| Alfie |
Armstrong | Chloe's acquaintance. |
| DS Joe |
Ashworth | Vera's loyal sergeant. |
| Rosie |
Bell | Replacement for the deceased team member. |
| Enid |
Blyton | English children's writer mentioned in context. |
| Billy |
Cartwright | Forensic pathologist. |
| James |
Dean | American actor mentioned in context. |
| Marie |
Fenwick | Pub landlady. Aka: Ma. |
| Jimmy |
Hepple | A doctor. |
| Susanna |
Hepple | Chair of trustees. Aka: Susie. |
| Winslow |
Homer | American painter and illustrator mentioned in context. |
| Melanie |
Hunter | Teen resident at Rosebank. Aka: Mel. |
| Paul |
Keating | The pathologist. |
| Holly |
Lawson | Former promising young detective on Vera's team. |
| Fred |
Lee | Rachel Wiseman's acquaintance. |
| David |
Limbrick | The manager of the Rosebank home. Aka: Dave. |
| Mary |
Lister | Joe's acquaintance. |
| Ken |
Loach | Retired English filmmaker mentioned in context. |
| Stella |
Marsh | Josh's girlfriend. |
| William |
Marsh | Stella's father. |
| Geoff |
Milburn | A professor. |
| Helen |
Miles | Founder and sponsor of Salvation Academy. |
| Kathleen |
Oliver | Knowledgeable about care homes. Aka: Kath. |
| Matty |
Raynor | Previous owner of the farm. |
| Bradley |
Russell | A troubled teenager and resident at Rosebank. Aka: Brad. |
| Mrs |
Saltburn | A staff member at Rosebank, the residential care home for troubled teenagers. |
| Chloe |
Spence | A troubled, 14-year-old resident of the Rosebank care home for youth. |
| Charles |
Stamoran | Manager of all the kids' homes. |
| DI Vera |
Stanhope | The leading detective investigating the murder and disappearance. |
| Hector |
Stanhope | Vera Stanhope's deceased father. |
| Elizabeth |
Stirling | Josh's friend. Aka: Lizzie. |
| Esther |
Sullivan | Friend of Chloe Spence. |
| Gaby |
Sullivan | Esther's mother. |
| Gaby |
Sullivan | Esther's father. |
| Katherine |
Willmore | Former lawyer and now Police and Crime Commissioner. |
| Rachel |
Wiseman | Tutor at Salvation Academy. |
| Rachel |
Wiseman | Chloe's tutor. |
| Anna |
Woodburn | Josh's mother. |
| Chris |
Woodburn | Josh's father. |
| Josh |
Woodburn | The murdered staff member from the care home. |
| Alice |
| Chloe's friend. |
| Alison |
| Joe's acquaintance. |
| Charlie |
| DC attached to Vera's team. |
| Daniel |
| Connected to the Only Connect course. |
| Daniel |
| Rosie Bell's boyfriend. |
| Eliza |
| The PCC's daughter. |
| George |
| The youngest boy at the residential care home. |
| Gordon |
| Chloe's paternal grandfather. |
| Hilda |
| Brad's grandmother. |
| Jack |
| One of Vera's neighbors and friends. |
| Jack |
| Brad's grandfather. |
| Jess |
| Joe Ashworth's son. |
| Joanna |
| One of Vera's neighbors and friends. |
| John |
| Chloe's father. |
| Josie |
| A cleaner. |
| Kevin |
| Alfie's father. Aka: Kev. |
| Laura |
| Library manager. |
| Lily |
| A waitress. |
| Miguel |
| Josh's friend. Aka: Miggy. |
| Noah |
| Alfie's friend. |
| Pamela |
| Chloe's paternal grandmother. Aka: Pam. |
| Paul |
| Gaby's husband. |
| Pete |
| Elizabeth's boyfriend. |
| Rebecca |
| Chloe's mother. Aka: Becky. |
| Ryan |
| Sharon's partner. |
| Sal |
| Joe Ashworth's wife. |
| Sharon |
| Brad's mother. |
| Tracey |
| A social worker employed at the Rosebank care home. |
