While still full of humor, Moore drew from his own experiences in tending to the needs of close family and friends in the stages of dying.

Charlie Asher, a "beta-male" (as opposed to "alpha-male") leads a satisfying life as the owner and proprietor of a second-hand store in San Francisco.

[1][unreliable source] In October A Dirty Job won the 2006 Quill Award in the category of General Fiction.

Mrs. Vladlena Korjev and Mrs. Ling: Middle-aged women who live in Charlie's building and frequently care for Sophie while providing comic relief.

A few characters from Moore's earlier novels participate in this story: Minty Fresh from Coyote Blue and, because of the story's San Francisco setting (where Bloodsucking Fiends took place), Jody (unnamed in a cameo appearance), The Emperor (and his two "soldiers", Bummer and Lazarus), and detectives Alphonse Rivera and Nick Cavuto.