| Arthur | Allgood | Mary's grandfather. |
| Betsy | Allgood | Narrator. |
| Jack | Allgood | Betsy's father. |
| Lizzie | Allgood | Betsy's mother. |
| Paula | Appleby | Betsy's psychiatrist. |
| Miss | Blake | Lorraine's teacher. |
| Beryl | Blakiston | Amanda's friend. |
| Sally | Breen | Lorraine's neighbor. |
| Maggie | Burroughs | Peter's colleague. |
| Margaret | Coe | Elsie's mother. AKA: Polly. |
| Elsie | Coe-Dacre | Betsy's classmate. |
| Lorraine | Dacre | Missing. |
| Tony | Dacre | Lorraine's father. |
| Andrew | Dalziel | The Detective Superintendent. AKA: Fat Man. |
| Janet | Dickens | The woman Novello interviewed. |
| Edwin | Digweed | An antiquarian bookseller. |
| Reverend | Disjohn | The school vicar. |
| Mr. | Douglas | The veterinarian. |
| Geoff | Draycott | A possible witness. |
| Winifred | Fleck | Agnes's niece. |
| Gertrude | Guillemard | The commercial head. AKA: Girlie. |
| Cedric | Hardcastle | Jenny's father. |
| Jed | Hardcastle | Jenny's brother. |
| Jenny | Hardcastle | Missing. |
| June | Hardcastle | Jenny's sister. |
| Molly | Hardcastle | Jenny's mother. |
| Dick | Hoddle | Geordie's lawyer. |
| Mrs. | Holmes | A camping business owner. |
| Joy | Kendrick | One of the witnesses. |
| Simon | Kendrick | Joy's son. |
| Vernin | Kittle | Jed's mate. |
| Arne | Krog | Wulfstan's singer. |
| Miss | Lavery | One of Betsy's teachers. |
| Agnes | Lightfoot | Benny's grandmother. |
| Benny | Lightfoot | The shy boy. The prime suspect. |
| Marion | Lightfoot | Benny's mother. |
| Larry | Lillingstone | The vicar. |
| Alma | Mahler | The composer's wife. |
| Miss | Martindale | The head of Edengrove Primary. |
| Mrs. | Martindale | A witness. |
| Amanda | Marvell | Mahler's acquaintance. Andy's lover. AKA: CAP. |
| Willi | Noolan | A rugby-club member. |
| Shirley | Novello | The Detective Constable. |
| Ellie | Pascoe | Peter's wife. |
| Peter | Pascoe | Dalziel's partner. |
| Rosie | Pascoe | Peter's daughter. |
| Tom | Perriman | A police sergeant. |
| Jeannine | Plowright | Mrs. Lightfoot's niece. Head of Social Services. |
| Mr. | Pontifex | Jack's landlord. |
| Bella | Postlewaite | Jack's wife |
| Dr. | Pottle | Peter's shrink. |
| Josh | Puddle | One of Betsy's classmates. |
| Josh | Puddle | One of Betsy's friends. |
| Derek | Purlingstone | General Manager of Mid-Yorks Water. |
| Jill | Purlingstone | Derek's wife. |
| Zandra | Purlingstone | Rosie's school friend. |
| Mrs. | Quartermain | Geordie's assistant. |
| Friedrich | Ruckert | A German poet. |
| Billie | Saltair | Agnes's doctor. |
| Inger | Sandel | Arne's pianist. |
| Alma | Schindler | Mahler's wife. |
| Caddy | Scudamore | The artist. |
| Dennis | Seymour | Novello's friend and colleague. |
| Dora | Shimmings | The scool head. |
| Tory | Simkin | One of the villagers. |
| Jack | Slater | Barney's stepfather. |
| Marion | Slater | Benny's mother. |
| Jack | Spratt | Bella's husband. |
| George | Telford | Joe's brother. |
| Joe | Telford | Madge's father. |
| Madge | Telford | Betsy's best friend. Missing. |
| Mrs. | Telford | Madge's mother. |
| Tommy | Tiplake | Geordie's old business partner. |
| Geordie | Turnbull | The bulldozer driver. |
| Miss | Turner | Zandra's teacher. |
| Edgar | Wield | A police sergeant. Peter's colleague. AKA: Wieldy. |
| Mrs. | Winter | One of Betsy's teachers. |
| Chloe | Wulfstan | Mary's mother. |
| Elizbeth | Wulfstan | Walter and Chloe's adoptive daughter. |
| George | Wulfstan | Madge's uncle. |
| Mary | Wulfstan | Betsy's cousin. Missing. |
| Walter | Wulfstan | Mary's father. |
| Barney | | The man who looked like Benny. |
| Bonnie | | Betsy's cat. |
| Clark | | The town's police. AKA: Bobby The Nobby. |
| Curtis | | The pediatric consultant. |
| Hector | | A police constable. |
| Kerrigan | | The priest. |
| Monte | | The monkey. |
| Nina | | Rosie's imaginary friend. |
| Sally | | The youngest nurse. |
| Tig | | Lorraine's dog. |
| Zebedee | | Janet's dog. |
