Elin is a young British woman who works as a police detective and has taken a leave of absence following a traumatic experience during her previous case. As the protagonist of the book, the plot unfolds from her perspective, giving the reader insight into Elin’s thoughts and perspective. Elin is prone to panic attacks, and her struggles with what seems to be a PTSD-like response to the traumatic assault that she endured while investigating. She feels guilty that she let the suspect escape and incompetent for following him without calling for backup. She is a year into her leave of absence at the beginning of the book when she is on a trip with her boyfriend Will, traveling to the Swiss Alps to celebrate her brother’s engagement.

Elin has trouble trusting people, especially her brother, Isaac. She tends to see the worst in people and assumes they are judging harshly in return. She assumes that, because of her anxiety disorder, she makes Will uncomfortable and will inevitably push him away.

Her guilt that she wasn’t able to save Sam has manifested into her career as a detective. Elin obsesses over the case at the hotel, hoping to save Laure and find the killer before they can strike again.