Characters The Missing Half Ashley Flowers

Steve McLean: The Predatory Red Herring of The Missing Half

Overview

Steve McLean—nicknamed "Skeevy Steve" by former coworkers—is a supporting antagonist in Ashley Flowers’ 2025 novel The Missing Half. A predatory restaurant manager with a confirmed history of domestic violence and a rape charge, McLean initially appears to be the prime suspect in the disappearances of Jules Connor and Kasey Monroe. However, the narrative ultimately uses him as a red herring: his crimes are real, but he is not responsible for the sisters’ vanishings. McLean’s character serves as a vehicle for exploring systemic investigative failures, performative respectability, and the dangerous gap between legal proof and moral certainty.

For a broader understanding of the novel, see the main book page.

Plot Role

McLean enters the story when Nic Monroe and Jenna Connor interview Lauren Tate, Kasey’s former best friend and coworker. Lauren reveals that McLean was the manager at Mesquite Barbecue during the time both Jules and Kasey worked nearby. She describes him as a serial harasser who "always staring at the girls’ chests and saying gross stuff," and reports that she gave his name to Detective Wyler years earlier, but nothing came of it (Chapter Ten evidence).

This revelation pivots the investigation toward McLean. Nic and Jenna track him down, first to his workplace and then to a bar where they confront him. McLean plays a cat-and-mouse game, initially feigning ignorance about Jules, then dropping a crucial bombshell: Lauren Tate harbored hidden resentment toward Kasey. By redirecting suspicion to Lauren, McLean demonstrates a manipulative intelligence that the police had overlooked.

Ultimately, McLean is a dead end. The true culprit is Kasey herself, who covered up the accidental death of Jules to protect her sister Nic. McLean’s rape of Jules—discovered later by Margot through text messages (Chapter Thirty-Five)—confirms his predatory character, but the disappearances are unrelated to his actions.

Motivations and Traits Shown Through Actions

Predatory Entitlement

McLean’s behavior at Mesquite Barbecue—commenting on women’s bodies, lurking in back alleys, and targeting vulnerable employees—reveals a pattern of sexual predation. Lauren’s testimony that “all the girls who worked on the strip knew not to take out the trash alone” (Chapter Ten) underscores his calculated exploitation of workplace power dynamics.

Manipulative Charm

When confronted by Nic and Jenna at O’Reilly’s bar (Chapter Fifteen), McLean initially pretends not to remember Jules, then changes tactics after a fake phone call. He pivots to a knowing demeanor, calling the pair “Nancy Drews” and enjoying their discomfort. His ability to pivot from ignorance to confidence suggests a practiced skill at deflecting scrutiny.

Cruelty and Game-Playing

McLean deliberately withholds the information about Lauren until the last moment, watching Nic’s reaction with pleasure. Nic later reflects, “He toyed with us a little, then dropped a bomb and laughed when we reacted” (Chapter Fifteen). This scene exposes his sadistic side—he is not merely a brute but someone who enjoys psychological power plays.

Intelligence Underestimated by Police

Detective Wyler dismisses McLean because his “profile” suggests impulsive violence rather than premeditated abduction. Yet McLean’s bar performance shows careful calculation. He correctly guesses that Nic and Jenna are amateur investigators, manipulates the narrative to implicate Lauren, and remains calm under pressure. Wyler’s error highlights how law enforcement can underestimate suspects who do not fit tidy behavioral categories.

For more on these systemic failures, see the theme of secrecy and deception.

Chronological Arc

The narrative does not follow McLean’s personal journey; he appears only during Nic and Jenna’s investigation. His arc is entirely defined by his function as a suspect and then a distraction.

  • Pre-2012 (backstory): McLean works at Mesquite Barbecue as manager. He rapes Jules Connor (confirmed in Chapter Thirty-Five via text messages). He also harasses other female employees, including Lauren.
  • 2012 (Kasey’s disappearance): McLean has an alibi—he spent the night at a friend’s house, and police verify it. Wyler uses this to rule him out, despite owning land in Kentucky that could have served as a disposal site.
  • 2019 (present-day investigation): Nic and Jenna identify McLean through Lauren. They visit his workplace and confront him at a bar. McLean deflects suspicion onto Lauren, prompting the women to shift focus.
  • After the confrontation: Nic and Jenna continue to suspect McLean even as they investigate Lauren. The truth about Jules’ rape is uncovered, but McLean never faces consequences within the story—the narrative leaves him unpunished, emphasizing that justice is incomplete.

Relationships

With Jules Connor

McLean was Jules’s manager and rapist. The text reveals that Jules was raped by a former coworker called “Skeevy Steve.” This crime is the deepest connection between them, yet it remains hidden until late in the novel. Jules’s disappearance is unrelated to the rape; she died accidentally.

With Kasey Monroe

McLean only knew Kasey through Lauren’s complaints. He remembers her as a topic of “frenemies” gossip, not as a direct acquaintance. This distance underscores the coincidence that McLean becomes a suspect in a case he had nothing to do with.

With Lauren Tate

Lauren worked under McLean and reported him to police. He reciprocates by describing her as “uptight” and “not very fuckable,” revealing his contempt. Their antagonistic relationship inadvertently provides the key clue that points toward Lauren’s hidden motives.

