Fictional detectives are

character Character or Characters may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Literature * ''Character'' (novel), a 1936 Dutch novel by Ferdinand Bordewijk * ''Characters'' (Theophrastus), a classical Greek set of character sketches attributed to The ...

s in

detective fiction Detective fiction is a subgenre of crime fiction and mystery fiction in which an investigator or a detective—whether professional, amateur or retired—investigates a crime, often murder. The detective genre began around the same time as spec ...

. These individuals have long been a staple of

detective A detective is an investigator, usually a member of a law enforcement agency. They often collect information to solve crimes by talking to witnesses and informants, collecting physical evidence, or searching records in databases. This leads t ...

mystery

crime fiction Crime fiction, detective story, murder mystery, mystery novel, and police novel are terms used to describe narratives that centre on criminal acts and especially on the investigation, either by an amateur or a professional detective, of a crime, ...

, particularly in detective novels and short stories. Much of early detective fiction was written during the "

Golden Age of Detective Fiction The Golden Age of Detective Fiction was an era of classic murder mystery novels of similar patterns and styles, predominantly in the 1920s and 1930s. The Golden Age proper is, in practice, usually taken to refer to a type of fiction which was pred ...

" (1920s–1930s). These detectives include amateurs,

private investigator A private investigator (often abbreviated to PI and informally called a private eye), a private detective, or inquiry agent is a person who can be hired by individuals or groups to undertake investigatory law services. Private investigators of ...

s and professional

police The police are a constituted body of persons empowered by a state, with the aim to enforce the law, to ensure the safety, health and possessions of citizens, and to prevent crime and civil disorder. Their lawful powers include arrest a ...

men. They are often popularized as individual characters rather than parts of the fictional work in which they appear. Stories involving individual detectives are well-suited to dramatic presentation, resulting in many popular theatre, television, and film characters. The first famous detective in fiction was

Edgar Allan Poe Edgar Allan Poe (; Edgar Poe; January 19, 1809 – October 7, 1849) was an American writer, poet, editor, and literary critic. Poe is best known for his poetry and short stories, particularly his tales of mystery and the macabre. He is wide ...

's C. Auguste Dupin. Later, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes became the most famous example and remains so to this day. The detectives are often accompanied by a

Dr. Watson John H. Watson, known as Dr. Watson, is a fictional character in the Sherlock Holmes stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Along with Sherlock Holmes, Dr. Watson first appeared in the novel ''A Study in Scarlet'' (1887). The last work by Doyle f ...

–like assistant or narrator.

Types

Fictional detectives generally fit one of four archetypes: * ''The amateur detective'' (Miss Marple, Jessica Fletcher, Lord Peter Wimsey); From outside the field of criminal investigation, but gifted with knowledge, curiosity, desire for justice, etc. * ''The private investigator'' (Cordelia, Holmes, Marlowe, Spade, Poirot, Magnum, Millhone); Works professionally in criminal and civic investigations, but outside the criminal justice system. * ''The police detective'' (Dalgliesh, Kojak, Morse, Columbo, Alleyn, Maigret); Part of an official investigative body, charged with solving crimes. * ''The forensic specialist'' (Scarpetta, Quincy, Cracker, CSI teams, Thorndyke); Affiliated with investigative body, officially tasked with specialized scientific results rather than solving the crime as a whole. Notable fictional detectives and their creators include:

Amateur detectives

* Misir Ali – part-time professor of psychology at

University of Dhaka The University of Dhaka (also known as Dhaka University, or DU) is a public research university located in Dhaka, Bangladesh. It is the oldest university in Bangladesh. The university opened its doors to students on July 1st 1921. Currently i ...

, created by

Humayun Ahmed Humayun Ahmed (; 13 November 1948 – 19 July 2012) was a Bangladeshi novelist, dramatist, screenwriter, filmmaker, songwriter, scholar, and professor. His breakthrough was his debut novel '' Nondito Noroke'' published in 1972. He wrote over 200 ...

* Arjun – young detective from

Jalpaiguri Jalpaiguri is a city in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is the headquarters of the Jalpaiguri district as well as of the Jalpaiguri division of West Bengal, covering the jurisdiction of the five districts of North Bengal. The city is loc ...

in West Bengal, created by Samaresh Majumdar *

P. K. Basu P. K. Basu is a fictional detective character created by Bengali writer Narayan Sanyal. These detective stories are popularly known as the ''Kanta'' (Thorn) series. Some of the stories were inspired from the novels of Erle Stanley Gardner and Aga ...

– criminal lawyer, created by

Narayan Sanyal Narayan Sanyal (26 April 1924 – 7 February 2005) was an Indian writer of modern Bengali literature as well as a civil engineer. Biography Narayan Sanyal was born in Krishnagar to Chittasukh Sanyal and Basantalata Devi. His name was initial ...

* Trixie Belden – teen detective, created by Julie Campbell Tatham *

Boston Blackie Boston Blackie is a fictional character created by author Jack Boyle (1881–1928). Blackie, a jewel thief and safecracker in Boyle's stories, became a detective in adaptations for films, radio and television—an "enemy to those who make him ...

– reformed jewel thief, created by Jack Boyle * Rosemary Boxer – with Laura Thyme, gardening detective, created by

Brian Eastman Brian Eastman (born 3 September 1949, Brighton, UK) is a producer of feature films (such as '' Shadowlands'' and '' Under Suspicion''), television drama (such as ''Agatha Christie's Poirot'' and ''Jeeves and Wooster''), and stage productions (such ...

* Beatrice Adela Lestrange Bradley – widowed socialite, created by

Gladys Mitchell Gladys Maude Winifred Mitchell (21 April 1901 – 27 July 1983) was an English writer best known for her creation of Mrs Bradley, the heroine of 66 detective novels. She also wrote under the pseudonyms Stephen Hockaby and Malcolm Torrie. Fê ...

Father Brown Father Brown is a fictional Roman Catholic priest and amateur detective who is featured in 53 short stories published between 1910 and 1936 written by English author G. K. Chesterton. Father Brown solves mysteries and crimes using his intuiti ...

– Catholic priest, created by English novelist G. K. Chesterton. Stars in 51 detective short stories *

Encyclopedia Brown ''Encyclopedia Brown'' is a series of books featuring the adventures of boy detective Leroy Brown, nicknamed "Encyclopedia" for his intelligence and range of knowledge. The series of 29 children's novels was written (one co-written) by Donald ...

– boy detective Leroy Brown, nicknamed "Encyclopedia" for his intelligence and range of knowledge. *

Cadfael Brother Cadfael is the main fictional character in a series of historical murder mysteries written between 1977 and 1994 by the linguist-scholar Edith Pargeter under the name "Ellis Peters". The character of Cadfael himself is a Welsh Bened ...

– early 12th-century monk solves murders and social problems, created by

Ellis Peters Edith Mary Pargeter (28 September 1913 – 14 October 1995), also known by her ''nom de plume'' Ellis Peters, was an English author of works in many categories, especially history and historical fiction, and was also honoured for her translat ...

, also known as

Edith Pargeter Edith Mary Pargeter (28 September 1913 – 14 October 1995), also known by her ''nom de plume'' Ellis Peters, was an English author of works in many categories, especially history and historical fiction, and was also honoured for her translat ...

. *

Jonathan Creek ''Jonathan Creek'' is a long-running British mystery crime drama series produced by the BBC and written by David Renwick. It stars Alan Davies as the titular character, who works as a creative consultant to a stage magician while also solvi ...

