Unlike most urban fantasy protagonists, Tony has no special powers or abilities. His preferred method of working is to ferret out snippets of information until a complete picture forms and the case is closed. A San Francisco native, Tony has a nearly encyclopedic knowledge of the city, including its bus routes. As he refuses to drive, this information often comes in handy.
Tony can usually hold his own in a fight, having learned the basics in unarmed combat as a survival tactic, but he is also known to cheat when the situation calls for it, and it usually does. He describes his cheaters as "Tony's little helpers" and their existence being anywhere from slightly illegal to "oh my God illegal".
Franklin Amadeus Jackson, Frankie to most who know him, background... astounding. Sized larger than most NFL linemen, Frankie is an ex-cross-dressing diva and a friend to most in San Francisco's other-than-hetero-demographic. He is a pop culture sponge, an impulsive mimic, a fashion maven as well as a gourmet cook. He can also take out a demigod with a saloon chair if the need arises. Surprisingly, that happens a lot.
Captain Pat Monahan, Tony's only friend on the San Francisco Metro Police Department, background... a life-long copper. He's put in close to 30 years on the force, and the only reason he hasn't gotten higher than Captain is he's too damn honest. The only reason he hasn't been fired or been removed in less pleasant ways is a combination of his friendship with one slightly worn PI and the fact that he's too damn good at his job.
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Landau Bain is a wizard. Not THE wizard, because San Francisco is a city lousy with magic users. Bain just happens to be one of the most powerful, if not THE most powerful, but that isn't what makes him dangerous. No, that would be the drinking. You see, Bain is an alcoholic, and not a happy one. Somewhere in his distant past, a past that goes back millennia, something happened and it sent him to the bottle. When Bain is drinking, he can be dangerous to be around,. When he hasn't been drinking, he's even worse.
Ursula Ignatova is the Medical Examiner for the City and County of San Francisco. She is also Tony Mandolin's go-to gal for information when his case involves a murder. Standing about 5-foot nothing, Ursula has an IQ higher than her weight by roughly two-fold. She can also eat just about any man under the table. There's no telling how many burials in the bay area had included snack crumbs in the deceased.
Julius, grandson of the great Pontious the Finder, is a werebeagle, not wereWOLF, wereBEAGLE. He is a superb tracker who's sensitive nose isn't even put off by low tide or excessive rain. Julius has helped Tony out in several cases, especially those where the trail has supposedly gone dead. As is common with most of the non-predatory were species, Julius can be a bit timid, so do not startle him, unless you have a very good carpet cleaner.
Medb eHerren, the faerie queen of the Unseelie Court, sometimes known as Queen Mab, rules the dark side of Tuatha Dé Danann, the dimension of the Fae. Inhumanly beautiful, Medb usually appears as a young woman in spite of being thousands of years old. Immensely powerful, in her portion of the faerie realm she has nearly unlimited power and authority... as long as she is in shadow. She also has taken an unhealthy interest in Tony Mandolin, sometimes flirtatious, sometime murderous. Tony's all right as long as he's in daylight. The problem is... it's usually foggy in San Francisco.
Paul Verona, one of the leading experts in mold, mildew and amphibians, works in one of the Berkeley labs in the East Bay. He is also one of those geniuses who seems distracted while taking everything in. Paul feels he's owes Tony, big time, both for Tony having solved a problem for him a few years back, and for being introduced to Ursula. The two Nerds in Love, as Tony calls them share IQ's and appetites. Paul's voice on the phone is frequently mixed with the sounds of chewing.
Tiny, the owner and bartender of The Snug, Tony's neighborhood pub, is one of the few men who can also look Frankie right in the eye. Tiny isn't just a big man, he's huge. He also has a punch that will lay out a troll. Of course, that's not all that hard to do when you are also Odin, the Allfather of the Norse gods.
Violet Thurgood, PI is the female version of Tony Mandolin. Quick with a joke and a snappy comeback, she also packs a hard right hand and an even harder kick to the groin if the situation calls for it.
District Attorney Raibeart Mac an tSaoir, the closest English translation from the Gaelic is Robert Macintyre. Besides being one of the top-performing prosecutors in San Francisco, he also happens to be the human host for Thor, as well as Tiny’s son.
Greystoke, Tony Mandolin's German
Shepherd dog, companion, and protector. He is large for the breed and has been known to be threatening enough that word has spread. Only those burglars foolish enough, desperate enough, or new to the city dare to try a break-in. The last one that did still hasn't been found. Forensics refuses to run samples of Greystoke's droppings.
Antonio Alphonse Luccesi, Luccesi is the head of the most powerful crime family on the west coast and as such, likely the most powerful man in San Francisco. To Tony's considerable chagrin, the suave, and infuriatingly polite Antonio Luccesi likes the PI and, in fact, feels he owes Tony a favor.
Rupert Aloysius Schultz, Is the Bay Area mobster running the wharf and the docks. He respects and fears Luccesi, but he insists on being allowed to have his fair share of the pie. Schultz is old school, nineteen-thirties old school, and he is not above sending his boys ot to teach a certain PI some manners if he feels the lesson is needed.
Heidi Longenpeltzer, Heidi is the righthand woman of Rupert Schultz, described by Tony Mandolin as the coldest-hearted bitch in the entire west coast, possibly creation. Heidi hits harder than most men and is known to have a fondness for the composer Wagner, especially his Ring Cycle which she enjoys listening to when indulging in a bit of torture.
Willit is the leader of a pixie tribe that Tony... uh... adopted. Averaging six inches high, the pixies are a creature of faerie, but a bit friendlier with humans, especially if that human is bearing booze.
For far too many times that he is comfortable counting, Willit has been the factor that both saved Tony's life and his case. the fact that Willit knows this is just a bit more lemon juice for the paper cut.