murderer, Leigh Ann killed Martin because he demanded she leave her husband for him and become an adoring, docile housewife and stepmother, threatening to tell her husband and the media about their affair if she refused. His widow's first response to his murder was relief she was "free" of him and even the family's nanny admits his wife and children are much happier without him around.
- Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: The general public and his parents have a high opinion of him due to his charismatic public persona of a doctor who used his wealth and genius to help people with chronic pain, while also being a devoted family man supporting his jealous, mentally unstable wife. In truth, he was a controlling, ruthless egotist who cared more about maintaining his reputation and being famous than looking after people, was an emotionally-detached father at best and an even worse husband. Because few people saw his dark side save for his wife, she has a hard time convincing people that she isn't the only one with a motive to kill him.
- Blaming the Cuckold: He blamed his wife's mental health struggles (she had untreated post-partum depression and was grieving for her mother, among other things) for him cheating on her. He didn't explicitly tell her he blamed her, but he made his contempt for her clear while gaslighting her about his affair. Martin did vent about Kendra to his mistress and wanted to divorce Kendra for her. Martin's emotional abuse of Kendra and his lack of support worsened her mental state, but Martin preferred to make himself out to be the victim, claiming Kendra had duped him into marrying her (Kendra more accurately claimed the same about Martin).
- Domestic Abuse: He was emotionally and psychologically abusive towards Kendra; he was especially cunning in isolating and controlling her, and is described as a domineering, manipulative and unempathetic spouse by Kendra, Steve and Caroline. When she struggled to return to work after having their first child, he persuaded her that she was better off at home despite her ambition to become a pediatrician and treated her post-partum depression and grief for her mother by feeding her drugs rather than getting her proper help, then expected her to quit cold turkey when people got suspicious and shamed her for being a "junkie". He hired a live-in nanny without consulting Kendra because he felt she wasn't capable of looking after the children herself, which was only the case because Martin had cut her off from everyone and wouldn't let her get support. He frequently made her feel guilty for her mental struggles, while also emotionally neglecting her to focus on his career and cheating on her.
- Dr. Feelgood: He was accused by several patients or their relatives of over-prescribing and over-dosing them on addictive pain medications to 'cure' them of their chronic pain, as well as allegedly giving patients extra pills under the table; he had several pending lawsuits at the time of his murder. It's noted that one woman being treated for pain related to bone cancer said she got addicted to Oxycontin, potentially causing her to get into several minor car accidents, while George Naughten said the medication prescribed to his mother was addictive and "made her into a zombie", blaming Martin for her eventual death by overdose. Despite Martin's parents insisting they only settled the lawsuits to prevent Martin's name being dragged through the mud, it's confirmed he was over-dosing his patients and was also giving drugs to his wife for her depression.
- Gaslighting: Kendra reveals that Martin did this to her, constantly making her feel that she was unstable, incapable of making rational decisions or being paranoid. He also led other people to believe she was a deranged junkie. Kendra even cites the Trope Namer Gaslight by name, telling Laurie that being married to Martin was just like the movie. In particular, he insisted she was imagining things and being a Clingy Jealous Girl when she confronted him about suspected infidelity, only for it to turn out Martin not only was having an affair, he intended to replace Kendra completely with his mistress.
- Multiple Gunshot Death: As he was getting out of his car in his driveway, he was shot three times at close range by someone lying in wait. Clearly, whoever shot him really wanted to make sure he was dead.
- Never My Fault: He blamed Kendra for being a "junkie" and a "train wreck" when he was the one who got her hooked on medication in the first place, then abruptly cut her off once she was dependent and expected her to just deal with it, refusing to let her see a therapist or get any other sort of help.
- Not Good with Rejection: When Leigh Ann tried to end their affair, Martin took it badly and insisted Leigh Ann leave her husband to be with him. When Leigh Ann said Daniel would just forgive her if Martin told him about the affair, Martin upped his game by threatening to tell everyone else just as Daniel was about to be elected to a Senate seat, potentially derailing his nomination and ruining Leigh Ann's ambitions of being a political wife.
- Only-Child Syndrome: He was his parents' only child, born unexpectedly when they were in their early forties and had given up hope of having children. As such, Cynthia and Robert regarded Martin as their "miracle child" and doted upon him. Unfortunately, it's implied their indulgence and belief he could do no wrong blinded them to Martin's flaws and swelled his ego to an unhealthy degree.