– creative consultant to a magician, in a British TV series by the same name, written by

David Renwick David Peter Renwick (; born 4 September 1951) is an English author, television writer, actor, director and executive producer, best known for creation of the sitcom ''One Foot in the Grave'' and the mystery series ''Jonathan Creek''. He was awar ...

. *

Nancy Drew Nancy Drew is a Fictional character, fictional character appearing in several Mystery fiction, mystery book series, movies, and a TV show as a teenage amateur sleuth. The books are ghostwriter, ghostwritten by a number of authors and published ...

– High school sleuth, created by

Edward Stratemeyer Edward L. Stratemeyer (; October 4, 1862 – May 10, 1930) was an American publisher, writer of children's fiction, and founder of the Stratemeyer Syndicate. He was one of the most prolific writers in the world, producing in excess of 1,300 ...

. * C. Auguste Dupin – upper class character created by

. Dupin made his first appearance in Poe's "

The Murders in the Rue Morgue "The Murders in the Rue Morgue" is a short story by Edgar Allan Poe published in ''Graham's Magazine'' in 1841. It has been described as the first modern detective story; Poe referred to it as one of his "tales of ratiocination". C. Auguste D ...

" (1841), widely considered the first

story. * Dr Gideon Fell – "lexicographer" and drinker, created by

John Dickson Carr John Dickson Carr (November 30, 1906 – February 27, 1977) was an American author of detective stories, who also published using the pseudonyms Carter Dickson, Carr Dickson, and Roger Fairbairn. He lived in England for a number of years, and i ...

Sister Fidelma The Sister Fidelma mysteries are a series of historical mystery novels and short stories by Peter Tremayne (pseudonym of Peter Berresford Ellis) about a fictional detective who is the eponymous heroine of a series. Fidelma is both a ''dalaigh'' ...

– A Celtic nun in the 7th century who solves mysteries, by

Peter Berresford Ellis Peter Berresford Ellis (born 10 March 1943) is a British historian, literary biographer, and novelist who has published over 98 books to date either under his own name or his pseudonyms Peter Tremayne and Peter MacAlan. He has also published 10 ...

The Famous Five (novel series) ''The Famous Five'' is a series of children's adventure novels and short stories written by English author Enid Blyton. The first book, '' Five on a Treasure Island'', was published in 1942. The novels feature the adventures of a group of you ...

- Kid detectives and her pet dog created by

Enid Blyton Enid Mary Blyton (11 August 1897 – 28 November 1968) was an English children's writer, whose books have been worldwide bestsellers since the 1930s, selling more than 600 million copies. Her books are still enormously popular and have be ...

. *

Jessica Fletcher Jessica Beatrice "J. B." Fletcher (born Jessica Beatrice MacGill) is a detective show character and the protagonist on the American television series ''Murder, She Wrote''. Portrayed by award-winning actress Angela Lansbury, Fletcher is a bes ...

– writer, created by

William Link William Theodore Link (December 15, 1933 – December 27, 2020) was an American film and television screenwriter and producer who often worked in collaboration with Richard Levinson. Biography Early life Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania ...

and

Richard Levinson Richard Leighton Levinson (August 7, 1934 – March 12, 1987) was an American screenwriter and producer who often worked in collaboration with William Link. Life and career Levinson was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He attended the Unive ...

for ''

Murder, She Wrote ''Murder, She Wrote'' is an American crime drama television series, created by Peter S. Fischer, Richard Levinson and William Link, starring Angela Lansbury, and produced and distributed by Universal Television for the CBS network. The ser ...

'' TV series (1984–1996) *

Pandab Goenda Pandab Goenda is a fictional detective novel series created by Bengali novelist Sasthipada Chattopadhyay. The stories of Pandab Goenda are well known and popular in Bengali Children's literature. Characters Pandab Goenda is a detective gang of f ...

– team of five child detectives, created by Sasthipada Chattopadhyay *

Gogol Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol; uk, link=no, Мико́ла Васи́льович Го́голь, translit=Mykola Vasyliovych Hohol; (russian: Яновский; uk, Яновський, translit=Yanovskyi) ( – ) was a Russian novelist, ...

– teenage detective, created by

Samaresh Basu Samaresh Basu (11 December 1924 – 12 March 1988) was a writer in modern Bengali literature, known for his versatility and vast range of themes. He wrote under the pen name ''Kalkut''. Basu was awarded the 1980 Sahitya Akademi Award in Bengal ...

Beverly Gray The Beverly Gray Mystery Stories, comprising 26 novels published between 1934 and 1955, were written by Clair Blank whose pen name was Clarissa Mabel Blank Moyer. The series began as a series of school stories, and followed Beverly's progress t ...

– protagonist of the Beverly Gray Mystery series by Clair Blank *

Cordelia Gray Cordelia Gray is a fictional character created by English author P. D. James. Gray is the protagonist of two novels, ''An Unsuitable Job for a Woman'' and of ''The Skull Beneath the Skin''. Cordelia Gray is a young woman who works as a private dete ...

– private detective in London in novels and TV by P. D. James *

The Hardy Boys The Hardy Boys, brothers Frank and Joe Hardy, are fictional characters who appear in several mystery series for children and teens. The series revolves around teenagers who are amateur sleuths, solving cases that stumped their adult counterp ...

– Sibling high school sleuths, (Frank & Joe) created by

. * Jonathan & Jennifer Hart – millionaire couple, created by

Sidney Sheldon Sidney Sheldon (February 11, 1917 – January 30, 2007) was an American writer. He was prominent in the 1930s, first working on Broadway plays, and then in motion pictures, notably writing the successful comedy '' The Bachelor and the Bobby-Sox ...

Patrick Jane Patrick Jane is a fictional character and the protagonist of the CBS crime drama ''The Mentalist'', portrayed by Simon Baker. Jane is an independent consultant for the California Bureau of Investigation, and helps by giving advice and insight fro ...

– con artist, created by

Bruno Heller Bruno Heller (born 13 January 1960) is an English screenwriter, producer and director. He is known for creating the HBO television series ''Rome'' and CBS television series '' The Mentalist''. He has produced the TV series '' Gotham'', based ...

for ''

The Mentalist ''The Mentalist'' is an American drama television series that ran from September 23, 2008, until February 18, 2015, broadcasting 151 episodes over seven seasons, on CBS. Created by Bruno Heller, who was also its executive producer, the show f ...

'' TV series *

Jagga Jasoos ''Jagga Jasoos'' () is a 2017 Indian Hindi-language musical adventure comedy film written and directed by Anurag Basu, and produced by Siddharth Roy Kapur, Basu and Ranbir Kapoor. It stars Kapoor and Katrina Kaif, and tells the story of a teena ...

– young detective, created by

Anurag Basu Anurag Basu (born 8 May 1974) is an Indian director, screenwriter, actor and producer. He began his directing career in television, moving to feature films in 2002. Basu achieved initial success with his films tackling the themes of passion and ...

for the eponymous film *

Al Moghameron Al Khamsa Al Moghameron Al Khamsa (), is a series of children's adventure books written by Egyptian author Mahmoud Salem. It was depicted in a miniseries aired in Television in Egypt, Egyptian television starring Salah Zulfikar in 1972. The first book, ''ل ...

(The Five Adventurers or The Adventurous Five) - kid detectives created by

Egypt Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Med ...

ian writer

Mahmoud Salem Mahmoud Salem ( ar, محمود سالم) (1931–24 February 2013) was an Egyptian author known for writing mystery and children's books, including the Al Moghameron Al Khamsa adventure series. He has been referred to as the ''Godfather of Egyp ...

