Sweet Tooth characters

Appears from the start

A mathematically gifted young Englishwoman whose real enthusiasm is reading novels. After Cambridge and an affair with an older academic, she joins MI5 in the early 1970s. Her retrospective account makes clear from the outset that a secret assignment involving a writer will end badly, although she does not yet explain how.

First appears in chapter 4

A history tutor at Cambridge, considerably older than Serena, who becomes her lover and directs her reading toward politics, history, and current affairs. Urbane and emotionally reserved, he takes an unusually deliberate interest in shaping her education and future.

Appears from the start

A Cambridge student whom Serena dates before Tony Canning. Jeremy's friendship gives her entry into Canning's circle, while his private life also shows her how much careful concealment respectable institutions demand in this period.

Appears from the start

Serena's father, an Anglican clergyman whose conventional expectations help set the course of her education. He regards a Cambridge degree as suitable preparation for a respectable life but does not share his daughter's appetite for fiction or independence.

Appears from the start

Serena's mother, a forceful influence on her academic choices. She recognizes Serena's talent for mathematics and pushes her toward a demanding Cambridge course, even though Serena would rather study literature.

First appears in chapter 6

A fellow junior employee at MI5 and Serena's friend inside an office that gives women little authority. Shirley helps her interpret the service's habits and hierarchies while sharing the frustrations of routine secret work.

First appears in chapter 6

An ambitious MI5 officer who works near Serena and takes a personal interest in her. At his introduction he appears to be a capable colleague and possible admirer, though Serena is uncertain how far to trust either his professional confidence or his attentions.

First appears in chapter 9

A young academic and short-story writer selected as a possible recipient of covert financial support. Serena approaches him under the name of an independent cultural foundation. His seriousness about fiction and his refusal to write to a political formula complicate what was meant to be a controlled assignment.