MAXINE “MAX” DEVINE
Private Investigator | Photographer | Owner
Maxine “Max” Devine grew up around detective work long before she ever carried a business card. The daughter of respected Chicago private investigator Maxwell Devine, she spent much of her childhood tagging along on stakeouts, learning to observe people, and asking questions others overlooked.
While most kids were learning arithmetic, Max was learning the finer art of photography and clicking anything that had a story.
She also learned how to spot a lie from across a room.
Before becoming a private investigator, Max worked as a newspaper photographer, developing a keen eye for details that others missed. Her camera became more than a tool—it became a way of uncovering the truth. Whether she’s examining a crime scene, reviewing old newspaper archives, or documenting evidence, Max believes every photograph tells a story. The trick is figuring out which parts of that story people are trying to hide.
Following her father’s passing, Max inherited both his office and his reputation. From a modest third-floor office above Johnny’s Juke Joint, she continues the work he loved: helping ordinary people find answers when the police can’t—or won’t. Known for her determination, sharp instincts, and refusal to back down from a mystery, Max has built a reputation for seeing beyond headlines, assumptions, and half-truths.
When she’s not chasing leads across Chicago, you’ll usually find her behind a camera, buried in research, or drinking entirely too much coffee while trying to convince herself that the next clue is only one file away.
SAMUEL “SAMMY” CALLAHAN
Investigator | Office Manager | Professional Heavy Lifter
Samuel “Sammy” Callahan insists he is not a detective. He will happily tell anyone who asks that he’s simply helping out around the office. He answers phones, keeps an eye on things, organizes files, carries heavy objects, and occasionally persuades uncooperative individuals to reconsider their life choices. According to Sammy, that’s the extent of it.
A war veteran, Sammy served alongside Maxwell Devine in the U.S. Army, where both men were assigned to Military Police and later Criminal Investigation Division (CID) duties. Together they investigated theft, fraud, black-market activity, and other crimes that followed soldiers wherever armies gathered.
While Maxwell often led interviews and investigations, Sammy developed a reputation for his calm demeanor, keen instincts, and ability to earn the trust of witnesses who might otherwise stay silent. The partnership forged overseas would continue long after the war ended, eventually becoming one of the most trusted friendships either man would ever know.
Sammy has been part of the Devine Investigations family for years. After Maxwell’s passing, he remained at the agency to help Maxine continue the work her father started. His loyalty to both the Devine name and the people they serve has never been in question. If Maxine is the engine that drives an investigation, Sammy is often the steady hand that keeps everything from flying apart.
While he lacks Maxine’s enthusiasm for paperwork, photography, and newspaper archives, Sammy possesses a remarkable ability to understand people. He notices things others miss, remembers details that seem unimportant, and occasionally offers observations so insightful they leave everyone wondering. His usual response is a simple shrug followed by, “I read stuff.”
Despite his imposing size and intimidating appearance, Sammy is known among friends for his patience, kindness, and dry sense of humor. He’d rather solve a problem with a conversation than a confrontation, though most people don’t realize that until after they’ve met him. Around the office, he’s responsible for coffee consumption, practical advice, and ensuring that Maxine occasionally remembers to eat lunch.
SIMON REYNOLDS
Owner & Bartender, Johnny’s Juke Joint
Simon Reynolds is the owner and bartender of Johnny’s Juke Joint, one of Chicago’s finest establishments for live blues, strong whiskey, and unsolicited advice. A lifelong Chicagoan, Simon has spent years serving drinks, listening to stories, and learning more about people than most detectives ever will.
If you sit at his bar long enough, he’ll eventually learn your name, your favorite drink, and probably the reason you’re having a bad day.
Years ago, Simon purchased the struggling club with dreams of creating a place where musicians, workers, and neighborhood folks could gather without trouble. Unfortunately, a few local toughs had other ideas and expected regular “protection” payments. When the threats started, Maxwell Devine stepped in. By the time Maxwell finished asking questions, the troublemakers had suddenly discovered other neighborhoods to visit. Simon never forgot the favor, and the friendship that followed lasted a lifetime.
Today, Johnny’s Juke Joint serves as something of a second office for Devine Investigations. Simon keeps an eye on the neighborhood, hears things that never make it into newspapers, and occasionally points Maxine and Sammy in the right direction. He insists he doesn’t get involved in investigations. Maxine and Sammy insist otherwise.