. * Jayanta & Manik – amateur detective duo created by

Bengali Bengali or Bengalee, or Bengalese may refer to: *something of, from, or related to Bengal, a large region in South Asia * Bengalis, an ethnic and linguistic group of the region * Bengali language, the language they speak ** Bengali alphabet, the ...

novelist Hemendra Kumar Roy *

Kakababu Kakababu (alias Raja Roy Chowdhury) is a fictional character created by Bengali author Sunil Gangopadhyay. The series, falling under the adventure genre of literature, targeted at children and teenagers, started in the autumn of 1979 with th ...

– former director of the

Archaeological Survey of India The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) is an Indian government agency that is responsible for archaeological research and the conservation and preservation of cultural historical monuments in the country. It was founded in 1861 by Alexand ...

, created by

Sunil Gangopadhyay Sunil Gangopadhyay or Sunil Ganguly (7 September 1934 – 23 October 2012) was an Indian poet, historian and novelist in the Bengali language based in the city of Kolkata. He is a former Sheriff of Calcutta. Gangopadhyay obtained his m ...

Sally Lockhart Veronica Beatrice "Sally" Lockhart (later Goldberg) is a fictional character in a series of books by Philip Pullman. Sally Lockhart is a dazzling 16-year-old, middle-class orphan whose father taught her a variety of useful things: accounting, ma ...

– teenage girl, created by

Philip Pullman Sir Philip Nicholas Outram Pullman (born 19 October 1946) is an English writer. His books include the fantasy trilogy '' His Dark Materials'' and ''The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ'', a fictionalised biography of Jesus. In 2008, ''Th ...

Miss Marple Miss Marple is a fictional character in Agatha Christie's crime novels and short stories. Jane Marple lives in the village of St. Mary Mead and acts as an amateur consulting detective. Often characterized as an elderly spinster, she is one of ...

– a small town old spinster who solves a number of crimes using common sense, created by

Agatha Christie Dame Agatha Mary Clarissa Christie, Lady Mallowan, (; 15 September 1890 – 12 January 1976) was an English writer known for her 66 detective novels and 14 short story collections, particularly those revolving around fictiona ...

Veronica Mars ''Veronica Mars'' is an American teen noir mystery drama television series created by screenwriter Rob Thomas. The series is set in the fictional town of Neptune, California, and stars Kristen Bell as the eponymous character. The series prem ...

– school girl whose father is a private detective, created by Rob Thomas *

Amelia Peabody Amelia Peabody Emerson is the protagonist of the Amelia Peabody series, a series of historical mystery novels written by author Elizabeth Peters (a pseudonym of Egyptologist Barbara Mertz, 1927–2013). Peabody is married to Egyptologist Radclif ...

– Egyptologist who solves a variety of dastardly crimes in turn-of-the-century Egypt, created by

Elizabeth Peters Barbara Louise Mertz (September 29, 1927 – August 8, 2013) was an American author who wrote under her own name as well as under the pseudonyms Elizabeth Peters and Barbara Michaels. In 1952, she received a PhD in Egyptology from the Univers ...

. *

Ellery Queen Ellery Queen is a pseudonym created in 1929 by American crime fiction writers Frederic Dannay and Manfred Bennington Lee and the name of their main fictional character, a mystery writer in New York City who helps his police inspector father solve ...

– author and editor of a magazine, created by two writers, using the pseudonym

Easy Rawlins Easy may refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television * ''Easy'' (film), a 2003 American romantic comedy film *'' Easy!'', or ''Scialla!'', a 2011 Italian comedy film * ''Easy'' (TV series), a 2016–2019 American comedy-drama anthology ...

– black WWII veteran from Houston. All stories take place in Los Angeles during the 50s & 60s. Created by

Walter Mosley Walter Ellis Mosley (born January 12, 1952) is an American novelist, most widely recognized for his crime fiction. He has written a series of best-selling historical mysteries featuring the hard-boiled detective Easy Rawlins, a black private i ...

. *

Joseph Rouletabille Joseph Rouletabille () is a fictional character created by Gaston Leroux, a French writer and journalist. Rouletabille is a journalist and amateur sleuth featured in several novels and other works, often presented as a more capable thinker than t ...

– journalist created by French writer

Gaston Leroux Gaston Louis Alfred Leroux (6 May 186815 April 1927) was a French journalist and author of detective fiction. In the English-speaking world, he is best known for writing the novel '' The Phantom of the Opera'' (french: Le Fantôme de l'Opéra, ...

. Main character in '' The Mystery of the Yellow Room''. *

Niladri Sarkar Niladri Sarkar or Colonel Niladri Sarkar is a fictional detective character created by Bengali novelist Syed Mustafa Siraj. Some of the Colonel stories written for children were translated into English. Character Niladri Sarkar is a retired Col ...

– retired Colonel, naturist and amateur investigator, created by Bengali writer

Syed Mustafa Siraj Syed Mustafa Siraj (14 October 1930 – 4 September 2012) was an eminent Indian writer. In 1994, he received the Sahitya Akademi Award for his novel '' Mythical Man'' (''Aleek Manush''), considered his most lauded work. In 2005, his short stor ...

* Laura Thyme – with Rosemary Boxer, gardening detective, created by

* Dr. John Thorndyke – medical doctor who trained to become a forensic specialist, created by R. Austin Freeman *

Philip Trent ''Trent's Last Case'' is a detective novel written by E. C. Bentley and first published in 1913. Its central character, the artist and amateur detective Philip Trent, reappeared subsequently in the novel ''Trent's Own Case'' (1936), and the sho ...

– gentleman sleuth, created by E. C. Bentley * Professor Augustus S. F. X. Van Dusen – created by Jacques Futrelle *

Hetty Wainthropp Hetty or Hettie is a female first name, often a diminutive form (hypocorism) of Henrietta. Hetty may refer to: People * Hetty Balkenende (born 1939), Dutch former freestyle and synchronized swimmer *Hettie Vyrine Barnhill, (born 1984), Americ ...

– retired working-class woman, created by David Cook *

Lord Peter Wimsey Lord Peter Death Bredon Wimsey (later 17th Duke of Denver) is the fictional protagonist in a series of detective novels and short stories by Dorothy L. Sayers (and their continuation by Jill Paton Walsh). A dilettante who solves mysteries ...

– wealthy English gentleman, created by

Dorothy L. Sayers Dorothy Leigh Sayers (; 13 June 1893 – 17 December 1957) was an English crime writer and poet. She was also a student of classical and modern languages. She is best known for her mysteries, a series of novels and short stories set between th ...

, assisted by his valet (and batman from WW1) Bunter and then Harriet Vane *

Kyoko Kirigiri is a fictional character from the Spike Chunsoft visual novel action-adventure game series ''Danganronpa''. She was introduced in the 2010 game '' Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc'' as a high school student and "Ultimate ???" of Hope's Peak Acad ...

- a former detective from the game Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc *

Shuichi Saihara The following is a list of characters from the Spike Chunsoft video game series ''Danganronpa''. The series follows the students of Hope's Peak Academy who are forced into a life of mutual killing by a sadistic teddy bear named Monokuma. The seri ...

- main detective and second

protagonist A protagonist () is the main character of a story. The protagonist makes key decisions that affect the plot, primarily influencing the story and propelling it forward, and is often the character who faces the most significant obstacles. If a st ...

in Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony

Private investigators

* David Addison in ''Moonlighting'' – created by Glenn Gordon Caron * Angel (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) – Vampire with a soul and private investigator in Los Angeles *

Byomkesh Bakshi Byomkesh Bakshi is an Indian-Bengali fictional detective created by Sharadindu Bandyopadhyay. Referring to himself as a "truth-seeker" or Satyanweshi in the stories, Bakshi is known for his proficiency with observation, logical reasoning, and ...

