Who are the main characters in Cool Machine?

Main Characters

1. Ray Carney — A furniture salesman in Harlem with a long-running side hustle as a fence (dealer in stolen goods); family man, haunted by past losses, gets pulled back into crime when his wife Elizabeth needs funding. 2. Pepper — Ray’s friend and partner in crime since earlier novels; aging thief and enforcer, known for his dark humor and moral code among criminals; leads much of the middle section. 3. Elizabeth Carney — Ray’s wife; entrepreneurial, seeking to start a travel agency; her struggle with banks triggers Ray’s involvement in criminal schemes again. 4. Uncle Rich — Legendary criminal mastermind; Ray’s contact in the underworld; pulls Ray into a daring heist in the Waldorf Astoria to help Elizabeth. 5. Robert — Son of Ray’s late cousin Freddie; becomes central in part 3, when Ray risks everything to save him from being framed or worse. 6. The Melancholy Hitman — Antagonist in the middle section; ruthless killer chasing down items and leaving a trail of violence.