Congressman Jerry Sharpe

Jerry is a broken man. As a teenager, he lost his mother to a violent crime in the family home. His mother's best friend took him in, and he managed to cobble together a successful life from a prosecutor to a newly-minted Congressman representing rural upstate New York. This strapping, self-made man believes he discovers evidence that points to the blue blood family that vacations in his neck of the woods every summer. This discovery throws Jerry into a fury that makes him willing to lose it all in order to avenge his mother’s death.

Skylar "Sky" Nicholson

Sky has been through a lot lately. A nasty divorce that left her empty. A professional disaster which cost her a career at The New York Times. A rekindled love affair with her nemesis - the brandy old-fashioned. In a bid to restore her credibility, Sky has just begun a new career at D.C.'s popular on-line news outlet, The Thread. Her reporting on increasing violent crime in the beltway brings her to a Freshman Congressman’s doorstep at a very sensitive time.

Mildred Hawthorne

Mildred is the rock that supports the entire Hawthorne business empire. Of old money, this blue blood took the helm of her late husband's empire the day after they married. She is shrewd, unfazed and cruel. She tries to grasp her new reality as someone starts to tear the branches off of her family tree. Could her late husband be the cause of all this violence?

Abigayle Sullivan

Abigayle, or Abby to those who know her, is Skylar’s University of Virginia sorority sister who re-enters Sky’s life as she continues to struggle with addiction and self inflicted wounds. Abby is the sane voice in a chorus of chaos in D.C.

Chris Patterson

Chris is Jerry Sharpe's "golden retriever." He is the only intern assigned to Congressman Sharpe, and is eager to do the best job in the world. An Eagle Scout himself, Chris serves as Sharpe's researcher, advance man, copy boy, tech support, and to his surprise, even as his chief of staff when the mood hit his boss. This oversized puppy gets tangled up in the violent clash between Sharpe and Hawthorne. What role does he play in Sharpe’s unraveling?

Jane Robertson

Jane is a kind soul who welcomed her best friend's broken child into her home after tragedy struck. She has left her lifelong home in Montour Falls, NY to serve as Congressman Sharpe's Office Assistant. She has tried to serve as Jerry's surrogate mother, to guide him and coach him to adjust to a new and better life after his mom's murder. She doubts she has been successful.

Tyler Hawthorne

Tyler is the first born son to Mildred and Gerald and heir to the Hawthorne empire. He is a strapping man - tall, fit and handsome, like his father. He exudes power, and has used his position in life to bully others and get what he wants. He thought he knew what power was, until he finds himself face to face with Jerry Sharpe.

Hunter Hawthorne

Never quite able to emerge from the shadow of his older brother Tyler, Hunter does not embody the name. Petite and feeble, Hunter is the twin brother to his more charismatic and interesting sister, Caroline. In fact, Hunter is a smaller, less imposing version of his mother, Mildred. A man with no style, no energy, and no chance. He leans on his sister in nearly every manner and certainly swims in the shallow end of the gene pool.

Caroline Hawthorne

Even though Caroline is the baby sister, Caroline is the fraternal twin to her brother Hunter. The two of them have a tight, albeit unusual relationship, and her brother lovingly refers to her as “C”. While the chandelier set sticks to the greys of the world, “C” is the black sheep of the family, eccentric and unique, and unafraid to buck the family's traditions. Some say she walks to the beat of a different drummer. Her mother would say she doesn't hear the drum.

Shannon O'Donnell

Shannon is always in the background, minding the needs of the Hawthorne family. Maid and assistant to Mildred Hawthorne, Shannon has access to things that happen behind closed doors. Does she have secrets of her own?

Ramon Contreras

Ramon is more than a doorman for the Good Samaritan bar and grill. Ramon is a retired police officer, a kind and thoughtful soul who truly enjoys his role in life. Ramon has befriended Skylar and is willing to provide recon for her during the many political fundraisers at the restaurant. Skylar has grown closer to Ramon than she thought, assisting him with navigating the complex world of health care for his ailing wife. Ramon may be the closest thing she has had to a doting grandfather.

Gerald Hawthorne

While the late Gerald Hawthorne was technically the head of the family’s mining and manufacturing empire, he left the actual work to his capable wife, Mildred. Gerald preferred to see the world, go on safaris, and hunt other game - those of the female persuasion.

Henrico Polzinetti

Henrico is a long-time small town reporter from Watkins Glen, his career starting in local sports coverage but evolving to covering local campaigns. Polzinetti is rather worldly, having served in the U.S. Army with several tours in the Middle East. Henrico as been a long-standing thorn in Jerry Sharpe's side throughout his ascension to the Congressional seat. He befriends Sky and becomes somewhat of a mentor to her as she regains her footing in the world of reporting.

Francis "Frankie" Dominico

Frankie is the cornerstone of Montour Falls, NY. He has been the key business developer in the region, successfully bringing retail, housing, and his favorite shop - The Donut Shop to town. He is seen as the un-elected leader in town, and his investments and demeanor have earned him respect in his community. He has a financial interest in the housing development next to the Clipper Inn

Jim Savage

Jim is the proud owner of the seedy Clipper Inn, a down trodden motel that rents out rooms by the hour. His motel sits on the border of Montour Falls and Watkins Glen, next to the future location of a significant housing development. Jim has had lost at least one physical altercation with Jerry Sharpe.