Ellen is the 35 year old heroine of the mystery series that bears her name. She lives in Encinitas, California and works in the Human Resources department of a biotechnology company. She's kind of a loner at the start of the series. Her parents are both dead (her mother quite recently). At the start of the series, she is best friends with a gay couple that own a bakery, but she hasn't had a date in three years. Ellen is a bit shy and somewhat passive. Although she doesn't feel sorry for herself, she's kind of lonely. She lives in a condominium that she's very proud of, as having earned enough money to buy it was a major accomplishment. She drives a Mini Cooper that she's owned for quite awhile. She could probably buy another car at this point, but she doesn't want to be bothered.

Watch Ellen's life evolve throughout the series, and see how the challenges that she encounters change her - for the better.