Mr. Mercedes characters

Appears from the start

A retired city detective who lives alone and has drifted into depression since leaving the police. An unsigned letter from the driver responsible for an unsolved mass killing gives him a reason to reexamine the case, although doing so privately risks both the evidence and his former reputation. Hodges is patient, observant, and more willing to bend procedure now that he no longer carries a badge.

Appears from the start

The young man who mows Hodges's lawn and helps him with computers. Jerome is intelligent, confident, and quick to challenge Hodges when the retired detective begins neglecting himself. Their easy banter reflects a dependable friendship.

First appears in chapter 2

A former partner of Hodges who remains on the police force. Pete is a practical investigator and an old friend who knows that retirement has been difficult for Hodges.

Also known as Mr. Mercedes

First appears in chapter 4

A computer technician and ice-cream-truck driver who lives with his mother. Outwardly deferential and unremarkable, Brady is privately the Mercedes killer and takes pleasure in watching the damage left by his attack. He contacts Hodges under the name Mr. Mercedes, hoping to manipulate the retired detective into suicide.

First appears in chapter 8

Brady's alcoholic mother, with whom he shares an unhealthy and isolating household. Deborah depends heavily on her son while exercising emotional control over him, and her unpredictable behavior complicates the secret life he maintains outside their home.

First appears in chapter 10

The owner of the stolen gray Mercedes used in the job-fair massacre. Police suspicion and relentless anonymous harassment followed her after the crime, and her subsequent death by suicide has left unresolved questions about how the killer obtained and operated her car.

First appears in chapter 23

Olivia Trelawney's younger sister, who meets Hodges while settling family affairs. Janey is direct, composed, and unwilling to accept the simplest account of Olivia's guilt and death. Her knowledge of her sister gives Hodges a new route into the cold case.

First appears in chapter 25

Janey and Olivia's elderly mother, now physically frail and living in a care facility. Her declining health has brought members of the extended family together.

First appears in chapter 34

Janey's cousin, an anxious and socially isolated woman with a talent for noticing patterns and working through computer problems. Her manner can be hesitant, but she is attentive and persistent.

First appears in chapter 45

Brady's coworker at the electronics shop, familiar with his technical ability and his difficult temperament. Freddi is sharp-tongued and observant, and treats Brady with less deference than he expects from most people.

First appears in chapter 46

Another of Brady's coworkers at the electronics store. Lou shares the routine of service calls and repairs with him and knows the ordinary workplace identity Brady presents to the public.

First appears in chapter 118

Jerome's younger sister, whose enthusiasm for a major pop concert places her among the large crowd expected at the city auditorium. Her safety gives Jerome and Hodges a personal stake in understanding Brady's final plan.