Casey Fletcher is the main character of The House Across the Lake, a complex and multifaceted character whose journey through the novel is one of growth and transformation. Casey is an actress who lives in the public eye: “I’m never going to become the star my mother is, which isn’t my goal. But I am a name. People know me” (34). Because of her career, when Casey begins misusing alcohol, she is followed by a series of bad press and media attention, and her mother deems it necessary to seclude her away at the lake house.

Initially, Casey is a troubled and somewhat self-destructive woman who has isolated herself from the world around her. She is haunted by a traumatic past, struggling with alcohol misuse and coming to terms with her husband’s sudden death. However, as the story progresses, Casey is forced to confront her past and face her worst fears. By the end of the novel, Casey has decided to pursue sobriety, has reconnected with her support system, and has begun to work of healing from her past.

One of Casey’s defining traits is her fierce independence. She is stubborn, headstrong, and fiercely protective of her own interests.