- Posthumous Character: He's gunned down off-page as he pulls into his driveway in the prologue and never appears alive outside of brief flashbacks.
- Silent Treatment: Kendra recalls that towards the end, Martin wouldn't even bother verbally responding to or arguing with her sometimes, instead ignoring her or just silently glaring at her in disgust.
Robert and Cynthia Bell
Dr Robert Bell
Cynthia Bell
The parents of Martin Bell and grandparents of Bobby and Mindy Bell. Robert is a successful doctor who comes from a prominent family of medical professionals; Cynthia was a stay-at-home mother devoted to her husband and son. They're determined to prove their daughter-in-law Kendra killed Martin, urging Laurie to feature the case on Under Suspicion.
- Doting Parent: They were extremely proud of their son, with Cynthia especially devoting much of her time and energy to raising and supporting Martin; she says that raising him were "the happiest years of [her] life". They struggled to conceive for many years and had all but accepted they'd never become parents when Cynthia unexpectedly fell pregnant in her early 40s; consequently, they regarded Martin as their "miracle child" and treated him accordingly. Unfortunately, their adoration of Martin blinded them to his flaws and it's indicated their over-indulgence is part of the reason Martin grew up to be so arrogant and egotistical; Kendra explicitly says she doesn't want Robert and Cynthia raising Bobby and Mindy because she fears they'll turn out like Martin.
- Housewife: Cynthia was a stay-at-home parent, taking care of Martin and the house while Robert worked. Cynthia enjoyed being a housewife and especially loved being there for her son full-time. Unfortunately, Cynthia's own positive experience has led her to assume that it should be this way for all women; she criticises her daughter-in-law because she struggled with being a stay-at-home-mother and she is derisive of Kendra's decision to go back to work, claiming she never spends time with the children (this is blatantly untrue, as Kendra does spend quality time with her children when she's off work and they don't appear to be suffering because of it).
- Insistent Terminology: When Laurie refers to Kendra as "Mrs Bell", Robert snaps that his wife is the only true Mrs Bell and that Kendra lost the right to his family name after she killed he and Cynthia's son.
- Mama Didn't Raise No Criminal: They're adamant that Martin was innocent of any wrongdoing, with Cynthia being especially vocal in defending him. They insist they settled the lawsuits against Martin for medical malpractice not because they thought he was guilty, but because they didn't want it getting dragged into the public eye and overshadowing his murder. They deny Kendra's claims of Martin emotionally abusing her and having an affair, insisting Martin was a devoted family man and that Kendra's accusations were "paranoid ravings" and "delusions". It helped that Martin was charming and manipulative, so he had no trouble getting his parents - who already worshipped him - to believe his side. As it comes out that Martin definitely was having an affair given his lover killed him for refusing to end it, his parents will have to face the truth that their son was a deeply flawed man; given they've started being nicer to Kendra, it's implied they at least have more sympathy for her now.
- "Near and Dear" Baby Naming: Martin and Kendra's eldest child is named Robert after his paternal grandfather, though he's often referred to as Bobby rather than his full name.
- No Sympathy: Kendra says they had "no empathy" for her mental health struggles even when Martin was alive and their attitude certainly hasn't improved now they suspect her of killing Martin. Cynthia completely dismisses Kendra's claim she had post-partum depression, questioning how "anyone could be depressed with two such beautiful children" and that she coped just fine as a stay-at-home mother. As a doctor, Robert takes it more seriously than his wife, but says while "a little depression is one thing" he thinks Kendra "was completely out-of-her mind". Despite this, neither of them tried to help Kendra get support, instead being contemptuous and judgemental. Kendra was simultaneously dealing with her mother's accidental death and her husband's emotional abuse, but the Bells don't take this into account; they outright deny their son mistreated Kendra.
- Obnoxious In-Laws: It's no secret that they despise their daughter-in-law; they felt Martin had made a mistake in marrying her and their opinion has only worsened following his murder, as they're fully convinced she was responsible. Kendra says they're only barely polite with her when they interact because they want to retain access to their grandchildren. They looked down on Kendra as a terrible wife and mother, dismissing her as weak, lazy and unhinged for her mental health struggles. They also dismissed her claims of Martin emotionally abusing and cheating on her as paranoid rantings. It doesn't help that Martin exaggerated or lied about Kendra's behaviour while painting himself as the victim, so it didn't take much to convince them Kendra was deranged enough to have Martin killed. After they learn Kendra didn't kill Martin, Kendra says they've started being nicer to her, implying they may develop a better relationship.
