Easy Rawlins
The novel's protagonist. His full name is Ezekiel Rawlins. After fighting in World War II, Easy settles in segregated Los Angeles. He is fiercely proud of his home and haunted by memories from the war.
DeWitt Albright
A white man who takes odd investigatory and other jobs in order to make a living. Often flanked by his bodyguards, Manny and Sharrif, Mr. Albright dresses in stunning white clothing. He has been commissioned by Todd Carter to locate Daphne Monet, and he hires Easy to help him.
Joppy Shag
Owner of Joppy's bar, a dingy establishment above a butcher's shop. Joppy is Easy's friend, but betrays his confidence. He beats Howard Green and Coretta James to death and eventually dies at the hands of Mouse.
Daphne Monet
A woman who appears white but is "colored." She is Frank Green's half-sister and Todd Carter's love. She left Mr. Carter after stealing thirty-thousand dollars from him. The mystery revolves around trying to locate Daphne. At the novel's end, we discover that Daphne's real name is Ruby Hanks.
Manny
One of Mr. Albright's bodyguards. He appears Asian, but his race is unknown because he was raised in an orphanage.
Shariff
One of Mr. Albright's bodyguards. Described as, "tall and slight with curly brown hair, dark skin like an India Indian, and brown eyes so light they [are] almost golden."
Hattie Parson
The owner of a small grocery store that serves as the entrance to John's place. She is a slight, black woman and the aunt of Junior Fornay.
Junior Fornay
A strong, enormous field hand whom Easy knows from Houston. He has a habit of letting his cheap Zapatas cigarettes burn out on the floor. Easy describes him as "a flithy man who didn't give a damn about anything." He nearly killed Easy in a brawl back home before Mouse intervened. He kills Richard McGee.
Howard Green
Matthew Teran's former chauffeur, whom Joppy beats to death. Howard tries to help his boss ruin Mr. Carter.
Matthew Teran
A pedophile who recently dropped out of the mayor's race. He keeps a little Mexican boy as a sex slave and is grotesque in appearance. He tries to use Daphne to get back at Mr. Carter, who forced him to withdraw his candidacy.
Richard McGee
A homosexual pimp and pedophile who sells young boys to "rich men with sick appetites" such as Matthew Teran. He dates Daphne before she leaves him for Mr. Carter. Junior kills Richard after escorting him home from John's place.
Frank Green
A gangster who hijacks alchohol and cigarette shipments in order to sell the stolen goods to local businesses. Frank is Daphne's half-brother. He is called "Knifehand" because of his quickness with a blade when provoked. He eventually dies at Mouse's hands.
Todd Carter
The president of Lion Investments. He is a humble-looking, weak-willed man with more money than any other character. He dated Daphne Monet until she stole thirty-thousand dollars from him and left him. He hires Mr. Albright and later, Easy, to bring Daphne back to him. He also helps Easy avoid jail time.
Maxim Baxter
Vice president of Lion Investments. He reluctantly admits Easy to Mr. Carter's office.
Little Mexican Boy
Matthew Teran's young sex slave. He wears soiled briefs and dirty socks, and clings to Teran despite being abused by him. With Daphne's help, Easy saves the little Mexican boy and puts him in Primo's care.
Mouse
Otherwise known as Raymond Alexander, Mouse is Easy's best and most dangerous friend from Houston. He is renowned for his quickness to kill, and can intimidate even the likes of Junior Fornay and Frank Green. Mouse helps Easy solve the mystery.
EttaMae Harris
Mouse's former fiancee. She kicked him out after he returned home one night so drunk that he neglected to shower. EttaMae slept with Easy when she was first engaged to Mouse.
LaMarque
Mouse and EttaMae's young son.
Daddy Reese
Mouse's stepfather, whom he shot in the town of Pariah in order to get money he considered rightfully his.
Clifton
Mouse's collaborator in stealing Daddy Reese's money. Daddy Reese shot him dead in the struggle.
Odell
Easy's quiet, cautious, religious middle-aged friend. He is wont to sit at John's or Vernie's and sip one beer all night. Odell is a voice of fear, advising Easy to run away from his problems.
Pete Dupree
Easy's loud, friendly former coworker at Champion. He tries to help Easy get his job back by talking to Benny. He is dating Coretta when she sleeps with Easy and is interrogated after her murder.
Coretta James
A mesmerizing young black woman who arrives at John's place as Dupree's date. Later, she has sex with Easy and gives him information about Daphne. Joppy beats her to death.
Benito Giacomo
"Benny" is Easy's Italian-American former boss at Champion aircraft. He fired Easy for refusing to stay late.
Miller
One of the police officers who interrogates Easy. Even though he is less violent than his partner, he seems to have it out for Easy. Easy notices a strange scar under his eye.
Mason
One of the police officers who interrogates Easy. He is unnecessarily violent, beating Easy and knocking him over.
Rosetta
Manager of Ricardo's Pool Hall. She is Ricardo's wife, and neglects him even though he is disabled by diabetes.
Ricardo
Founder and owner of Ricardo's Pool Hall. He is an alcoholic who lost his legs to diabetes.
Mickey
Rosetta and Ricardo's son.
Vernie
Owner of Vernie's place, a brothel and lounge. She is an enormous, friendly woman.
Darcel
Vernie's daughter. She is enormous like her mother, whom she helps run the business.
Huey Barnes
A tough bouncer who maintains order in Vernie's place.
Ronald White
A friend of Easy's who has nine children because his wife, Mary, does not believe in using birth control.
Mary White
Ronald White's wife and mother of his nine children. She enlists Easy's help in finding Ronald after he tries to leave her.
Ernest
The neighborhood barber. He lets the palsied Zeppo beg outside his shop.
Zeppo
A palsied neighborhood drunk.
Jackson Blue
A neighborhood man who sells bootleg for Frank Green. He takes Easy to Abe's liquor store.
Abe
A Polish Jewish immigrant and Holocaust survivor. He saved his brother-in-law, Johnny, by hiding him in a hole in the wall of his cell at Auschwitz. He owns Abe's liquor store along with Johnny.
Johnny
Abe's brother-in-law, also a Polish Jewish immigrant and Holocaust survivor. He survived Auschwitz by hiding in a hole in the wall of Abe's cell. He is said to have gone crazy because of his experiences in the war.
Vincent LeRoy
One of Easy's fellow soldiers during the liberation of concentration camps during World War II. Vincent LeRoy extended his love to an emaciated Jewish boy named Tree Rat. He later blamed himself for killing Tree Rat, because he gave him rich food that Tree Rat's digestive system could not handle. He may take his name from Mosley's father, LeRoy Mosley, to whom the novel is partially dedicated.
Tree Rat
An emaciated Jewish boy that Vincent LeRoy helps after liberating him from a concentration camp. Tree Rat dies because his digestive system cannot handle the rich foods Vincent feeds him with good intentions.
Bula
Dupree's sister. He hides out at her house after the police interrogate him.
Mrs. Guitierra
Landlady of the motel where Easy picks up Daphne to take her to Primo's.
Primo
A jolly, fatherly Mexican friend of Easy's. He rents out an old mansion to the occasional guest, including Easy and Daphne. At the novel's end, he takes the little Mexican boy under his care.
Barbara Moskowitz
A chubby, Jewish girl who tries to talk with Easy at the Santa Monica Pier.