When he’s not pouring whiskey or breaking up arguments, Simon can usually be found listening to River Angel and the Lake Street Ramblers, collecting stories from customers, and pretending he doesn’t know exactly what’s going on around him. Nobody believes that last part.
DETECTIVE BRENDAN DOYLE
Chicago Police Department
Detective Brendan Doyle has spent most of his adult life working the streets of Chicago. A veteran investigator with the Chicago Police Department, Doyle built his reputation through persistence, practical instincts, and a willingness to follow facts wherever they led. While not every case ended the way he wanted, Doyle learned early that doing the job right and surviving the politics that came with it were often two very different challenges.
Years before Maxine opened the doors of Devine Investigations, Doyle worked several cases alongside Maxwell Devine. The two men developed a mutual respect built on honesty, hard work, and an understanding that the truth mattered more than headlines. Doyle was one of the few detectives Maxwell trusted completely, and one of the few cops who never questioned Maxwell’s decision to leave the department and become a private investigator.
Although Maxwell is gone, Doyle remains one of Maxine’s most valuable contacts within the Chicago Police Department. Their relationship is often complicated. Doyle doesn’t always appreciate Maxine sticking her nose into active investigations, and Maxine doesn’t always appreciate Doyle’s habit of withholding information. Nevertheless, both understand they are usually working toward the same goal—even when they disagree about how to get there.
Known for his dry wit, stubborn determination, and ability to navigate the gray areas of Chicago politics, Doyle continues to walk the fine line between doing what’s right and doing what’s possible. In Chicago, those aren’t always the same thing.
RIVER ANGEL
Lead Vocalist – Lake Street Ramblers – Johnny’s Juke Joint
River Angel is the voice of Johnny’s Juke Joint and one of the most recognizable performers on Chicago’s South Side. Possessing a voice equal parts velvet, heartbreak, and trouble, she has spent years captivating audiences with blues songs that can make a crowded room fall silent or a lonely soul feel understood. Whether she’s performing a torch song, a blues standard, or a tune she’s still writing on the back of a napkin, River knows how to hold a room.
Off stage, River is known for being classy, sassy, but never trashy. She is quick with a joke, quicker with a comeback, and has little patience for fools. Regular customers have learned that trying to outsmart River is usually a losing proposition. Behind her warm smile and playful charm is a sharp mind that notices far more than most people realize.
As one of Johnny’s most popular performers, River has become part of the extended family surrounding Devine Investigations. Between rehearsals, performances, and conversations with customers, she hears stories, rumors, secrets, and gossip from every corner of the city. While she rarely considers herself an investigator, Maxine and Sammy have learned that River’s observations are often worth paying attention to.
When she’s not on stage, River can usually be found rehearsing with the Lake Street Ramblers, writing new lyrics, organizing sheet music, or enjoying a quiet cup of coffee before the evening crowd arrives. She claims she stays out of other people’s business. The evidence suggests otherwise.
JOHNNY’S JUKE JOINT
Live Blues • Strong Whiskey • Good Company Since 1938
Tucked beneath the offices of Devine Investigations, Johnny’s Juke Joint has been serving the South Side of Chicago for years as a gathering place for musicians, workers, dreamers, and anyone looking to escape the city’s troubles for a few hours. By day, it’s a quiet neighborhood bar where regulars nurse coffee, trade stories, and argue about baseball. By night, it transforms into one of the liveliest blues venues in the city.
Known for its live music, welcoming atmosphere, and surprisingly good whiskey selection, Johnny’s has earned a reputation as the kind of place where everyone eventually becomes a regular. Factory workers sit beside salesmen. Musicians share tables with reporters. Cops, cab drivers, dock workers, and businessmen all pass through the same doors. The music changes nightly, but the sense of community never does.
Tucked beneath the offices of Devine Investigations, Johnny’s Juke Joint has been serving the South Side of Chicago for years as a gathering place for musicians, workers, dreamers, and anyone looking to escape the city’s troubles for a few hours.
By day, it’s a quiet neighborhood bar where regulars nurse coffee, trade stories, and argue about baseball. By night, it transforms into one of the liveliest blues venues in the city.
Known for its live music, welcoming atmosphere, and surprisingly good whiskey selection, Johnny’s has earned a reputation as the kind of place where everyone eventually becomes a regular.
Factory workers sit beside salesmen. Musicians share tables with reporters. Cops, cab drivers, dock workers, and businessmen all pass through the same doors. The music changes nightly, but the sense of community never does.
Grab a seat, a drink, and enjoy the show.