- Outliving One's Offspring: Their only child Martin was murdered five years ago. Out of desperation to solve his murder, they turn to Laurie Moran, demanding she feature the case on Under Suspicion seeing as the police's investigation has stalled. Laurie isn't keen on their attempts to railroad Kendra as the only suspect and has her doubts Martin was as perfect as they claim, but after seeing how heartbroken they are, she reminds herself that whatever Martin's flaws were, Robert and Cynthia loved him and are grieving parents who want answers.
- Raised by Grandparents: Invoked; they want Under Suspicion to prove that their daughter-in-law killed their son not only so she can be brought to justice, but so they can get custody of their grandchildren; they tell Laurie that with Martin gone, Bobby and Mindy are the last of the Bell line and they don't want them raised by Martin's killer. They don’t get custody in the end because it's instead proven that Kendra is innocent, although Kendra still allows them to be involved in Bobby and Mindy's life.
Caroline Radcliffe
Caroline Radcliffe
The Bells' nanny, initially hired by Martin to take care of Bobby and Mindy due to Kendra's 'illness'. She was the one who called 911 after Martin was shot and stayed on with the family, being loyal to Kendra and her children.
- Fire-Forged Friends: Kendra initially detested Caroline because Martin hired her without consulting with her; Kendra believed Martin was using Caroline to alienate the children from her and that Caroline viewed her as an unfit mother like almost everyone. Caroline didn't dislike Kendra exactly, but she had more sympathy for the children than their troubled mother and suspected Kendra was on drugs. Overtime, Caroline came to sympathise with Kendra a lot more when she saw how poorly Martin treated her and the way Kendra blossomed once she was free of him; Kendra now regards Caroline as a trusted friend and says she doesn't know what she'd do without her.
- My Master, Right or Wrong: Defied; while she's not outwardly rebellious towards her employers, she's not completely loyal to them either if she thinks they're in the wrong. In the prologue she defies Martin's instructions to not comfort the children when they're upset, thinking that they could use some extra affection given how deprived of parental love they are. Although she likes Kendra and doesn't want to betray her, she also admits to Laurie - with Kendra's blessing - that she suspected Kendra was using drugs, that Kendra's initial response to her husband's murder was relief and that Kendra has been withdrawing large sums of cash for mysterious purposes. Caroline doesn't want to believe Kendra had Martin killed, but nor can she can bring herself to hide what she knows anymore.
- Parental Substitute: Five years ago, she was more of a parent to Bobby and Mindy Bell than either of their actual parents, disciplining them, playing with them and giving them love and comfort; Kendra's mental illness meant she could barely look after herself, let alone the children, while Martin was a largely hands-off and unaffectionate father despite the image he portrayed. Kendra has really stepped up as a mother now, but allowed Caroline to stay on because of her bond with the children. Caroline says she loves Bobby and Mindy "almost as if they were my own" and her first priority is their safety and well-being.
Steven Carter
Dr Steven Carter
A dermatologist who employed Kendra as an assistant following Martin's death. He has been friends with Kendra since medical school and has loved her just as long.
- Because You Were Nice to Me: The reason he fell in love with Kendra back when they were both in medical school was because she treated him as someone worthwhile when his self-esteem was at its lowest, helping him study for his assessments and saying he shouldn't be so hard on himself because he had so much to offer. Steven credits Kendra with helping him pass his medical exams and fulfil his dream of being a doctor. He tries to return her kindness now by giving her a job and believing in her innocence.
- Dogged Nice Guy: Ever since Martin's death, Steven has consistently been there to support Kendra; he offered her a job at his practice when no one else was likely to hire her, lets her confide in him and continually defends her from the accusations she had her husband murdered. When Kendra says she's participating in Under Suspicion, he insists on coming with Kendra to meet Laurie and makes an impassioned defence of her, trying to offer Laurie a more positive perspective of Kendra and letting her know it's not just Kendra who didn't think Martin was all that and a bag of chips. He also frequently compliments Kendra, with Laurie noting that he looks at her adoringly. Steven does secretly hope that Kendra might finally return his love, though he doesn't push the matter and is happy to just be there for her. The ending implies he might just get the girl.
