Philip Marlowe is an impoverished but fiercely moral private detective working in Los Angeles. He uses misanthropy and cynicism as a defense mechanism against the brutal reality of the wealthy circles he frequently observes. Marlowe values sincerity and a personal moral code above financial gain, often refusing lucrative payments if they compromise his principles. He seeks the truth relentlessly, even when doing so puts his life and career in immediate danger.

Terry is a deeply unhappy man bearing physical scars from his military service during World War II. He vacillates between periods of severe alcoholism and a numb, luxurious existence funded by his wealthy wife. The physical injuries on his face hint at profound unspoken trauma that prevents him from integrating into high society, driving him to seek comfort in quiet, sincere moments at local bars.

Eileen is the ethereally beautiful and long-suffering wife of a successful but highly destructive author. She presents a perfect, pristine façade to the world, attempting to maintain appearances while dealing with her husband's explosive alcoholic blackouts. Her calm exterior conceals the immense emotional toll of her isolated life in the wealthy suburbs of Los Angeles.

Roger is a highly successful but deeply unhappy author of popular fiction. He despises his own commercial writing, feeling a profound sense of artistic inadequacy that he self-medicates with severe bouts of drinking. His alcoholic blackouts frequently result in explosive, unpredictable behavior and physical injuries that he cannot remember the next day.

Sylvia is the incredibly wealthy, socially prominent, and unfaithful wife of Terry Lennox. As the daughter of a billionaire, she uses her family's vast resources to fund a life of reckless indulgence and scandal, showing little regard for the emotional damage she causes those around her.

Harlan Potter is an enormously wealthy, powerful, and cold billionaire who operates far above the law. He values his absolute privacy above all else and routinely uses his immense fortune, high-priced lawyers, and media ownership to insulate his family from public scandal, treating other people as entirely disposable.

Linda is Sylvia Lennox's sister, a wealthy woman deeply entrenched in the insulated upper echelon of Los Angeles society. While she strictly adheres to her father's demand for discretion and attempts to protect her family's reputation, she harbors her own rebellious streak and a deep unhappiness with her current life.

Mendy is a powerful, violent local gangster who operates casinos and built his fortune on post-war black market operations. Despite his brutal criminal empire, he harbors a fierce, unwavering loyalty to the men who served alongside him during World War II, paying debts of honor with violence.

Howard is a publishing representative from New York who manages the difficult task of keeping profitable writers productive. He is desperate to keep his star author functional and relies on external help to manage the writer's increasingly destructive habits.

A morally ambiguous, disreputable doctor who runs an unlicensed, failing rehabilitation facility for wealthy clients. He extorts his wealthy, alcoholic patients to fund his ongoing care for the troubled son of his late friends.

The fiercely loyal Chilean butler working for the Wade family. He is deeply protective of his employers, frequently bristling at Marlowe's presence and enduring casual racism from the wealthy white characters who constantly mistake his nationality.

A cynical but relatively friendly police detective. Unlike many of his corrupt or openly hostile colleagues, Ohls maintains a working, mutually respectful dynamic with Marlowe, though they often clash over the morality of police methods.

A former district attorney who now works as a high-priced lawyer and fixer for Harlan Potter. He represents the way the justice system easily bends to serve elite interests and keep scandals out of the public eye.

A Las Vegas-based casino operator and former soldier. Like Menendez, he built a post-war fortune and retains an unshakeable loyalty to the men who saved his life during military service.

A strangely dressed, psychologically troubled young man living at the Sepulveda Canyon ranch. As the son of Verringer's dear friends, he is entirely dependent on the doctor's care to function in society.

A brutal, corrupt, and incompetent police captain. He despises private detectives and happily uses physical intimidation, spitting, and legal threats to force compliance and close cases quickly.

A cynical but friendly journalist who understands the corrupting influence of wealth on the media and the justice system. He is well aware of the invisible walls built around news stories involving the rich.