Alex Hoffmann is a tech analyst.
That may not sound that exciting but it pays the bills and the work is interesting to someone of Hoffmann's impressive intelligence. Unfortunately for her, someone wants her working on their behalf and she already has a job. They could have approached her with a better offer but because of who they are and their desire to not be noticed, they took a sneakier tact and used their behind-the-scenes influence to get her fired. And to keep her unemployed. Until she was getting desperate.
That is when they placed an advertisement for employment with 'The Agency'. Not the Agency spy fans would think. A different one. And though they might get a host of applicants, they were only interested in one - Hoffmann's. She wanted a job. They wanted her. What could be simpler? Considering the kinds of troubles that Alex will get herself into, and eventually out of, well, simple is not a word she would use that often any more.
The business she starts working for is a "corporate investigations agency", as she is reminded of in one way or another over time and something she seems to forget after each reminder. She is not a thrill seeker (just a finder) but she is tenacious and more importantly and dangerously, she is stubborn. She does not give up and since the people she tends to go after don't either, it makes for some exciting times.
Luckily for everyone involved on the good side, she is not only extremely resourceful as well as clever, she has more than a couple of highly inventive and capable colleagues.