- Foil: He's established as one to Martin, his former romantic rival. Martin was a neurosurgeon who came from a family of distinguished and well-connected medical professionals, was handsome, charismatic and regarded as a genius. Steven is a dermatologist, has a working-class background and isn't stupid, but he only just passed medical school; he's a good doctor with a successful dermatology clinic, but he'll never be a celebrity like Martin. He's also not that attractive and suffered from low self-esteem, being very awkward and nervous in school. Behind closed doors, Martin was cruel and egotistical; it's indicated he cared more about being rich and famous than helping people, including potentially exaggerating his abilities. Steven is humble, realistic about his abilities and genuinely wants to help his patients to look and feel better.
- I Want My Beloved to Be Happy: He was supportive of Kendra's burgeoning relationship with Martin in medical school and even helped her with wedding planning; although he was in love with Kendra, he believed she was happy with Martin and that he had no chance with her. He was far from impressed when Martin ended up emotionally abusing Kendra and made her utterly miserable.
- Speak Ill of the Dead: He has nothing nice to say about the late Dr Martin Bell, bluntly telling Laurie that he was "a cheat. A fraud. And all-around jerk of a human being." He says it disgusts him that Martin still gets treated like he "walked on water" while Kendra is slated by everyone, when in actual fact Martin was a horrible husband and possibly a sham doctor. Steven says he thinks the only reason Martin wasn't exposed by now was because he died and no one wanted to drag up dirt on him, with Steven having no such qualms. Although Kendra wasn't Martin's biggest fan either, even she isn't so vitriolic about Martin and she tries to remind Steven he had some good traits. The fact Steven is clearly in love with Kendra certainly contributes to his low opinion of Martin.
Longfellow family
Leigh Ann Longfellow
Leigh Ann Longfellow
The wife of Senator Daniel Longfellow, who runs her own law firm and funds his political campaigns. She and her family have been friends with the Bells since she was a child, with Leigh Ann having attended the same prep school as Martin and them both being members of the school's alumni board at the time of his death.
- Ambition Is Evil: While her being a career-oriented woman who aspires to be First Lady isn't treated as an inherently bad thing (Laurie actually agrees with her belief that not every woman needs kids to be happy), her single-minded obsession with reaching the top of politics leads to her doing some terrible things. She murdered her lover when he threatened to derail her husband's political career (which she could've avoided by just not having an affair) and she was happy to let her lover's wife be blamed for the killing; she was also happy for her husband to unwittingly incriminate himself by providing her with a false alibi and is willing to kill again to protect her reputation.
- Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: She presents herself as a devoted wife who was unfairly accused of having an affair with a platonic childhood friend, wants to help her husband rise in politics to make America a better place and adores dogs. Beneath this, she's a cold, calculating and ruthless murderer, who takes advantage of her husband's kind nature and adoration of her, cheated on him with a married man out of boredom, is mostly interested in furthering her own ambition and status, and has no remorse about killing her lover for threatening her plans and letting his long-suffering wife take the blame. Laurie lampshades that even she was taken in by Leigh Ann's act. Leigh Ann does genuinely like her dogs, though.
- Blaming the Victim: She gives the impression of blaming her victims for the harm she does them, while downplaying her own culpability. She blamed her husband's stalling career and work commitments for her having an affair, blamed Kendra having depression for driving her husband into her arms and blamed Martin for her killing him because he refused to let her go and threatened to ruin her reputation and her husband's career (while Martin's actions are unacceptable, Leigh Ann wouldn't have been in this position if she hadn't had an affair with Martin or made it clearer she didn't view it as a serious relationship).
- Child Hater: Downplayed; she's not vitriolic about disliking children (especially as it would look bad for her husband's political career) but it's obvious to Laurie and Jerry after one meeting that she's not keen on kids. She's never had interest in having kids, instead doting upon her two dogs, and she got frustrated at an interviewer asking why she was still childless in her late 30s, snapping that she was devoted to her career and didn't need a child to make her "feel complete as a woman". This is a big reason why she and Martin's relationship imploded, because Leigh Ann had zero interest in becoming a stay-at-home stepmother to Bobby and Mindy (and potentially having kids of her own), but Martin wanted a partner who would keep house and raise children. Leigh Ann says she can't believe Martin seriously thought she would accept that, given she'd made her dislike of children pretty clear.
