Stephanie Plum - Full-time bounty hunter, 100% Jersey girl. Notable quote: "Oh good. I love being bait for a homicidal mutilator."

Ranger - Ricardo Carlos Manoso. Street-name: Ranger. Genuine, cool-ass, numero-uno bounty hunter.

Joe Morelli - Trenton police-department plainclothesman with a rising interest in Stephanie Plum. Good cop. Questionable person. Notable quote: "I was driving by, doing a security check... and I smelled leg of lamb."

Kenny Mancuso - FTA charged with shooting gas station attendant Moogey Bues in the knee. One of Morelli's crazier relatives.

Vincent Plum - Owner of Vincent Plum Bail Bonding Company. Stephanie's cousin and employer. Notorious sexual deviant.

Julia Cenetta - Kenny Mancuso's girlfriend. Works at the bookstore at Trenton State College.

Skoogie Krienski - Pizza delivery guy for Pino's who sold his Jeep Wrangler to Stephanie.

Mrs. Bestler - Lives on the third floor of Stephanie's building. Likes to exercise in the hallway with her walker.

Rex - Stephanie's pet hamster. Small, silent type.

Helen Plum - Stephanie's mother. Model Burg housewife. Queen of the pot-roast.

Grandma Mazur - Stephanie's Grandmother. Funeral parlor aficionado and author of some disturbing funeral viewing disasters. Notable quote: "I was watching television and I saw how you stick your fingers in a person's eyes to slow them down."

Eddie Gazarra - Stephanie's cop friend. Married to Stephanie's cousin Shirley. Has three kids and not enough babysitting.

Schmidty - Cop who was working the desk when Moogey Bues was reported dead.

Moogey Bues - Gas station attendant was first shot in the knee by Kenny Mancuso and then shot through the head a few days later.

Walt Becker - Trenton police officer. "Primary" on the scene of the Moogey Bues murder.

Leo Morelli - Joe Morelli's cousin, who lent Kenny Mancuso his car the night of Moogey Bues' murder. Lives with his parents.

Mrs. Morelli - Leo Morelli's mother.

Mr. Morelli - Leo Morelli's father. Works for the Turnpike Authority.

Marjorie - Stephanie's cousin, who has a "nice job" with J and J, according to Stephanie's mom.

Grandpa Mazur - Grandma Mazur's dearly departed husband.

Serjie Morelli - 81 year old member of the Morelli clan. Also a member of the Knights of Columbus.

Frank Plum - Stephanie's father. Retired post office employee. Now he works hard at eating and ignoring Grandma Mazur.

Betty Szakjack - Sister-in-Law to Danny Gunzer, who is laid out at Stiva's mortuary.

Mosel - Mortuary owner who isn't up to Grandma Mazur's standards because he "Don't know anything about makeup."

Melvin Sokolowsky - Another mortuary owner who doesn't make the cut with Grandma Mazur.

Constantine Stiva - Consummate undertaker and owner of Stiva's Mortuary. Currently in the hospital with a herniated disc.

Spiro Stiva - Constantine Stiva's stepson and understudy. He is handling the business with Constantine in the hospital. Hires Stephanie for a shady investigation job.

Mary Lou Molnar - Now Mary Lou Stankovic. Stephanie's best friend since she was born.

Mary Lou's Sister - Reports that Spiro Stiva keeps his fingernail clippings in a jar.

Louie Moon - Works with Constantine and Spiro at the mortuary. Spiro claims that Louie has the IQ of a lizard.

Danny Gunzer - Recently deceased. Stephanie and Grandma Mazur go to see him at his viewing.

Walter Dumbowski - Electrician who did the lighting in the green room at Stiva's.

Mrs. Goodman, Mrs. Gennero, and Mrs Ciak - Attendees of Danny Gunzer's viewing.

Gail Lazar - Burg resident who Stephanie learns is pregnant via the gossip mill.

Biggy Zaremba - Burg resident who Stephanie learns was arrested for indecent exposure via the gossip mill.

