The Cheyne Mystery · Character

Susan Dangle

A parlormaid whose forged references and two months of quiet domestic service hide a role at the very center of the conspiracy.

supporting

Also known as Susan, Miss Dangle, Miss Susan Dangle

First appearance: VI: The House in Hopefield Avenue

As a supporting figure in The Cheyne Mystery, Susan Dangle is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.

The parlormaid who was tied up and gagged by the burglars; she provides a detailed account of the attack.

In the storyII: Burglary!Open this moment free

See Susan Dangle in II: Burglary!Book page

Free preview opens at this moment — character cards, Character Web, and themes sit beside the text as you read.

Susan is planted in the Cheyne household as a servant, and Cheyne realizes only later that she overheard his dinner-table talk of Plymouth and passed it on—she is the channel through which the gang learned his movements and searched the house for Price's letter. Her willingness to endure weeks of domestic drudgery for a document shows how urgently the conspirators want it, and her composure under the role makes her one of the book's most disquieting figures. By the end she is no longer the enemy Cheyne assumed, but a hollowed-out witness to the violence the gold has provoked.

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The fuller portrait of Susan Dangle sits in Reading Lens — open the free preview to keep reading with notes on the page.

See Susan Dangle in VI: The House in Hopefield Avenue

Character Web

24 connections

A slice of how Susan Dangle sits in the book — open the reader for the full interactive map.

Relationship types

Family
Professional
Psychological
Friendship
Other

Character groups

Core Investigation Team
Protagonist

+19 more in the full Character Web

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Narrative arc

Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Exposition.

Setup
Escalation
Breaking point
Aftermath
Closing

Cheyne reaches his emotional peak here, choking with rage and nearly attacking Dangle, but is forced into utte…

Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.

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Relationships

Maxwell Cheyne
family · positive
Maxwell and Susan appear to be closely related, likely siblings or close family, given… How this plays out →
Inspector French
professional · ambivalent
Arnold Price
psychological · negative
Joan Merrill
friendship · positive
Maxwell Cheyne
family · positive
Maxwell and Susan appear to be closely related, likely siblings or close family, given… How this plays out →
Maxwell Cheyne
family · positive
Maxwell and Susan appear to be closely related, likely siblings or close family, given… How this plays out →
Inspector French
professional · ambivalent
Arnold Price
psychological · negative
Arnold Price
psychological · negative
Joan Merrill
friendship · positive
Joan Merrill
friendship · positive

Maxwell Cheyne
Maxwell and Susan appear to be closely related, likely siblings or close family, given their high interaction frequency.
Inspector French
Inspector French engages with Susan Dangle professionally, likely as a witness or suspect in the case.
Arnold Price
Arnold Price may be manipulating or obsessing over Susan Dangle, given the tense dynamic.
Joan Merrill
Joan Merrill and Susan Dangle are friends or close companions, likely supporting each other.
Maxwell Cheyne
Maxwell and Susan appear to be closely related, likely siblings or close family, given their high interaction frequency.
Maxwell Cheyne
Maxwell and Susan appear to be closely related, likely siblings or close family, given their high interaction frequency.
Inspector French
Inspector French engages with Susan Dangle professionally, likely as a witness or suspect in the case.
Arnold Price
Arnold Price may be manipulating or obsessing over Susan Dangle, given the tense dynamic.
Arnold Price
Arnold Price may be manipulating or obsessing over Susan Dangle, given the tense dynamic.
Joan Merrill
Joan Merrill and Susan Dangle are friends or close companions, likely supporting each other.
Joan Merrill
Joan Merrill and Susan Dangle are friends or close companions, likely supporting each other.

Relationship notes

How these ties play out is in the reading companion — open the free preview.

See Susan Dangle in VI: The House in Hopefield Avenue

In the story

Susan Dangle appears across 7 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

II: Burglary!
The parlormaid who was tied up and gagged by the burglars; she provides a detailed account of the attack.
VI: The House in Hopefield Avenue
Revealed as the mole who served as a maid at Warren Lodge and provided information to the gang.
XI: Otto Schulz's Secret
Susan is mentioned as having helped Joan after her injury, bathing and binding her ankle.
XIV: The Clue of the Clay-Marked Shoe
Identified by Speedwell as the parlormaid and mole in Warren Lodge, linked to the burglary.
A Tale of Two Cities
Reported to have been seen at Waterloo Station with Joan and Sime, helping an invalid lady into a car.
XIX: The Message of the Tracing
Assisted the gang by obtaining a post as servant at Warren Lodge to gather information.
XX: The Goal of the L'Escaut
Highly agitated upon rescue; French calms her as she recounts the tragic tale of the expedition.

Chapter companion notes

Spoil-light check-ins for Susan Dangle unlock in the free preview.

See Susan Dangle in VI: The House in Hopefield Avenue

See Susan Dangle in II: Burglary!