- Childhood Friend: She'd been friends with Martin since they were children, on account of their mothers being close friends and them attending the same prep school. Leigh Ann says they still got along as adults, including being invited to Martin's wedding, but that they rarely spent time together anymore due to their busy careers, at least until they both became members of their school's alumni board. They were in fact having an affair, though while Martin viewed the relationship as a Childhood Friend Romance, Leigh Ann only saw it as a fling and wasn't interested in taking things further.
- Know When to Fold 'Em: When her attempt to kill Joe Brenner is interrupted by Leo and Laurie, she claims that Brenner kidnapped her and confessed to killing Martin Bell, and pulls the "Do you know who I am?" card, threatening to have Leo fired if he detains her. However, Brenner then reveals he recorded her confessing to killing Martin and her intention to kill and frame him for the murder. In the face of this damning evidence, Leigh Ann gives up protesting her innocence and settles for scowling at everyone as she's arrested.
- Like Brother and Sister: Both Leigh Ann herself and Martin's parents say that she was like "a kid sister" to Martin; they grew up together because Leigh Ann's mother and Martin's mother were best friends and they attended the same prep school. Martin would look out for Leigh Ann due to being six years older, with there never being anything romantic between them. Leigh Ann says that "the sexiest thing Martin Bell and I ever talked about was where to place the ice sculpture" for a charity auction. It turns out this wasn't the case, as they were having a sexual relationship and Martin wanted to marry Leigh Ann. She didn't feel as strongly, though.
- Not Wanting Kids Is Weird: She's sometimes on the receiving end of this, as she's a politican's wife in her late 30s and shows no signs of wanting children. After being asked rather judgemental questions about it in an interview, Leigh Ann got fed up and made it clear her life revolved around her law career and her husband's political career, and she didn't need children to "complete" her. Laurie thought she made a fair point, but predictably she got slated for 'attacking' stay-at-home mothers until she and Daniel did damage control helped their "fur babies". Her lover Martin couldn't understand her lack of interest in being a mother, either, assuming she'd be thrilled to be a maternal figure to his kids.
Daniel Longfellow
Senator Daniel Longfellow
Leigh Ann's husband; a popular New York senator who has ambitions to get into the White House and was casually acquainted with the Bells.
- Behind Every Great Man: Although he's a capable politician on his own, he likely wouldn't be a senator if it weren't for his wife Leigh Ann's support, including funding and organising his campaigns, and helping him navigate potentially thorny issues that could damage his reputation. Cynthia Bell says she believes that Leigh Ann is "the real brains behind the operation". Unlike some examples, Daniel makes it clear he acknowledges and truly appreciates everything Leigh Ann does, seeing her as his equal partner in every way. Leigh Ann does get annoyed when people don't acknowledge this. It's also one of the reasons she justified having an affair with Martin and one of the reasons Daniel forgave her for it.
- Blaming the Cuckold: He believes it's his fault his wife was unfaithful because he was always working and was stuck in his current position in the state assembly in Albany; Leigh Ann found Albany boring and so stayed in New York, where she began her affair. Leigh Ann agrees that she was bored, lonely, and disappointed in Daniel, though she ended the affair after Daniel was elected to a senate seat in New York, putting their shared ambitions back on track.
- Dirty Coward: While he does have good qualities and the situation he was faced with was understandably difficult, Daniel's inability to confront his wife or her lover about their affair caused a lot of unnecessary suffering, something he does acknowledge and regret when Laurie gets the truth from him. Daniel couldn't bring himself to tell Leigh Ann he knew she was cheating on him with Martin, instead paying Brenner to break the bad news to Martin's wife and make her get Martin to end it. Even Brenner lost any sympathy he might've felt for Daniel when he requested that, while Laurie points out that Kendra already suspected an affair but was powerless to influence the abusive Martin. His lies to conceal Leigh Ann's affair also unknowingly allowed her to get away with murder.
- Love Martyr: He was devastated when found out Leigh Ann was cheating on him with Martin, but couldn't bring himself to leave her or even confront her directly, instead paying Joe Brenner to tell Kendra and make her break it off so that he could act like it never happened. He even blames himself for Leigh Ann's affair, saying that he neglected her and knew she was unhappy about him spending so much time in Albany (which she hated) for his job. He even says he was willing to give up his position and take a job back in New York to win Leigh Ann back. His main concern was also around keeping Leigh Ann's trust and respect in him, rather than the other way around.