With Nic Monroe and Jenna Connor

McLean treats Nic and Jenna as amusement. He enjoys their fear and anger, using condescension and bravado to maintain control. He correctly identifies them as amateurs, which stokes Nic’s fury. Jenna maintains a cooler facade, but both women ultimately view him as a dangerous predator—even if not the one they sought.

With Detective Wyler

Wyler dismisses McLean based on a flawed psychological profile and an alibi from a friend. He never informs the Monroe family that McLean was a person of interest, constituting a failure of transparency. McLean’s contempt for authority is implicit in his smooth evasion of consequences.

Key Decisions and Consequences

Decision: Approaching McLean at the Bar (Nic and Jenna)

Though not McLean’s decision, his response shapes the plot. He could have refused to engage, but instead he chooses to talk and manipulate. This conversation gives Jenna and Nic the name Lauren, redirecting the investigation. Without McLean’s choice to play games, Lauren’s animosity might have remained hidden.

Decision: Not Confessing or Admitting to Rape

McLean never acknowledges raping Jules. His silence preserves his freedom but also leaves the reader with a sense of unresolved justice. The novel does not show him punished, reinforcing the theme that legal systems often fail victims.

Decision: Alibi Maintenance

Years earlier, McLean arranged an alibi that held up to police scrutiny. Whether this was premeditated or coincidental, it allowed him to avoid suspicion. The consequence is that Wyler permanently closes the file on him, despite other red flags.

For a deeper look at how justice is questioned in the novel, visit the justice versus revenge theme page.

Theme and Symbol Connections

Secrecy and Deception

McLean embodies a surface-level deception: he appears as a workplace creep but is capable of far worse. His ability to hide his rape of Jules for years reflects the novel’s exploration of how predators operate behind masks of normalcy. The police’s inability to see through that mask ties into the theme of secrecy and deception.

Guilt and Responsibility

McLean’s guilt is real but limited to the rape. The story contrasts his clear criminality with the accidental guilt of Nic and Kasey. He serves as a foil—a man who knowingly harmed others versus a woman who caused a death she never intended. This distinction complicates the theme of guilt and responsibility.

Justice vs. Revenge

Jenna’s willingness to kill McLean (she buys a gun and drives to his home) illustrates the revenge impulse that the novel interrogates. The reader shares her anger, but the story denies her the act. McLean’s survival symbolizes the gap between what victims deserve and what they receive from the justice system. See the justice versus revenge theme.

Sisterhood and Sacrifice

McLean has no sisterly bond, but his predation on Jules and harassment of other women indirectly strengthens the bond between Nic and Jenna. Their shared goal of finding justice for their sisters unites them. McLean represents the external threat that sisterhood must overcome. Read more about sisterhood and sacrifice.

Grief and Trauma

Nic’s traumatic response to McLean—she spits in his face—demonstrates how unresolved grief can erupt into violence. McLean triggers her worst memories of powerlessness. His grin in the restaurant (Chapter Thirteen) becomes a symbol of the taunting cruelty survivors often confront. Explore the grief and trauma theme.

5 Book-Specific Questions and Answers

1. Why does the novel make Steve McLean a suspect even though he is not the kidnapper?
McLean’s predatory history and proximity to both victims make him the most plausible suspect. The story uses him to critique how police focus on surface-level evidence (alibis, profiles) while ignoring patterns of sexual violence. His red herring status emphasizes that the real tragedy is not a stranger abduction but a family secret.

2. How does McLean’s reaction to Jules’ name differ from his reaction to Kasey’s?
When Jenna says “Jules Connor,” McLean claims not to remember her. But when Nic says “Kasey Monroe,” he immediately recalls her because Lauren constantly talked about her. This difference reveals that McLean’s connection to Jules is deeper (he raped her, so he must hide knowledge), while Kasey was merely a topic of gossip.

3. What does McLean mean when he calls Jenna and Nic “Nancy Drews”?
The dismissive label suggests he views them as naïve amateur detectives. It reveals his condescension and his belief that he is smarter than them. In actuality, the nickname foreshadows that they are on the wrong track—they are “playing detective” while the real answer lies with Kasey.

4. Could McLean have been guilty of anything besides rape?
The text confirms only the rape of Jules. His domestic violence history and threatening behavior hint at other crimes, but no evidence ties him to kidnapping or murder. The author deliberately leaves his full history ambiguous, forcing readers to sit with the discomfort that a known predator can escape prosecution for lesser crimes.

5. Does the novel suggest McLean will ever be punished?
No. In the final chapters, McLean is alive and presumably still working at Mesquite Barbecue. The story ends with Nic and Kasey disposing of Jenna’s body, not with McLean facing consequences. This lack of resolution underscores the novel’s grim realism: many predators never face justice, and victims’ families are left to seek their own closure.

For further discussion, visit the ending explained and questions and answers pages.

This character analysis was written based on the provided chapter outline and retrieved excerpts. All interpretations are distinguished from explicit facts; for example, McLean’s “sadistic enjoyment” is an inference drawn from his dialogue and reactions, while the fact of his rape of Jules is stated in the text.