Characters
- John: Shane’s friend and owner of a bar in Central Square
- Bonnie: Shane’s girlfriend and a criminal defense lawyer
- Elliott Dawson: murder victim
- Alfred Wiggins: student and friend of Dawson
- Desiree Fox: prostitute
- Louis Meechum, Junior: the accused and convicted
- Louis Meechum, Senior: father of Louis, Jr. and Shane’s client
- Henri Robichaud: criminal
- Andre Kane: criminal
- Richard Case: Shane’s writer friend
- Sylvia: John’s wife and owner of Sylvia’s, a soul food restaurant
- Delano ‘Professor’ Lindsey: Shane’s former teacher
- Bill: Friend of Shane, a Vietnam veteran, and an officer of the Boston Police Department
- Pinto: Middle man between Shane and the Boston Police Department Commissioner
- Mr. B: Mafia don
- Tony Two-Times: Bodyguard of Mr. B
- Mr. W (Wang): 14K Triad and boss of Chinatown
- Dorothy Harrison: Boston Police Department’s first black female detective (retired)
- Saul Fiedermann: Friend and jeweler on the first floor of Shane’s office building.