Meet the team: The characters that drive Unspoken

27 April, 2026

Last week I wrote about a turning point in my writing. A point where my characters took over the story. It was no longer a matter of what I wanted to happen next, but what they demanded had to happen next.

When you write a novel over 10-years, you get to know your lead characters intimately.

Their motivations and their fears. The circumstances in which they thrive and the stresses that distort their judgment. How each behaves in strength, how each reacts under pressure and what happens when they begin to unravel.

Today, I want to introduce you to them.

​Francis McGuire - Adviser to the shadow health minister

The Individualist: Sensitive, perceptive and deeply principled

​Francis wants to do the right thing. Always. She believes in the system, even when it lets her down. She is prone to self-doubt under pressure. She avoids conflict at all costs, so when pressure builds, she holds on longer than she should … until she can’t.

​David Perkins - Opposition campaign strategist

​The Challenger: Decisive, commanding and fiercely strategic

David Perkins wins. Always. When he's under pressure, control can harden into ruthlessness. He doesn’t believe in the system. He believes he is the system. Left to himself, he’d rather deal with strategy than people, but campaigns require people, so he manages them like any other risk to be mitigated.

​Maxine Collins - Kitchen hand at Leong’s Korean BBQ House

​The Helper: Generous, nurturing and fiercely loyal

​Maxi protects. Always. Under pressure, self-protection takes over. She’s learnt the hard way survival comes first. She trusts instinct more than authority, because instinct has kept her alive. If something feels off, fight-or-flight kicks in … fast.

​Unspoken is set against a political backdrop, but in fiction, relatable characters always drive the story.

Maybe you know a Francis, a Perkins or a Maxi? Maybe you know all three?

The novel explores how these three respond when placed in a world of ambition, secrecy and shifting loyalties, and how those forces shape their decisions and the other characters that fill the pages of Unspoken.

I can’t wait for you to meet them.