Mrs. Gunzer - Danny Gunzer's widow, who takes offense to Grandma Mazur's little "accident" at Danny's viewing.

Murphy - Trenton police officer who helps Morelli trace some overseas calls made by Kenny Mancuso.

Cubby Delio - Owner of the gas station where Moogey Bues works.

Connie Rosolli - Secretary at Vincent Plum Bail Bonding Company. She keeps a stiletto in her middle desk drawer.

Sal Fiorello - Owner of Fiorello's Deli, next door to Vincent Plum Bail Bonding Company.

Uncle Jimmy - Connie's uncle. A "made guy" who reputation serves him and his family well, even though he is well past retirement age.

Eula Rothridge - Bag lady who hangs out at the train station. She has a habit of stealing undies and forgetting to show up for her court dates.

Kitty - Stephanie Plum's cousin who works at the bank.

Elsie Farnsworth - Acquaintance of Grandma Mazur. Grandma is afraid to ride with her because "she's got arthritis in her knee and sometimes her foot gets stuck on the gas pedal."

Mr. Wolesky - Stephanie's neighbor across the hall. He keeps his TV going all day and night.

Perry Sandeman - AKA "Sandman". Shady character who works as a mechanic at Delio's gas station.

Mrs. Karwatt - Tenant who lives in Stephanie's building on the second floor.

Roberta - Owns R and J storage facility with her husband.

Scully - The investigating officer from Trenton PD that was on the scene after Kenny Mancuso shot Moogey Bues in the knee.

Sally - A new file clerk at Vinnie's office who ran out screaming after Vinnie tried "getting friendly" with her.

Loretta Heinz - She was a Girl Scout with Stephanie Plum, now she works at the DMV.

Norma Szajack - Betty Szajack's second cousin.

Billie Szajack - Norma's son, who went to school with Kenny Mancuso. Works in a casino in Atlantic City.

Helen Martin - Recently deceased who is having a viewing at Sokolowsky's the night that Stephanie drops in for a visit.

Aunt Marion and Uncle Fred - Two of Stephanie's deceased relatives who apparently had to be buried on top of each other to make room in the family plot.

Fred "Ducky" Wilson - Recently deceased gentleman who has a viewing at the House of Eternal Slumber on Stark Street.

Mrs. Delgado - Resident of Stephanie's building. Owner of a large black cat.

"Big Dog" Lionel Simms - Newark resident whose Ford Bronco was destroyed by a LAW.

Dillon Ruddick - The superintendent of Stephanie's building. All-around good guy and friend.

Uncle Sandor - Grandma Mazur's brother who went into a nursing home last month. He left his 1953 powder blue Buick to Grandma Mazur.

Jim - Owner of Big Jim's, a Trenton restaurant.

Mo Barnes - Another bounty hunter who works for Vinnie.

Eugene Petras - FTA who is a notorious drunk and wife beater. Takes some volts in the backside from Stephanie's stun gun.

Kitty Petras - Eugene's wife.

"Crazy" Carl Costanza - Trenton police officer who has the "pleasure" of taking in some of Stephanie's FTA's.

Mickey Boyd - Tenant of Stephanie's apartment building. He has a trick where he can keep his cigarette stuck to his lower lip while talking.

Francine Boyd - Mickey's wife. She went on the nicotine patch recently, forcing Mickey to smoke outside.

Lula - Ex-prostitute who comes to work as a filing clerk for Vinnie. Aspiring "assistant bounty hunter".

The Long Boys - Two Trenton residents who attempted to buy some hot guns. The sale was raided by the Trenton PD.

Booger Brown - Another of the four people who tried to buy some hot firearms, but were foiled by a police trade.

Freddie Johnson - Booger Brown's idiot cousin.

Lionel Boone - A Trenton dealer who is always in and out of lockup.

Stinky Sanders - Another local dealer who is constantly in and out of the clink.