– created by

Sharadindu Bandyopadhyay Sharadindu Bandyopadhyay (30 March 1899 – 22 September 1970) was an Indian Bengali-language writer. He was actively involved with Bengali cinema as well as Bollywood. The creator of the Bengali detective Byomkesh Bakshi, Sharadindu compos ...

* Goenda Baradacharan – created by

Shirshendu Mukhopadhyay Shirshendu Mukhopadhyay ( bn, শীর্ষেন্দু মুখোপাধ্যায়; born 2 November 1935) is a Bengali author from India. He has written stories for both adults and children. He is known for creating the relativel ...

* Parashor Barma – created by

Premendra Mitra Premendra Mitra (4 September 1904 – 3 May 1988)Samsad Bengali Charitabhidhan Vol.II edited Anjali Bose, Published by Sagitta Samsad, Kolkata, Edition January,2019,Page-240 was an Indian poet, writer and film director in the Bengali language. ...

Batman Batman is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in the 27th issue of the comic book '' Detective Comics'' on March 30, 1939 ...

– World's Greatest Detective in the

DC Universe The DC Universe (DCU) is the fictional shared universe where most stories in American comic book titles published by DC Comics take place. Superheroes such as Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Robin, Martian Manhunter, The Flash, Green Lante ...

– created by

Bob Kane Robert Kane (born Robert Kahn ; October 24, 1915 – November 3, 1998) was an American comic book writer, animator and artist who co-created Batman (with Bill Finger) and most early related characters for DC comics. He was inducted into the comi ...

and

Bill Finger Milton "Bill" Finger (February 8, 1914 – January 18, 1974) was an American comic strip, comic book, film and television writer who was the co-creator (with Bob Kane) of the DC Comics character Batman. Despite making major (sometimes, signatu ...

* Tommy and Tuppence Beresford – created by

Jackson Brodie Kate Atkinson (born 20 December 1951) is an English writer of novels, plays and short stories. She is known for creating the Jackson Brodie series of detective novels, which has been adapted into the BBC One series '' Case Histories''. She ...

– created by Kate Atkinson * Nestor Burma – created by Léo Malet *

Albert Campion Albert Campion is a fictional character in a series of detective novels and short stories by Margery Allingham. He first appeared as a supporting character in '' The Crime at Black Dudley'' (1929), an adventure story involving a ring of criminals ...

– created by

Margery Allingham Margery Louise Allingham (20 May 1904 – 30 June 1966) was an English novelist from the "Golden Age of Detective Fiction", and considered one of its four "Queens of Crime", alongside Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers and Ngaio Marsh. All ...

* Pepe Carvalho – created by

Manuel Vázquez Montalbán Manuel Vázquez Montalbán (14 June 1939–18 October 2003) was a prolific Spanish writer from Catalonia: journalist, novelist, poet, essayist, anthologue, prologist, humorist, critic and political prisoner as well as a gastronome and a FC ...

Richard Castle Richard Edgar "Rick" Castle (born Richard Alexander Rodgers) is a fictional character on the ABC crime series ''Castle''. He is portrayed by Nathan Fillion. The name Richard Castle is also used as a pseudonym under which a set of real books a ...

– Very successful novelist and private investigator * Nick & Nora Charles – created by

Dashiell Hammett Samuel Dashiell Hammett (; May 27, 1894 – January 10, 1961) was an American writer of hard-boiled detective novels and short stories. He was also a screenwriter and political activist. Among the enduring characters he created are Sam Spade (' ...

Dipak Chatterjee Dipak Chatterjee is a fictional detective character created by Bengali writer Samarendranath Pandey under his pen name Swapan Kumar. The series of his stories were well known in the sub altern culture of Kolkata and most popular pulp fiction to ...

– created by Swapan Kumar *

Elvis Cole Robert Crais (pronounced ) (born June 20, 1953) is an American author of detective fiction. Crais began his career writing scripts for television shows such as ''Hill Street Blues'', ''Cagney & Lacey'', '' Quincy'', ''Miami Vice'' and '' L.A. Law ...

– created by

Robert Crais Robert Crais (pronounced ) (born June 20, 1953) is an American author of detective fiction. Crais began his career writing scripts for television shows such as '' Hill Street Blues'', '' Cagney & Lacey'', '' Quincy'', '' Miami Vice'' and '' L.A. ...

Bulldog Drummond Hugh "Bulldog" Drummond is a fictional character, created by H. C. McNeile and published under his pen name "Sapper". Following McNeile's death in 1937, the novels were continued by Gerard Fairlie. Drummond is a First World War veteran who, ...

– created by H. C. McNeile *

Feluda Feluda, or Prodosh Chandra Mitra

itter Itter is a municipality in the Kitzbühel District in the Austrian state of Tyrol located 18.60 km west of Kitzbühel, 5 km southeast of Wörgl, and 2.5 km north of Hopfgarten im Brixental. The village lies on a terrace above ...

is a fictional detective, Private investigator created by famous Indian director and writer Satyajit Ray. Feluda resides at 21 Rajani Sen Road, Ballygunge, Calcutta, West Bengal. Feluda first made his a ...

– created by

Satyajit Ray Satyajit Ray (; 2 May 1921 – 23 April 1992) was an Indian director, screenwriter, documentary filmmaker, author, essayist, lyricist, magazine editor, illustrator, calligrapher, and music composer. One of the greatest auteurs o ...

Phryne Fisher The Honourable Phryne Fisher ( ), often called "Miss Fisher", is the main character in Australian author Kerry Greenwood's series of Phryne Fisher detective novels. The character later appeared in a television series called ''Miss Fisher's Murd ...

– created by

Kerry Greenwood Kerry Isabelle Greenwood (born 1954) is an Australian author and lawyer. She has written many plays and books, most notably a string of historical detective novels centred on the character of Phryne Fisher, which was adapted as the popular tel ...

Ganesh Ganesha ( sa, गणेश, ), also known as Ganapati, Vinayaka, and Pillaiyar, is one of the best-known and most worshipped deities in the Hindu pantheon and is the Supreme God in Ganapatya sect. His image is found throughout India. Hindu ...

– created by Sujatha *

Garret A garret is a habitable attic, a living space at the top of a house or larger residential building, traditionally, small, dismal, and cramped, with sloping ceilings. In the days before elevators this was the least prestigious position in a bui ...

– created by

Glen Cook Glen Charles Cook (born July 9, 1944) is an American writer of fantasy and science fiction, known for ''The Black Company'' and '' Garrett P.I.'' fantasy series. Biography Cook was born in New York City.Cordelia Gray Cordelia Gray is a fictional character created by English author P. D. James. Gray is the protagonist of two novels, ''An Unsuitable Job for a Woman'' and of ''The Skull Beneath the Skin''. Cordelia Gray is a young woman who works as a private dete ...

– created by P. D. James *

Peter Gunn ''Peter Gunn'' is an American private eye television series, starring Craig Stevens as Peter Gunn with Lola Albright as his girlfriend, Edie Hart. The series aired on NBC from September 22, 1958, to 1960 and on ABC in 1960–1961. The ser ...

– created by

Blake Edwards Blake Edwards (born William Blake Crump; July 26, 1922 – December 15, 2010) was an American film director, producer, screenwriter and actor. Edwards began his career in the 1940s as an actor, but he soon began writing screenplays and radio s ...

* Mike Hammer – created by

Mickey Spillane Frank Morrison Spillane (; March 9, 1918July 17, 2006), better known as Mickey Spillane, was an American crime novelist, whose stories often feature his signature detective character, Mike Hammer. More than 225 million copies of his books have s ...

