Family

Family plays a prominent role in the story lines. First and foremost, of course, are Regan and her relationship with her brothers. Growing up, raised by the household help, they formed unusual bonds early on.

Regan's father died when she was very young, and so her brothers, all quite a bit older than she, stepped in and became surrogate father-figures in her life. These early roles set the tone for their adult relationships.

Alec's family also plays a strong, if small, role. Alec is following in the footsteps of two of his brothers when he agrees to join the FBI. In addition, a primary consideration in his decision is a desire to be closer to his family.

The familial relationship between Eric and Nina Gage is also vitally important to the storyline. The accident that paralyzed Nina is widely believed to be at least partially Eric's fault, a...