When the story begins, the reader sees Mickey Fitzpatrick as a 32-year-old veteran of the Philadelphia Police Force. As the narrator, she shifts between her present as an officer and her past as an Irish American girl growing up with her sister in the economically depressed district of Kensington. Mickey is different in every possible way from her family and friends. She is tall, dark, and introverted, unlike her sister. Also, unlike practically everyone else in the neighborhood, she doesn’t do drugs, wants to get an education, and aspires to a better future for herself and her son.

Mickey’s chief concern over the course of the novel is to find Kacey, who has gone missing at the same time that a serial killer is stalking the district. Because Mickey is frequently self-righteous and judgmental, both these qualities tend to alienate Kacey and make her want to keep away from Mickey. However, as the big sister, Mickey’s one aim in life is to keep her sister safe. By the end of the story, she not only finds her sister but also finds a way help her break her addiction to drugs for good. In terms of the plot, Mickey represents someone who has successfully escaped Kensington’s drug culture.