* Madelyn "Maddie" Hayes in ''Moonlighting'' – created by Glenn Gordon Caron *

Mitin Masi Mitin Masi is a fictional Bengali female detective character created by Suchitra Bhattacharya.She is one of the most famous female detective and most read in Bengali novels. Character Suchitra Bhattacharya created detective fictions about Mitin ...

– created by

Suchitra Bhattacharya Suchitra Bhattacharya (10 January 1950 – 2015) was an Indian novelist, known for works including ''Hemanter Pakhi'', ''Kachher Manush'', ''Aleek Shukh'', ''Icche'' and ''Kacher Dewal''. During her career as a writer, she composed over 20 nove ...

* Sherlock Holmes – created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle *

Jack Irish ''Jack Irish'' is an Australian television drama series first broadcast on ABC TV on 14 October 2012. The series stars Guy Pearce as the title character, a former criminal lawyer turned private investigator and debt collector. Much of the ac ...

– created by

Peter Temple Peter Temple (10 March 1946 – 8 March 2018) was an Australian crime fiction writer, mainly known for his '' Jack Irish'' novel series. He won several awards for his writing, including the Gold Dagger in 2007, the first for an Australian. He ...

Jessica Jones Jessica Campbell Jones Cage is a superheroine appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by writer Brian Michael Bendis and artist Michael Gaydos and first appeared in '' Alias'' #1 (November 2001), ...

- created by

Brian Michael Bendis Brian Michael Bendis (; born August 18, 1967) is an American comic book writer and artist. He has won five Eisner Awards for both his creator-owned work and his work on various Marvel Comics books.Bendis, Brian Michael and Oeming, Michael Avon, ...

and

Michael Gaydos Michael Gaydos is an American comics artist. Career At Marvel Comics he has worked with Brian Michael Bendis on '' Alias,'' the last storyline of its follow up, '' The Pulse'', and the current sequel comic, '' Jessica Jones''. He has also illu ...

Jake Lassiter Paul J. Levine (born January 9, 1948) is an American author of crime fiction, particularly legal thrillers. Levine has written 22 mystery novels which include two series of books known by the names of the protagonists. The ''Jake Lassiter'' se ...

– created by

Paul Levine Paul J. Levine (born January 9, 1948) is an American author of crime fiction, particularly legal thrillers. Levine has written 22 mystery novels which include two series of books known by the names of the protagonists. The ''Jake Lassiter'' ser ...

* Bernie Little – in the Chet and Bernie Mystery Series, created by Spencer Quinn * L. Lawliet – created by

Tsugumi Ohba is the pen name of a Japanese manga writer, best known for authoring the '' Death Note'' manga series with illustrator Takeshi Obata from 2003 to 2006, which has 30 million collected volumes in circulation. The duo's second series, ''Bakuman.' ...

and

Takeshi Obata is a Japanese manga artist that usually works as the illustrator in collaboration with a writer. He first gained international attention for '' Hikaru no Go'' (1998–2003) with Yumi Hotta, but is better known for ''Death Note'' (2003–2006) ...

Thomas Magnum Thomas Sullivan Magnum IV is a fictional character on the American television series ''Magnum, P.I.''. As the title suggests, the character Magnum is a private investigator. In the original series, Magnum was portrayed by Tom Selleck. Jay Herna ...

– created by

Donald P. Bellisario Donald Paul Bellisario (born August 8, 1935) is an American television producer and screenwriter who created and sometimes wrote episodes for the TV series ''Magnum, P.I.'' (1980), ''Tales of the Gold Monkey'' (1982), ''Airwolf'' (1984), ''Quant ...

for ''

Magnum, P.I. ''Magnum, P.I.'' is an American crime drama television series starring Tom Selleck as Thomas Magnum, a private investigator (P.I.) living on Oahu, Hawaii. The series ran from December 11, 1980 to May 8, 1988 during its first-run broadcast on ...

'' TV series * Joe Mannix – created by

and

for ''

Mannix ''Mannix'' is an American detective television series that ran from 1967 to 1975 on CBS. It was created by Richard Levinson and William Link, and developed by executive producer Bruce Geller. The title character, Joe Mannix, is a private in ...

'' TV series *

Philip Marlowe Philip Marlowe () is a fictional character created by Raymond Chandler, who was characteristic of the hardboiled crime fiction genre. The hardboiled crime fiction genre originated in the 1920s, notably in ''Black Mask'' magazine, in which Dashiel ...

– created by

Raymond Chandler Raymond Thornton Chandler (July 23, 1888 – March 26, 1959) was an American-British novelist and screenwriter. In 1932, at the age of forty-four, Chandler became a detective fiction writer after losing his job as an oil company executive durin ...

– created by Rob Thomas TV Series (books based on TV Series. Movie based on TV series) * Kinsey Millhone – created by

Sue Grafton Sue Taylor Grafton (April 24, 1940 – December 28, 2017) was an American author of detective novels. She is best known as the author of the "alphabet series" ('' "A" Is for Alibi'', etc.) featuring private investigator Kinsey Millhone in the f ...

for her "alphabet mysteries" series of novels. * Tess Monaghan, created by

Laura Lippman Laura Lippman (born January 31, 1959) is an American journalist and author of over 20 detective fiction novels. Life and career Lippman was born in Atlanta, Georgia, and raised in Columbia, Maryland. She is the daughter of Theo Lippman, Jr., a w ...

Adrian Monk Adrian Monk, portrayed by Tony Shalhoub, is the title character and protagonist of the USA Network television series '' Monk''. He is a renowned former homicide detective for the San Francisco Police Department. Monk has obsessive–compuls ...

– created by

Andy Breckman Andrew Ross Breckman (born March 3, 1955) is an American television and film writer and a radio personality on WFMU. He is the creator and executive producer of the Emmy Award-winning television series ''Monk'' on the USA Network, and is co-ho ...

for ''

Monk A monk (, from el, μοναχός, ''monachos'', "single, solitary" via Latin ) is a person who practices religious asceticism by monastic living, either alone or with any number of other monks. A monk may be a person who decides to dedica ...

'' TV series * Lucifer Morningstar – Former King of Hell and successful nightclub owner and private investigator * Kogoro Mori, created by

Gosho Aoyama is a Japanese manga artist best known for his manga series ''Detective Conan'' (1994–present), also known as ''Case Closed'' in some English-speaking countries. As of 2017, his various manga series had a combined 250 million copies in print wo ...

* Bhaduri Moshai – created by Nirendranath Chakraborty *

Hercule Poirot Hercule Poirot (, ) is a fictional Belgian detective created by British writer Agatha Christie. Poirot is one of Christie's most famous and long-running characters, appearing in 33 novels, two plays ('' Black Coffee'' and '' Alibi''), and more ...

– created by

Precious Ramotswe Precious may refer to: Music * Precious (group), a British female pop group Albums * ''Precious'' (Chanté Moore album), 1992 * ''Precious'' (Cubic U album), 1998 * ''Precious'' (Ours album), 2002 * ''Precious'' (Precious album), 2000 * ...

– created by

Alexander McCall Smith Alexander "Sandy" McCall Smith, Order of the British Empire, CBE, Royal Society of Edinburgh, FRSE (born 24 August 1948), is a British writer. He was raised in Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) and formerly Professor of Medical Law at the Univers ...

Jeff Randall Jeff Randall may refer to: *Jeff Randall (journalist) Jeff William Randall (born 3 October 1954) is an English former business journalist and presenter, who presented ''Jeff Randall Live'', a business and politics show on Sky News, until steppin ...

