Everything She Forgot

The story keeps revealing new pieces of her past, but I wonder if this approach was planned from the beginning or developed during writing.

Given the suspenseful tone, I was surprised at how readily she believed certain people. Was that intentional to heighten tension or a reflection of her fractured memory?

The atmosphere adds so much to the story's mood. I’m curious whether the setting was based on a real place or a fictional creation to serve the plot.