- Right for the Wrong Reasons: He tells Laurie he feels partly responsible for Martin Bell's murder because of how he handled Martin's affair with Leigh Ann; it turns out his actions did unwittingly contribute to the murder and cover-up, but not for the reasons he thinks. He believes that because he told Brenner to inform Kendra of the affair and make her husband end it (instead of dealing with it himself), it drove Kendra to arrange Martin's murder. However, it was actually Daniel's efforts to cover-up Leigh Ann's affair that contributed to the mess, as it allowed Leigh Ann to get away with Martin's murder.
- Secret Secret-Keeper: He became aware that his wife was having an affair with Martin, but he chose to never tell her that he knew, as well as pulling strings to ensure no one else found out besides Martin's wife. He tells Laurie he felt he couldn't confront Leigh Ann because it would irrevocably change their relationship; he believed she'd never trust or respect him again if she knew he'd had a private eye following her and that he couldn't bring himself to leave her even knowing she'd been unfaithful. Five years on, Leigh Ann is still convinced Daniel knows nothing about the affair and is genuinely surprised when Brenner informs her he figured it out long ago.
Others
George Naughten
George Naughten
A troubled man whose late mother was a patient of Martin Bell's; he sued Martin for malpractice due to holding him responsible for his mother's death and has a history of harassing people he feels have wronged him.
- Exact Words: During his interviews, he repeatedly tells Laurie and Ryan that he "never went back to Dr Bell's office again" after being warned off by the police. He eventually admits that while he indeed never returned to Martin's practice, he did still follow him in secret.
- Insane Troll Logic: When Ryan reveals he has a criminal record involving harassing and stalking a teenaged boy named Connor related to his mother being injured by a texting driver, Laurie initially assumes that Connor was the one behind the wheel... only for Ryan to inform her that George was harassing the person the driver was texting at the time. Laurie finds this quite bizarre, lampshading that George seems to have "missed a step in logic there". George later explains he felt that Connor was responsible despite not even being in the car because if he hadn't been texting his friend, she wouldn't have gotten distracted and rear-ended his mother's car; George finds this to be perfectly logical. It's noted that George has some undisclosed mental illness, with his psychiatrist saying he has a history of obsessing over people for both real or imagined persecution.
- Momma's Boy: It's obvious he was devoted to his mother, who raised him alone and was his only famly until she died five years ago. He says he would've done anything for her, including buying a gun to keep her safe due a spate of break-ins. George was heartbroken by her deteriorating health following a car accident, her reliance on painkillers that "turned her into a zombie" and her eventual death from an overdose. George blamed Dr Martin Bell for his mother's death, suing him for malpractice and stalking him.
- Stalker without a Crush: He stalked a teenage boy whom he blamed for his mother's car accident, including violating a restraining order the boy and his family had put out on him. George says he wanted the boy to understand the consequences of his actions (even though the boy was barely involved in the accident). George also stalked Martin Bell, as he held him responsible for his mother dying of an overdose of prescription painkillers and wanted him to be held accountable. George says he agreed to stay away from Martin after showing up at his office and being given a stern warning by the police (as he was already in trouble with the law over the earlier stalking incident). He later admits he continued secretly following Martin but didn't directly approach him and thus witnessed him with his lover, later revealed to be Leigh Ann.
"Mike"
Joe Brenner / "Mike"
A mysterious man who approached Kendra at a dive bar shortly before her husband's death and has been blackmailing her from the moment Martin was killed. Kendra only knows him as Mike, but he's actually an unscrupulous private investigator named Joe Brenner.
- Control Freak: He's fixated on gaining power and being in control. He prides himself on always having the upper hand over other people and being prepared for anything. He states he wanted to join the police was because he loved the idea of wielding authority over others; one of the reasons he got kicked out of the military was because he didn't like having to take orders. He's good at finding dirt on people and predicting how they'll behave to manipulate them into doing whatever he wants, enjoying the power he has over them. He's thrown way off balance when Kendra finally stands up to him and teams up with Under Suspicion in an attempt to expose him, trying desperately to regain control over the situation.
- Not Me This Time: He's a thoroughly nasty piece of work who has been tormenting and blackmailing Kendra for five years, but it turns out he wasn't the one who killed Martin Bell. He actually thought Kendra really had done it and is surprised she's innocent; he even gets caught off-guard and nearly killed by the actual murderer, Leigh Ann. It also turns out he isn't the man who has been stalking Laurie and mugged her at her bachelorette party, despite Laurie's initial certainty he fit the bill and him having personal reasons to target her, namely his past run-ins with her fiance.