– created by

Dennis Spooner Dennis Spooner (1 December 1932 – 20 September 1986) was an English television writer and script editor, known primarily for his programmes about fictional spies and his work in children's television in the 1960s. He had long-lasting profess ...

for ''

Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased) ''Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased)'' is a British private detective television series, starring Mike Pratt and Kenneth Cope respectively as the private detectives Jeff Randall and Marty Hopkirk. The series was created by Dennis Spooner and pr ...

'' TV series * Jim Rockford – created by

Roy Huggins Roy Huggins (July 18, 1914 – April 3, 2002) was an American novelist and an influential writer/creator and producer of character-driven television series, including '' Maverick'', '' The Fugitive'', ''Hunter'', and ''The Rockford Files''. He ...

and Stephen J. Cannell for ''

The Rockford Files ''The Rockford Files'' is an American detective drama television series starring James Garner that aired on the NBC network from September 13, 1974 to January 10, 1980, and remains in syndication. Garner portrays Los Angeles private investigat ...

'' TV series *

Kiriti Roy Kiriti Roy is a fictional detective of Bengali literature created by Dr. Nihar Ranjan Gupta. The first story introduces him as follows: "Kiriti Roy is six and a half feet tall, fair and stout. His curled hair is mostly combed back, and the bl ...

– created by Indian dermatologist and a popular Bengali novelist

Nihar Ranjan Gupta Nihar Ranjan Gupta ( bn, নীহাররঞ্জন গুপ্ত, pen name: ''Banbhatta'' (বানভট্ট); 6 June 1911 – 20 February 1986) was an Indian dermatologist and a popular Bengali novelist. He is the creator of the fic ...

John Shaft John Shaft is a fictional character created by author/screenwriter Ernest Tidyman for the 1970 novel of the same name. He was portrayed by Richard Roundtree in the original 1971 film and in its four sequels, '' Shaft's Big Score!'' (1972), '' ...

– created by

Ernest Tidyman Ernest Ralph Tidyman (January 1, 1928 – July 14, 1984) was an American author and screenwriter, best known for his novels featuring the African-American detective John Shaft. He also co-wrote the screenplay for the film version of '' Shaft'' w ...

Sam Spade Sam Spade is a fictional character and the protagonist of Dashiell Hammett's 1930 novel '' The Maltese Falcon''. Spade also appeared in four lesser-known short stories by Hammett. ''The Maltese Falcon'', first published as a serial in the pul ...

– created by

Shawn Spencer Shawn Spencer is a fictional character and main protagonist on the American television comedy-drama ''Psych'' played by American actor James Roday Rodriguez. Taking advantage of his eidetic memory and keen observational skills, he poses as a p ...

and Burton Guster – created by Steve Franks for ''

Psych ''Psych'' is an American Detective fiction, detective comedy-drama television series created by Steve Franks for USA Network. The series stars James Roday Rodriguez, James Roday as Shawn Spencer, a young crime consultant for the Santa Barbara P ...

'' TV series * Spenser – created by Robert B. Parker *

Remington Steele ''Remington Steele'' is an American television series co-created by Robert Butler and Michael Gleason. The series, starring Stephanie Zimbalist and Pierce Brosnan, was produced by MTM Enterprises and first broadcast on the NBC network from O ...

– created by Robert Butler, Michael Gleason for ''Remington Steele'' TV series * Jake Styles – created by

Dean Hargrove Dean Hargrove (born July 27, 1938 in Iola, Kansas) is an American television producer, Television writer, writer, and Television director, director. His background includes graduating the St. John's Military School, Wichita State University, and a ...

and

Joel Steiger Joel Steiger (March 11, 1942 – March 21, 2021) was an American television producer, writer, and director. He specialized in creating mystery series and has worked as writer, executive producer and consultant on some of the most successfu ...

for ''

Jake and the Fatman ''Jake and the Fatman'' is an American crime drama television series starring William Conrad as prosecutor J. L. (Jason Lochinvar) "Fatman" McCabe and Joe Penny as investigator Jake Styles. The series ran on CBS for five seasons from Septemb ...

'' TV series * Cormoran Strike – created by Robert Galbraith (a pen name of J.K. Rowling) *

Philo Vance Philo Vance is a fictional amateur detective originally featured in 12 crime novels by S. S. Van Dine in the 1920s and 1930s. During that time, Vance was immensely popular in books, films, and radio. He was portrayed as a stylish—even foppish— ...

– created by

S. S. Van Dine S. S. Van Dine (also styled S.S. Van Dine) is the pseudonym used by American art critic Willard Huntington Wright (October 15, 1888 – April 11, 1939) when he wrote detective novels. Wright was active in avant-garde cultural circles in pre-Worl ...

* V. I. Warshawski – created by Sara Paretsky *

Nero Wolfe Nero Wolfe is a brilliant, obese and eccentric fictional armchair detective created in 1934 by American mystery writer Rex Stout. Wolfe was born in Montenegro and keeps his past murky. He lives in a luxurious brownstone on West 35th Street in ...

– created by

Rex Stout Rex Todhunter Stout (; December 1, 1886 – October 27, 1975) was an American writer noted for his detective fiction. His best-known characters are the detective Nero Wolfe and his assistant Archie Goodwin, who were featured in 33 novels and ...

The Continental Op The Continental Op is a fictional character created by Dashiell Hammett. He is a private investigator employed as an operative of the Continental Detective Agency's San Francisco office. The stories are all told in the first person and his name i ...

– created by

Matt Houston ''Matt Houston'' was an American crime drama television series starring Lee Horsley as the title character, a wealthy oilman who decides to hold a side job as a private investigator. Created by Lawrence Gordon and produced by Aaron Spelling, ...

– created by Lawrence Gordon

Police detectives

Furuhata Ninzaburō is a Japanese television series that ran periodically on Fuji Television from 1994 until its final episodes (specials) in 2006. It was written by Japanese playwright Kōki Mitani and is often referred to as the Japanese version of ''Columbo''. ...

– created by

Kōki Mitani is a Japanese playwright, screenwriter, actor and film director and was previously married to Japanese actress Satomi Kobayashi. He was named after '' Taihō Kōki'', the youngest sumo wrestler to become yokozuna. He studied dramatics at Nihon ...

, a Japanese version of Columbo *

Thomson and Thompson Thomson and Thompson (french: Dupont et Dupond ) are fictional characters in '' The Adventures of Tintin'', the comics series by Belgian cartoonist Hergé. They are two incompetent detectives who provide much of the comic relief throughout th ...

– from

The Adventures of Tintin ''The Adventures of Tintin'' (french: Les Aventures de Tintin ) is a series of 24 ''bande dessinée'' albums created by Belgian cartoonist Georges Remi, who wrote under the pen name Hergé. The series was one of the most popular European com ...

, created by

Hergé Georges Prosper Remi (; 22 May 1907 – 3 March 1983), known by the pen name Hergé (; ), from the French pronunciation of his reversed initials ''RG'', was a Belgian cartoonist. He is best known for creating '' The Adventures of Tintin'', ...

Judge Dee Judge Dee, or Judge Di, is a semi-fictional character based on the historical figure Di Renjie, county magistrate and statesman of the Tang court. The character appeared in the 18th-century Chinese detective and ''gong'an'' crime novel '' Di Gong ...

– 18th century Chinese fictionalized magistrate with later editions by

Robert van Gulik Robert Hans van Gulik (, 9 August 1910 – 24 September 1967) was a Dutch orientalist, diplomat, musician (of the guqin), and writer, best known for the Judge Dee historical mysteries, the protagonist of which he borrowed from the 18th-century ...

* Inspector Roderick Alleyn – created by

Ngaio Marsh Dame Edith Ngaio Marsh (; 23 April 1895 – 18 February 1982) was a New Zealand mystery writer and theatre director. She was appointed a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1966. As a crime writer during the "Golden Age of Det ...

