Lacy Stoltz is 36, attractive and happily single. She dates sporadically and has had boyfriends, but her relationships all seem to end in disaster. She lives with her French bulldog, Frankie, and sometimes helps her partner, Hugo, with his four kids, the youngest of whom is a month old. Unlike many women in genre fiction, Lacy’s connection to the culture of woman-to-woman friendships strongly influences her job and how she does it. Whereas her male colleagues regard women in trouble as the purview of local police, Lacy connects with other women as members of her own tribe.

One reason that Lacy prefers a single life may be her similarity to her brother, Gunther. It isn’t obvious on the surface, but the underlying drive of her character can make her seem overwhelming to anyone of a less aggressive nature. Special agent Pacheco, with his eager attitude, may be energetic and assertive enough to match her.

Far from intimidating her, Hugo’s death compels Lacy to pursue the investigation into the Coast Mafia and the Casino despite her department’s lack of training or resources for this kind of crime.