Stephanie Plum

Stephanie is the protagonist of the novel. She has fallen into the career of bounty hunter, or bond enforcement agent. She works for her cousin, Vinnie Plum. Her family, of Hungarian/Italian descent, lives nearby. They all live in an area of Trenton, New Jersey called the 'burg. Stephanie is 30, divorced and uninterested in a serious relationship.

Like many other characters in the novel, Stephanie practices situational ethics. She breaks the law for the good of society and her apprehensions. She takes jobs that she considers immoral to pay her bills.

Despite this, both her grandmother and mother attempt to fix her up with men. One man, Morelli, with whom she shares a past, appears to have genuine feelings for her. His job as a cop brings them together often. Their relationship goes from holding pattern to casual to physical and back to a holding pattern within...