Avery is the book’s primary protagonist and dominates the storytelling through her first-person perspective. Although Avery shares the stage with Marissa, as the two characters alternate chapters, Avery’s narrative is first person while Marissa’s is third, giving the reader a sense of greater closeness to Avery’s character. This alignment between the reader and Avery is strengthened by the fact that Avery acts as the thriller’s quasi-detective. Avery is the investigative character, chasing clues and trying to find out what others, including Marissa, are concealing from her. The reader accompanies Avery on these investigations, relying on the character to unearth the facts.

Avery is an antihero; her character isn’t always likable or reliable. This is seen in Avery’s penchant for breaking the rules. The character exemplifies the theme of The Risks and Rewards of Rule-Breaking. Avery’s desire to push boundaries in her professional practice, as evidenced by her breaking into Skylar and Cameron’s house, results in her losing her professional license. At the same time, her unconventional, rule-breaking methods seem to work—and give her great notoriety and success (as seen in the Washington Post Magazine article that starts the book).