- Private Investigator: He heads his own private detective agency, after washing out of his military career and failing to get into law enforcement. He used to do investigative work for defence lawyers, but after Alex Buckley found out Brenner was likely being paid on the side to fabricate evidence and commit perjury to favour the defendants, he got him informally blacklisted from working for attorneys. Brenner has since switched to mostly working for political clients, digging up dirt on political opponents and investigating suspected cases of extramarital affairs for politicians.
Willie Hayes (major spoilers)
Willie Hayes
A once-successful landscaper who lost all his savings after investing with Carl Newman, who was tried for running a Ponzi scheme, causing the rest of his life to fall apart too. An embittered Willie seeks revenge against those he holds responsible.- The Alcoholic: He has problems with excessive alcohol consumption, noting that once he starts drinking he often can't stop and that the drink makes him impulsive and angry. He mentions that even prior to his life failing apart, his wife would complain about his drinking and how it affected his behaviour, and it only worsened after she left. Willie mugging Laurie and trying to shove her in front of a taxi is an impulsive act fuelled by the alcohol he threw back while spying on Laurie's bachelorette party; he admits in hindsight that it was a stupid mistake to drink so much, as he knows how it affects his judgement.
- Blatant Lies: Following his arrest, he tries to claim that he only confronted Laurie at the apartment because he wanted to talk to her and persuade her not to marry Alex. However, Laurie and Alex's accounts, the fact Willie came to the apartment armed with a loaded gun and fired off a shot (which fortunately went into the ceiling thanks to Alex's intervention) blatantly contradict this. Laurie has a feeling that a jury won't buy Willie's explanation either.
- Disproportionate Retribution: While his wanting revenge for Carl Newman ruining his life and getting away with it is understandable, he resorts to attempted murder, with his intended victim being someone who is only tangentially connected to the case. Alex points out to Willie that his actions have only made things worse for himself; he'll have little chance of getting back on his feet now he's going to prison for attempted murder and his son - whom he desperately wants to reconnect with - will only be able to visit him from behind bars, if he sees him at all.
- Misplaced Retribution: He wants to get revenge on Alex for helping Carl Newman - who ruined his livelihood, eventually resulting in his wife and son leaving him - get acquitted (at most, Alex defended Newman in court, with it being pointed out that the prosecution botched the case and even Alex was surprised Newman got off). Willie decides to accomplish this by stalking and killing Alex's fiancee Laurie, who has nothing to do with the situation at all.
- Redemption Rejection: When he corners Laurie at an apartment she's looking to buy and his motives become clear, Laurie tries to reason with him, saying that as an investigative journalist she could help him expose Carl Newman and tell his side. While Laurie is mostly trying to talk him out of killing her and buying time until help arrives, Willie telling his story to journalists would probably help a lot more than committing murder. Unfortunately, Willie rejects Laurie's offer, saying he just wants revenge.
- The Resenter: He resents anyone whose life appears to be going alright, including financial success and happy relationships, because of his own life going down the drain, imcluding the loss of his money, business and family. He especially resents Laurie and Alex, hating seeing how happy they are together as they're shopping for apartments and planning their wedding. He doesn't think Alex deserves such happiness because he helped acquit the man who ruined Willie and he wants to make Alex suffer the way he does.
- Riches to Rags: He had a successful landscaping business he built from the ground up and was wealthy enough that he owned multiple homes across the country and could afford various luxuries. He lost everything after investing his savings with Carl Newman, who was running a Ponzi scheme. He frequently ruminates over what he lost and deeply resents that Alex and Laurie are currently shopping for expensive apartments together, bitterly remarking that he had even better homes when he was rich. He still owns a distinctive white SUV, which he follows Laurie around in.
- Stalker without a Crush: It's revealed he's the man who has been stalking Laurie throughout the novel - and Alex before that. He likes to keep tabs on her, fuming over her seemingly perfect life and looking for an opportunity to get her alone and attack her.
- Taking the Kids: It's implied his ex-wife took their son with her when she left Willie, as he rants about barely seeing his child anymore and accuses Carl Newman and by extension Alex Buckley of causing him to lose his son.
