1 | Dr. Horace | Stanford | Headmaster of Castrevenford School |
| Miss | Parry | Headmistress of Castrevenford High School for Girls |
| Brenda | Boyce | Student at the girls' high school |
| | Mathieson | English teacher at the boys' school, director awards day play |
2 | | Simblefield | Underachieving student in the lower fifth at the boys' school |
| | Hargrave | Latin teacher at the boys' school |
| J. H. | Williams | Student in the Modern Sixth at the boys' school |
| | Wells | Porter at the boys' school |
| | Etherege | Teacher literature & philosophy at boys' school,
gossip collector |
| | Pargiton | Teacher at the boys' school |
3 | | Philpotts | Excitable chemistry teacher at the boys' school |
| Michael | Somers | English teacher at the boys' school |
| Andrew | Love | Classics & history teacher at the boys' school |
| | Galbraith | Secretary to headmaster Stanford |
| Gervase | Fen | Oxford professor English Language & Literature, guest award presenter at the boys' school |
| Mr. | Merrythought | Large bloodhound mix dog; somewhat of a school mascot |
4 | Mrs. | Boyce | Brenda Boyce's mother |
| Elspeth | Murdoch | Sixth-form student at the girls' school |
| Janice | Dalloway | Sixth-form student at the girls' school |
| Mr. | Boyce | Brenda Boyce's father |
| Supt. | Stagge | Police superintendent |
| Virginia | Love | Wife of teacher at the boys' school |
7 | Major | Percival | Gymnastics instructor, leader of speech day athletic display |
| Sergeant | Shelley | Police officer aiding the investigation |
8 | Peter | Plumstead | London clerk on walking tour vacation, discovered dead woman in cottage outside village of Ravensward |
| Mrs. | Bly | Murder victim, heavy drinker |
| Daphne | Savage | Visitor in Ravensward, assists Peter in calling the police |
9 | Mr. | Beresford | Owner of the Ravensward Beacon pub |
| Mr. | Taverner | Ravensward plumber & carpenter |
| Charlie | Rumbles | Ravensward local, saw Somers leave Mrs. Bly's cottage |
11 | | Weems | Music master at the boys' school |
12 | Lily Christine | | Gervase Fen's car |
14 | Mr. | Boyce | Brenda's father |