87th Precinct The 87th Precinct is a series of police procedural novels and stories by American author Ed McBain (a writing pseudonym of Evan Hunter). McBain's 87th Precinct works have been adapted, sometimes loosely, into movies and television on several occa ...

detectives – created by

Ed McBain Evan Hunter, born Salvatore Albert Lombino,(October 15, 1926 – July 6, 2005) was an American author and screenwriter best known for his 87th Precinct novels, written under his Ed McBain pen name, and the novel upon which the film '' Black ...

Superintendent Battle Superintendent Battle is a fictional character created by Agatha Christie who appeared in five of her novels. Novels featuring Superintendent Battle He appears as a detective in the following novels: * '' The Secret of Chimneys'' (1925) * ''The ...

– created by

* Napoleon Bonaparte (Bony) – created by

Arthur Upfield Arthur William Upfield (1 September 1890 – 12 February 1964) was an English-Australian writer, best known for his works of detective fiction featuring Detective Inspector Napoleon "Bony" Bonaparte of the Queensland Police Force, a mixed-race ...

Harry Bosch Detective Hieronymus "Harry" Bosch is a fictional character created by American author Michael Connelly. Bosch debuted as the lead character in the 1992 novel '' The Black Echo'', the first in a best-selling police procedural series now number ...

– created by

Michael Connelly Michael Joseph Connelly (born July 21, 1956) is an American author of detective novels and other crime fiction, notably those featuring LAPD Detective Hieronymus "Harry" Bosch and criminal defense attorney Mickey Haller. Connelly is the bests ...

Inspector Alan Banks Detective Superintendent Alan Banks (born 1958) is the fictional protagonist in a series of crime novels by Peter Robinson. From 2010 to 2016 several of the novels were adapted for television, and other original stories were produced, under th ...

- Created by Peter Robinson *

Charlie Chan Charlie Chan is a fictional Honolulu police detective created by author Earl Derr Biggers for a series of mystery novels. Biggers loosely based Chan on Hawaiian detective Chang Apana. The benevolent and heroic Chan was conceived as an alt ...

– created by

Earl Derr Biggers Earl Derr Biggers (August 26, 1884 – April 5, 1933) was an American novelist and playwright. His novels featuring the fictional Chinese American detective Charlie Chan were adapted into popular films made in the United States and China. Biog ...

Inspector Clouseau Inspector Jacques Clouseau (), later granted the rank of Chief Inspector, is a fictional character in Blake Edwards' farcical '' The Pink Panther'' series. He is portrayed by Peter Sellers in the original series, and also by Alan Arkin in ...

– from

The Pink Panther ''The Pink Panther'' is an American media franchise primarily focusing on a series of comedy-mystery films featuring an inept French police detective, Inspector Jacques Clouseau. The franchise began with the release of the classic film '' The Pi ...

franchise *

Columbo ''Columbo'' () is an American crime drama television series starring Peter Falk as Lieutenant Columbo, a homicide detective with the Los Angeles Police Department. After two pilot episodes in 1968 and 1971, the show originally aired on NBC f ...

– from the American TV series ''

'', created by

and

* Popeye Doyle – based on the real Detective

Eddie Egan Edward R. Egan (January 3, 1930 – November 4, 1995) was an American actor and former police detective. He was the subject of the nonfiction book '' The French Connection'' and its 1971 film adaptation. Life Edward R. Egan was born in Queens ...

Sergeant Cork ''Sergeant Cork'' is a British detective television series which first aired between 1963 and 1968 on ITV. It was a police procedural show that followed the efforts of two police officers and their battle against crime in Victorian London. In a ...

– created by

Ted Willis Edward Henry Willis, Baron Willis (13 January 1914 – 22 December 1992) was an English playwright, novelist and screenwriter who was also politically active in support of the Labour Party. In 1941 he became the General Secretary of the Young C ...

* Inspector Adam Dalgleish – created by P. D. James * Inspector French (Joseph French) – created by

Freeman Wills Crofts Freeman Wills Crofts FRSA (1 June 1879 – 11 April 1957) was an Irish mystery author, best remembered for the character of Inspector Joseph French. A railway engineer by training, Crofts introduced railway themes into many of his stories, ...

Inspector Frost Detective Inspector William Edward "Jack" Frost, GC QPM, is a fictional detective created by R. D. Wingfield—characterised as sloppy, untidy, hopeless with paperwork—but unmatched at solving mysteries. The character has appeared in two rad ...

– created by R. D. Wingfield * D.C.S. Christopher Foyle – from the British TV series ''

Foyle's War ''Foyle's War'' is a British detective drama television series set during and shortly after the Second World War, created by ''Midsomer Murders'' screenwriter and author Anthony Horowitz and commissioned by ITV after the long-running series '' ...

'', created by

Anthony Horowitz Anthony John Horowitz, (born 5 April 1955) is an English novelist and screenwriter specialising in mystery and suspense. His works for children and young adult readers include '' The Diamond Brothers'' series, the '' Alex Rider'' series, and ...

Inspector Japp Inspector James Japp (later Chief Inspector Japp) is a fictional character who appears in several of Agatha Christie's novels featuring Hercule Poirot. Creation Inspector Japp was inspired by the fictional police detective Inspector Lestrade fr ...

– created by

Richard Jury Richard Jury is a fictional character in a series of mystery novels written by Martha Grimes. Initially a chief inspector, later a superintendent, Jury is invariably assisted in his cases by Melrose Plant, a British aristocrat who has given up ...

– created by mystery author

Martha Grimes Martha Grimes (born May 2, 1931) is an American writer of detective fiction. She is best known for a series featuring Richard Jury, a Scotland Yard inspector, and Melrose Plant, an aristocrat turned amateur sleuth. Biography Grimes was born in ...

* Lt. Theo Kojak – TV series (played by

Telly Savalas Aristotelis "Telly" Savalas (January 21, 1922 – January 22, 1994) was an American actor and singer whose career spanned four decades. Noted for his bald head and deep, resonant voice, he is perhaps best known for portraying Lt. Theo Kojak on th ...

) *

Inspector Lestrade Detective Inspector G. Lestrade, or Mr. Lestrade ( or ), is a fictional character appearing in several of the Sherlock Holmes stories written by Arthur Conan Doyle. Lestrade's first appearance was in the first Sherlock Holmes story, the novel ...

– created by

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle (22 May 1859 – 7 July 1930) was a British writer and physician. He created the character Sherlock Holmes in 1887 for ''A Study in Scarlet'', the first of four novels and fifty-six short stories about Hol ...

* Judge Bao – Chinese judge and investigator * Chief Inspector Robert Macdonald – created by E.C.R. Lorac *

Steve McGarrett Steve McGarrett is a fictional character who is the protagonist of CBS' ''Hawaii Five-O''. McGarrett is a former United States Navy officer and the leader of a special state police task force, which is called Five-O. McGarrett was portrayed by ac ...

– '' Hawaii Five-O'' TV series *

Jules Maigret Jules Maigret (), or simply Maigret, is a fictional French police detective, a '' commissaire'' ("commissioner") of the Paris ''Brigade Criminelle'' ('' Direction Régionale de la Police Judiciaire de Paris:36, Quai des Orfèvres''), created b ...

– created by

Georges Simenon Georges Joseph Christian Simenon (; 13 February 1903 – 4 September 1989) was a Belgian writer. He published nearly 500 novels and numerous short works, and was the creator of the fictional detective Jules Maigret. Early life and education ...

