Character Relationship Map: Witch Hunt

Characters

• Barbara Thomas (played by Jacqueline Bisset) — protagonist

  Barbara is Linda Thomas's mother and an occult author. The summary describes her as manipulative and says she dominated Linda and turned Linda and her brothers against David. After Linda's death, Barb...

• David Overton (played by Cameron Daddo) — supporting

  David is Hannah's father and Linda Thomas's husband. After Linda's death from heart failure, he seeks to care for Hannah, but Barbara tries to obtain custody instead. The police seem unwilling to beli...

• Linda Thomas (played by Alexandra Schepisi) — supporting

  Linda is Hannah's mother, Barbara Thomas's daughter, and David Overton's wife. Barbara dominates her and turns her and her brothers against David. After Linda suffers a breakdown, she dies of heart fa...

Canonical Relationships

Family, romantic, and professional connections based on plot evidence.

• Linda Thomas → David Overton (Family Co-parents) — Linda and David are the two parental figures involved in the custody conflict.

  The plot contrasts Linda's role as the mother with David's role as the father during the custody dispute.

• Barbara Thomas → Linda Thomas (Family Mother And Daughter) — Barbara is Linda's mother and has a deeply controlling influence over her.

  The plot identifies Barbara Thomas as Linda Thomas's maternal mother and describes Barbara's influence over Linda's life.

Story Dynamics

Alliances, conflicts, and narrative interactions that evolve throughout the story.

• Barbara Thomas → David Overton (Conflict Adversary) — Barbara and David are opposing figures in the family and custody dispute.

  Barbara turns Linda against David, seeks custody instead of him, and is viewed as a manipulative witch whom the police appear to believe over David.

Story Analysis

A child disappearance exposes a controlling family history, a custody struggle, and an unresolved confrontation over truth and credibility.

Plot Progression

1. The Disappearance in Victoria — A young child disappears in Victoria, prompting a police investigation. The inquiry quickly expands from the immediate event to the family's troubled past.
2. The Grandmother's Influence — Barbara's identity as an occult author and her domination of Linda become central to the investigation. Her influence divides the family against David.
3. Breakdown and Custody — Linda suffers a breakdown and dies from fatal heart failure. Barbara then seeks custody instead of David, escalating the family conflict.
4. Doubt Before Discovery — David experiences nightmares and struggles to be believed by the police. The provided account ends as the investigation approaches an unspecified discovery.