At CrimeReads, Claire Whitfield considers misleading characters and murderers hiding in plain sight. “we expect bad people to come with devil horns and a handy label. It’s still a surprise when we find out murderers can be charming and admired in the community. Cruel manipulators might always open doors for those behind them and sadists may love to wear baby pink and make a mean cupcake. At what point do we forget to live by our own lectures? Letting old tropes control our judgement, often only recognising the rag flags for what they are when it’s too late—when we are forced to learn—then we act shocked.”