Jim Harper
   Jim Harper has been sheriff of Lewis County for almost thirty years, and is the longest running public servant in the county’s history.  He knows everyone, and everyone knows him.  Almost his entire life has been devoted to serving this community—his community.  At least, that’s the way he thinks of it.  This is his community and his people.  Watching over them like a protector, Harper does whatever he can to make life better for those he serves.
   Harper likes things quiet, calm and comfortably slow moving.  Fiercely protective, he squashes anything that might threaten the county’s harmony.  This is especially true for outsiders who bring their big city ways with them.
   Over the decades, Harper has grown used to applying his position and influence to get his way.  He does whatever he feels is right, even if it means stretching the boundaries of his authority.  Harper works to keep his manipulative ways private, but this is a small town and rumors move quickly.

Alan Bradley
   Alan Bradley is a brilliant and fast moving agent of the Drug Enforcement Agency.  His mind is always working out the angles and finding connections that no ones ever considered.  Although relatively young and inexperienced, all are amazed as solving difficult cases seem to come easy for Bradley.
   Although talented, Bradley is also egotistical, politically ambitious, and punishes anyone that stands in his way.  Impatiently driven, his first instinct is to push forward with abandon, which occasionally leads to trouble.  Bradley is unscrupulous and will stop at nothing to get what he wants.

Josephine Rissley
   Joe, as everyone calls her, is Harper’s youngest deputy.  Despite her age, Joe has learned quickly and now practically runs the whole department.  Nicknamed “Data”, from Star Trek – The Next Generation, for her unique ability to remember facts, Joe has become an indispensable part of the sheriff’s department.
   At night, Joe attends college and works towards a degree in psychology.  She has a fascination for people, especially the criminal mind and is always working on profiling them and their motives.  A natural tomboy, Joe is the pitcher for the Centralia Mustangs baseball club and quite often uses baseball analogies to describe her day to day experiences.

Buck Henderson
    Buck is a lovable old outfitter that everyone calls friend.  Making his living taking clients hunting, fishing and camping, Buck knows the mountains of Lewis County better than anyone.  To entertain around the campfire, he is always weaving tales about bigfoot, space aliens and his especially favorite subject ―D.B. Cooper.
   Drinking whiskey and smoking cigars are Buck’s favorite vices.  However, the term “moderation” doesn’t seem to have any meaning for him.  Buck is known for his flamboyant bouts of drunkenness, which occasionally get him into trouble.

Nikki Taylor
   Nikki is the lead nurse at Lewis County’s hospital.  Moving from her hometown of Seattle, Nikki is working though some emotional pain brought about by family infidelity.  This trauma has left her shaken and looking for the quiet retreat of a small town to help her heal.  She wants to trust again, but any hint of impropriety is enough to send her into emotional isolation.
   Nikki is also Jim Harper’s girlfriend, and one of the few outsiders that Jim has accepted into his life.  Being a world traveler, Nikki struggles to expand Jim’s small town culture in any way that she can.  Influencing Jim’s stomach by cooking exotic foods has been the only way she’s found to stretch his rigid comfort level for change.  Jim’s stubbornness has been difficult for her, but she’s making progress.