Daughter of Mine

Nico is a fairly static character who represents another way in which Hazel was abandoned in Mirror Lake. Nico abandons her once in youth by breaking up with her, and again in adulthood by concealing the truth about what he has discovered in the lake. Both times, Hazel trusted someone from her hometown. As her direct neighbor, Nico represents that betrayal is literally close to home for Hazel. As the son of a detective, Nico acts as yet another son trying to cover up the potential crimes of his law enforcement father. Nico counsels Hazel to let sleeping dogs lie, but he is also instrumental in helping her solve the novel’s central mystery. Even though Hazel is briefly angry at him for concealing key information, by the end of the novel, they reconcile, suggesting that their relationship may have a future after all.

Gage is Hazel’s elder stepbrother. He is 30 and follows in his father’s footsteps to become a detective on the Mirror Lake police force. Although he briefly dated fellow officer Serena Flores, Gage is still unmarried at the time of his father’s death. During his youth, he always came to Hazel’s defense, and she idolized him. However, Gage is both traumatized by witnessing his father kill his mother and intent on protecting his father’s legacy.

Gage’s motivation for suppressing Hazel’s curiosity doesn’t become apparent until the end of the story. Preserving the legacy of his father’s good name is more important than getting to the truth. By the end of the story, Gage is on good terms with both his siblings once again, though his actions to thwart justice do not make him a sympathetic character.

Caden is Hazel’s younger stepbrother. They are both the same age and were born only a few days apart, allowing Caden to act as a male foil for Hazel. Like Gage, Caden is a member of the police force. Unlike his brother, Caden has a volatile temperament and is prone to fits of rage. Because Caden was in the car that struck his mother, he is another character who suffers the Impact of Childhood Abandonment and trauma; however, this early experience makes him secretive and afraid. He suffered from night terrors for years and blamed himself for the disappearance of Hazel’s mother, redirecting his guilt into hostility toward his stepsister. His antagonism accelerates toward Hazel throughout the novel, until its climax and denouement, which sees them repairing their relationship. Learning and helping uncover the truth frees Caden and makes him a dynamic character.

Jamie is Caden’s wife. She was once Hazel’s best friend, but the two became estranged after Hazel warned Jamie away from Caden, emphasizing Hazel’s status as a pariah in Mirror Lake. When Jamie stumbles across evidence suggesting that somebody killed Libby Sharp, she fears for her own safety and that of her daughter. For much of the novel, Jamie is presumed dead until Hazel finds her and brings her back home. Like everyone else in the story, Jamie is negatively impacted by suppressed truths and deceptive appearances. By the conclusion, she is reunited with her family and reestablishes her friendship with Hazel.

Skyler is the six-year-old daughter of Caden and Jamie. She is sweet-tempered and fond of her Aunt Hazel. She also helps illustrate the Impact of Childhood Abandonment in real time in the novel when her mother leaves and her father appears unconcerned. Skyler’s backpack becomes a plot device to bring Hazel back to Mirror Lake. The little girl also holds a vital clue to the mystery of Hazel’s mother. At the end of the story, Skyler is reunited with her own missing mother, and her entire family moves into the Holt house. Skyler’s happy ending provides catharsis to the novel, where so many mother-daughter relationships end tragically.

Roy is Perry’s younger brother. He is the town lawyer and the uncle of Hazel, Gage, and Caden. Roy is also the villain of the piece. As a pillar of the community, he represents a trope in the mystery genre of the seemingly most responsible and trustworthy character being the culprit. A former drug user, he is now a dealer for the residents of Mirror Lake, including Jamie’s mother. In the past, he embezzled funds from his own law firm and pinned the blame on Libby. He also blackmails Perry when he learns the true circumstances under which Audrey died. To cover his crimes, he resorts to murder and kills Libby, Nicholas, and Sonny. He tries to kill Caden and is on the point of shooting Hazel when he drowns in the cross currents in the lake.

Perry is the father of Gage and Caden, as well as Hazel’s stepfather. His funeral brings everyone together for a memorial service at the same time that his dead wife’s car is being pulled from Mirror Lake. Perry was a detective on the town police force and is known for his strict adherence to the law. Hazel regards him fondly, and the entire town looks upon him as a paragon of virtue. Unfortunately, Perry spent most of his life concealing his role in his first wife Audrey’s death. This makes him vulnerable to being blackmailed by Roy. Perry has great faith that Hazel can save the family from further misfortune and leaves his house to her. It contains all the clues she needs to solve the mystery of the Holt family’s past.

Libby is Hazel’s mother. In her youth, she was a con artist, dragging Hazel from place to place to keep one step ahead of her past. Libby’s life stabilized after she met and married Perry. Unfortunately, her quick eye for detail found discrepancies in Roy’s business books that got her killed. These are the same traits that make curious Hazel the target of Roy years later. Libby was on the point of leaving town with Hazel when she was murdered, leaving her daughter to assume that Libby abandoned her. By the end of the novel, her remains are found buried on Roy’s property. Hazel and her brothers hold a memorial service and scatter Libby’s ashes over Mirror Lake, giving closure to the mystery.

Serena is a second-generation law enforcement officer. Her father is detective Al Flores. She is put in charge of the investigation when Libby’s car is pulled from the lake. Although she is sympathetic to Hazel’s desire for answers, she also fears the secrets that might be revealed. Ever loyal to the force and to her family, she advises Hazel to drop the investigation into Libby’s disappearance and the true circumstances of Audrey’s death.