Jamal Alou - A "craftsman" known for his ability to customize firearms.

Uncle Manni - Sal Fiorello's uncle, who also had a '53 Buick. According to Sal, he was found dead in his Buick at the landfill.

George Mayer - Recently deceased who is laid out at Stiva's. His missing middle finger becomes the object of some concern.

Mrs. Mayer - George's widow, who is understandably upset, and quite drunk at her husband's viewing.

Marjorie Boyer - Attendee of Mr. Mayer's viewing.

Clara - Owner of Clara's Beauty Parlor, a Burg fixture. She did Stephanie's hair for her first communion and graduation. She also does hair for Stiva's.

Sal Munoz - Flower delivery guy.

Al - Owner of Al's Auto Body and associate of Ranger.

Joyce Barnhardt - Stephanie's arch enemy, who was caught "doing the deed" with Stephanie's now-ex-husband.

Bertie Greenstein - Gun-toting customer at Clara's.

Betty Kuchta - Another gun-savvy client at Clara's.

Mrs. Rizzoli - One of the only clients of Clara's who doesn't pack heat.

Kathryn Freeman - Woman who saw Mooch Morelli coming out of "that Zaremba Girl's" house.

Mooch Morelli - Joe Morelli's cousin. His wife is rumored to be filing for divorce.

Gail Kuchta - Betty Kuchta's daughter, who was in the same class as Kenny Mancuso in the second grade.

Guido - Kenny Mancuso's uncle, noted for his violent nature.

Adele Baggionne - Witnessed Kenny chopping the tip of his pinky finger off with an axe when she was a kid.

John Petrucci - Fire marshal who used to be Frank Plum's supervisor at the post office.

Giovichinni - Deli owner who always has the best cuts according to Mrs. Plum.

Uncle Vito - Morelli's uncle who majored in filling caskets and minored in hijacking.

Joe Loosey - Recently deceased "customer" at Stiva's who turns up missing his "private part".

Stan Radiewski - Recently deceased gentleman who has a viewing at Stiva's. Member of the Elks.

Eddie Ragucci - CPA and "Big Magoo" at the local Elks.

Domonick Russo - Proprietor of Domonick's Pizza. His pizza is preferred by Connie because he makes his own sauce.

Tiny - Proprietor of Tiny's Pizza. Praised by Lula for making "soul pizza".

Harry the Horse - Acquaintance of Lula through her previous profession. Gave Lula her gun.

Christine - Stephanie's cousin, who has a nice job at a vitamin factory and never gets nasty packages in the mail.

Sue Ann Beale - Morelli's cousin who he used to get in trouble with as a kid.

Uncle Manny and Aunt Florence - Morelli's aunt and uncle who used to take him down to Seaside Heights in the summer.

Vince Roman - A uniformed Trenton Police officer.

Dickie Orr - Stephanie's ex-husband. Horse's patoot.

Betty Greenburg - Grandma Mazur's 89 year old friend. She drives like a maniac and is prone to lapses of memory since her stroke.

Andy Roche - Treasury agent working in cooperation with Morelli and the Trenton PD.

Stella Lombardi - Burg resident who's daughter said she was coming home "temporarily" and ended up staying for three years.

Valerie - Stephanie's sister, who is married with two kids.

Bucky and Biggy - Two guys who drive trucks for Macko Furniture.

Grandma Bella - Vinnie's grandmother. Considered even scarier than Grandma Mazur. She has been known to take a grown man by his ear and drop him to his knees.

Thelma Biglo - Burg resident.

Richie Biglo - Thelma's son, who tends bar at Pino's. He hears all the latest gossip and news.

Uncle Rocco - Kenny Mancuso's uncle. Said to be just as crazy as Kenny. He ended up hanging himself.

Silvester Bergen - Grand Poo-Bah of the VFW. Died in the middle of his term. His viewing attracted a record-breaking crowd.

Fred Dagusto - Recently deceased man being "prepared" in the basement at Stiva's.