Introduced as a private detective for the Unamalgamated Ops agency in Milwaukee. He is a former strikebreaker who deeply regrets his violent past and currently searches for peace in a printed lecture course titled 'Oriental Attitude.' Hicks prefers dancing the Lindy Hop over physical confrontation and fiercely resents being assigned to matrimonial investigations. He struggles to maintain agency over his own life as bureaucratic forces, wealthy clients, and organized crime push him into unwanted assignments across the globe.

Introduced as a singer and dancer performing in late-night establishments around Milwaukee. April is romantically connected to Hicks McTaggart, bonding with him over experimental jazz and their shared talent on the dance floor. She harbors a specific fixation on married men, complicating her relationship with the single Hicks. Her connections to the local Italian community bring her to the attention of dangerous mob figures, placing both her and her partners at risk.

Introduced as the runaway daughter of a wealthy Wisconsin cheese magnate. Daphne escapes her chaotic family life by fleeing to Europe with a jazz clarinetist, prompting her parents to hire a detective agency to bring her back. She is resourceful but struggles with the emotional distance of her wealthy upbringing. Daphne acts on her own volition, running away from both the pressures of her family's questionable business practices and the men who seek to control her fortune.

Introduced as a jazz clarinetist playing for the swing band the Klezmopolitans. Hop initially exists only as a name to the detectives searching for him, characterized by Daphne's family as an obstacle to be removed. He focuses heavily on his music and travels across Europe playing a string of unusual nightclub engagements. His concert tours draw him directly into the covert world of European espionage.

Introduced as a young streetwise informant and petty offender who uses his involvement in the underground bowling scene to escape a difficult domestic situation. He idolizes Hicks McTaggart and harbors a strong desire to become a private detective when he grows up. Operating outside the boundaries of the law, he monitors stolen radio equipment to track gang movements and smuggling routes across the city.

Introduced as the 'Al Capone of Cheese,' a powerful magnate who vanishes from Milwaukee amid rumors of widespread dairy fraud. Bruno built his fortune partly on a radioactive cheese product that proved harmful to consumers. He is heavily targeted by international police and a global cheese syndicate, prioritizing his business schemes and survival over his relationships while utilizing expensive European anti-aging treatments on the run.

Introduced serving a 'Surprise Casserole' in his Milwaukee home. Lefty is a former police officer who raised his nephew after a family separation. He frequently dismisses critical newsreels and openly supports the rising fascist movement in Germany, viewing it as the political future and attempting to recruit his family members into right-wing circles.

Introduced living in Milwaukee with her husband. Peony took in her nephew after her sister ran away with a circus elephant trainer. She notices the spiritual changes in her family members and generally dismisses reports of the supernatural as simple parlor tricks.

Introduced managing the private investigators at the Unamalgamated Ops detective agency. Boynt attributes the shift toward matrimonial cases to the social effects of Prohibition. He maintains a cynical view of federal law enforcement and relentlessly pressures his employees to take assignments they actively dislike.

Introduced at the detective agency as a former vaudeville mentalist. Thessalie supplements her income by charging colleagues for advice on the supernatural. She provides investigative frameworks for understanding paranormal phenomena, specifically the concepts of objects disappearing and reappearing.

Introduced as a petty offender and snitch whose hooch wagon is blown up in the novel's opening pages. Stuffy survives the explosion and immediately goes into hiding to escape the escalating gang violence in Milwaukee. He utilizes stolen radio equipment and a repurposed Austro-Hungarian submarine to flee the city and return to his contraband-running ways.

Introduced as a dangerous local Mafia boss in Milwaukee. Don Peppino operates with severe intimidation tactics, sending heavily disguised henchmen to deliver explosive threats. He is aggressively possessive of his romantic interests and actively forces rivals out of the city through coordinated violence.

Introduced as an unreconstructed veteran of the Old West. Lew possesses a deep cynicism regarding the modern world and frequently plans to return to California. He teaches defensive gun maneuvers but warns others against pursuing metaphysical mysteries or seeking revelation in detective work.

Introduced as a former strikebreaker who previously mentored Hicks in using violence against labor protesters. Ooly embraces the rising fascist movement, changing his name to Ulrich, and attempts to recruit his old associates into the American Nazi party.

Introduced managing the fallout of her husband's disappearance from her luxury mansion. Vivacia focuses heavily on maintaining the family's public image amidst widespread dairy fraud accusations. She insists that detectives retrieve her runaway daughter without bringing back the jazz musician who accompanied her.

Introduced as a British spy working for the Secret Intelligence division MI3b. Operating under the guise of an extended world tour, Alf scouts for recruits and tracks international codebreakers across Europe. He observes the rising political tensions with a dark sense of humor.

Introduced aboard an ocean liner as a highly skilled espionage operative. Pip uses varied disguises and intelligence tactics to track targets across Europe. She frequently pities the civilians caught up in international spy games and dismisses supernatural claims as parlor tricks.

Introduced as a journalist researching an article about traveling the world on a Depression-era budget. Glow traverses the Atlantic and the European continent via an autogyro. She maintains a strong anti-fascist stance and intends to take up arms against rising political extremists.

Introduced as a notoriously unscrupulous dealer of used autogyros and an alleged jewel thief. Porfirio operates a diverse portfolio of criminal projects and frequently seeks out excuses to challenge other men to duels over perceived romantic slights involving his wife.

Introduced as an agent for the International Criminal Police Commission in Belgrade. Egon suffers from a severe cocaine habit that fuels his obsessive hunt for international cheese counterfeiters. He views law enforcement as a global geopolitical struggle and suffers intense frustration when his targets evade him.

Introduced in Budapest as a noted authority on the supernatural phenomena of objects disappearing and reappearing. The doctor operates his paranormal skills as a regular trade and hires mercenaries for protection. He requires physical assistance to retrieve mundane objects lost in magical transit.

Introduced as a glamorous Hungarian motorcycle courier and assistant to a paranormal doctor. Terike rejects her bourgeois upbringing and travels across the chaotic European borders on her motorcycle. She possesses a unique talent for passing through people in revolving doors and participates in dangerous cross-country rallies.

Introduced as a former right-hand enforcer who travels across Europe on a Harley Davidson. Ace flees his former employer and attempts to survive by performing dangerous stunts on the Wall of Death motorcycle attraction. His vehicle choice directly leads to his capture by antisemitic biker gangs.

Introduced as an American journalist working in Budapest. Slide drives an Alfa Romeo convertible and carries a camera to document supernatural events, though his film regularly turns up blank. He holds a deeply pessimistic view regarding the inevitability of a European war.

Introduced as an authentic Czechoslovakian miniature golem. Zdeněk adheres strictly to centuries of Jewish folklore and law passed down by rabbis. He operates with heavily modified physical capabilities, including an arm converted into a light machine gun, to protect targeted communities from extremist violence.

Introduced as the skipper of the U-13 submarine. Ernst is a veteran who aggressively rejected his military orders after witnessing wartime atrocities. He develops a deep psychical connection to his vessel and pivots his crew toward a career of non-belligerent smuggling and exile.