The Man Who Knew · Character

The Girl

May Nuttall, twenty-one and unprepared for her own heart, weighs a comfortable engagement to Frank against a deeper pull toward Jasper Cole.

major

Also known as the girl

First appearance: i the man in the laboratory

As a major figure in The Man Who Knew, The Girl is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.

A young, timid girl of about eighteen, struggling with parcels and bullied by her husband; she is left weeping in the cold dining room.

In the storyThe Girl Who CriedOpen this moment free

May is the young woman at the hinge of the novel's romantic and investigative tensions, adopted niece to John Minute and practically housekeeper at Weald Lodge since sixteen. She wears Frank's ring without being sure she loves him, resents her own dependence, and feels a frightening magnetism in Jasper that she cannot reason away. Her divided loyalties make every warning about Jasper land on deaf ears and drive the story's central conflict.

See The Girl in The Girl Who Cried Book page

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

Character Web

12 connections

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

Relationship types

Romantic
Psychological
Rivalry
Other

Character groups

Murder investigation core
Protagonist

+7 more in the full Character Web

Open in reader

Narrative arc

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

Setup
Escalation
Breaking point

This chapter marks the dramatic climax because it reveals the critical reversal that Frank and Saul Arthur Man…

Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.

Follow the arc while reading

Relationships

Frank Merrill
romantic · positive
Frank is deeply infatuated with the mysterious Girl, who seems to be a central figure in… How this plays out →
John Minute
psychological · negative
Jasper Cole
psychological · negative
May Nuttall
rivalry · negative
Frank Merrill
romantic · positive
Frank is deeply infatuated with the mysterious Girl, who seems to be a central figure in… How this plays out →
Frank Merrill
romantic · positive
Frank is deeply infatuated with the mysterious Girl, who seems to be a central figure in… How this plays out →
Jasper Cole
psychological · negative
John Minute
psychological · negative
John Minute
psychological · negative
Jasper Cole
psychological · negative
May Nuttall
rivalry · negative

Frank Merrill
Frank is deeply infatuated with the mysterious Girl, who seems to be a central figure in his emotional turmoil and the plot.
John Minute
John Minute is obsessed with the Girl, who appears to be a figure from his past with a hold over him.
Jasper Cole
Jasper and the Girl share a manipulative, secretive connection, possibly involving blackmail or conspiracy.
May Nuttall
May Nuttall is jealous and suspicious of the Girl, seeing her as a rival for Frank's attention.
Frank Merrill
Frank is deeply infatuated with the mysterious Girl, who seems to be a central figure in his emotional turmoil and the plot.
Frank Merrill
Frank is deeply infatuated with the mysterious Girl, who seems to be a central figure in his emotional turmoil and the plot.
Jasper Cole
Jasper and the Girl share a manipulative, secretive connection, possibly involving blackmail or conspiracy.
John Minute
John Minute is obsessed with the Girl, who appears to be a figure from his past with a hold over him.
John Minute
John Minute is obsessed with the Girl, who appears to be a figure from his past with a hold over him.
Jasper Cole
Jasper and the Girl share a manipulative, secretive connection, possibly involving blackmail or conspiracy.
May Nuttall
May Nuttall is jealous and suspicious of the Girl, seeing her as a rival for Frank's attention.

Relationship notes

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

See The Girl in i the man in the laboratory

In the story

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

The Girl Who Cried
A young, timid girl of about eighteen, struggling with parcels and bullied by her husband; she is left weeping in the cold dining room.
Introducing Mr. Rex Holland
Referred to as May Nuttall; Frank proposes to her, and she is conflicted, thinking of Jasper Cole.
Sergeant Smith Calls
Overhears Jasper Cole's accusation against Frank Merrill and confronts them, defending Frank.
The Trial of Frank Merrill
Present in the courtroom, her eyes meet Frank Merrill's during the trial.
XIV: The Man Who Looked Like Frank
A pale, pretty girl seen pleading with the man who looks like Frank Merrill; she is struck by him and pushed back into the house.
A Letter in the Grate
Identified as Sergeant Smith's daughter via photograph; has fled 69 Flowerton Road; her relationship with Jasper Cole is noted.
The Man Called "Merrill"
Claims to be married to Frank Merrill; reveals she ran away from a cruel husband who used the name Merrill.

Chapter companion notes

Spoil-light check-ins for The Girl unlock in the free preview.

See The Girl in i the man in the laboratory

See The Girl in The Girl Who Cried