– created by

and

David Hoberman David Elliot Hoberman (born September 19, 1952) is an American film and television producer, best known as the co-creator and executive producer of the USA Network television series ''Monk'', and the founder and co-owner of Mandeville Films. He ...

Inspector Morse Detective Chief Inspector Endeavour Morse, GM, is the eponymous fictional character in the series of detective novels by British author Colin Dexter. On television, he appears in the 33-episode drama series '' Inspector Morse'' (1987–2000), ...

– created by

Colin Dexter Norman Colin Dexter (29 September 1930 – 21 March 2017) was an English crime writer known for his '' Inspector Morse'' series of novels, which were written between 1975 and 1999 and adapted as an ITV television series, '' Inspector Morse'', ...

* Detective William Murdoch – created by

Maureen Jennings Maureen Jennings (born 1939) is a British Canadian writer, most well known for the ''Detective Murdoch Series'', the basis for the television series ''Murdoch Mysteries''. She is credited as a Creative Consultant and occasionally writer for the ...

Inspector Palmu Inspector Frans J. Palmu ( fi, Komisario Palmu), depicted as "a gruff detective of the Helsinki police department", is one of the most popular characters created by Finnish writer Mika Waltari (who is, however, better known outside Finland for his ...

– created by

Mika Waltari Mika Toimi Waltari (; 19 September 1908 – 26 August 1979) was a Finnish writer, best known for his best-selling novel ''The Egyptian'' ( fi, Sinuhe egyptiläinen). He was extremely productive. Besides his novels he also wrote poetry, short stori ...

* Inspector Walter Purbright - created by Colin Watson *

Inspector Rebus The ''Inspector Rebus'' books are a series of detective novels by the Scottish author Sir Ian Rankin. The novels, centred on Detective Inspector John Rebus, are mostly based in and around Edinburgh. They are considered an important contrib ...

– created by

Ian Rankin Sir Ian James Rankin (born 28 April 1960) is a Scottish crime writer, best known for his Inspector Rebus novels. Early life Rankin was born in Cardenden, Fife. His father, James, owned a grocery shop, and his mother, Isobel, worked in a scho ...

Dave Robicheaux Dave Robicheaux (pronounced "ROW-bih-show") is a fictional character in a series of mystery novels by American crime writer James Lee Burke. He first appeared in ''The Neon Rain'' (1987). Biography A former homicide detective in the New Orleans P ...

– created by

James Lee Burke James Lee Burke (born December 5, 1936) is an American author, best known for his Dave Robicheaux series. He has won Edgar Awards for ''Black Cherry Blues'' (1990) and ''Cimarron Rose'' (1998), and has also been presented with the Grand Maste ...

* Inspector Simon Serrailler – created by

Susan Hill Dame Susan Hill, Lady Wells, (born 5 February 1942) is an English author of fiction and non-fiction works. Her novels include ''The Woman in Black'', '' The Mist in the Mirror'', and '' I'm the King of the Castle'', for which she received t ...

Dick Tracy ''Dick Tracy'' is an American comic strip featuring Dick Tracy (character), Dick Tracy (originally Plainclothes Tracy), a tough and intelligent police detective created by Chester Gould. It made its debut on Sunday, October 4, 1931, in the ''De ...

– created by

Chester Gould Chester Gould (; November 20, 1900 – May 11, 1985) was an American cartoonist, best known as the creator of the ''Dick Tracy'' comic strip, which he wrote and drew from 1931 to 1977, incorporating numerous colorful and monstrous villains. Ea ...

Inspector Wallander Kurt Wallander () is a fictional Swedish police inspector created by Swedish crime writer Henning Mankell (1948 – 2015). He is the protagonist of many thriller/ mystery novels set in and around the town of Ystad, south-east of the city of ...

– created by

Henning Mankell Henning Georg Mankell (; 3February 19485October 2015) was a Swedish crime writer, children's author, and dramatist, best known for a series of mystery novels starring his most noted creation, Inspector Kurt Wallander. He also wrote a numb ...

Chief Inspector Armand Gamache Chief Inspector Armand Gamache is the main character in a series of mystery novels written by Canadian author Louise Penny. The series is set around the life of Chief Inspector Armand Gamache of Sûreté du Québec, the provincial police force ...

– created by

Louise Penny Louise Penny is a Canadian author of mystery novels set in the Canadian province of Quebec centred on the work of francophone Chief Inspector Armand Gamache of the Sûreté du Québec. Penny's first career was as a radio broadcaster for the ...

Shabor Dasgupta Shabor Dasgupta is a Bengali fictional detective character created by novelist Shirshendu Mukhopadhyay in the Goenda Shabor series. This figure is popularly known as ''Goenda Shabor''. Character Shabor Dasgupta is an Assistant Commissioner, D ...

– created by

* Inspector Alan Grant – created by

Josephine Tey Josephine Tey was a pseudonym used by Elizabeth MacKintosh (25 July 1896 – 13 February 1952), a Scottish author. Her novel '' The Daughter of Time'' was a detective work investigating the role of Richard III of England in the death of the Pr ...

* Jake Peralta - from

Brooklyn Nine-Nine ''Brooklyn Nine-Nine'' is an American police procedural Television comedy, comedy television series that aired on Fox Television Network, Fox, and later on NBC. The show aired from September 17, 2013, to September 16, 2021, for a total of eight ...

- created by

Dan Goor Daniel Joshua Goor (born April 28, 1975) is an American comedy writer and television producer. He has written for several comedy talk shows including ''The Daily Show'', ''Last Call with Carson Daly'' and ''Late Night with Conan O'Brien''. He ...

and

Michael Schur Michael Herbert Schur (born 1975) is an American television producer, writer, director and actor. He was a producer and writer for the comedy series '' The Office'', and co-created ''Parks and Recreation'' with ''Office'' producer Greg Daniels. ...

Forensic specialists

Temperance Brennan Temperance Daessee Brennan is a fictional character created by author Kathy Reichs, and is the hero of her crime novel series (which are usually referred to as the Temperance Brennan novels). She was introduced in Reichs' first novel, ''Déjà D ...

– '' Bones'' TV series based on the books by

Kathy Reichs Kathleen Joan Reichs (née Toelle, born 1950) is an American crime writer, forensic anthropologist and academic. She is an adjunct professor of anthropology at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Early life and education Kathleen ...

* Donald "Ducky" Mallard – ''

NCIS NCIS or N.C.I.S. may refer to: Law enforcement * National Criminal Intelligence Service, the predecessor to the Serious Organised Crime Agency of the United Kingdom * Naval Criminal Investigative Service, a United States law enforcement and intelli ...

'' TV series *

Dexter Morgan {{More citations needed, date=August 2016 {{Infobox character , color = red , name = Dexter Morgan , series = Dexter , image = Dexter Morgan.jpg , image_size = 200px , caption = Michael C. Hall as Dexter Morgan , first = Novels:''Darkly D ...

– ''

Dexter Dexter may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Dexter, the main character of the American animated series ''Dexter's Laboratory'' that aired from 1996 to 2003 * Dexter, a fictional character in the British web series ''Diary of a Bad Man'' * Dexte ...

'' TV series *

Henry Morgan Sir Henry Morgan ( cy, Harri Morgan; – 25 August 1688) was a privateer, plantation owner, and, later, Lieutenant Governor of Jamaica. From his base in Port Royal, Jamaica, he raided settlements and shipping on the Spanish Main, becoming ...

– ''

Forever Forever or 4ever may refer to: Film and television Films * ''Forever'' (1921 film), an American silent film by George Fitzmaurice * ''Forever'' (1978 film), an American made-for-television romantic drama * ''Forever'' (1992 film), an American ...

'' TV series immortal medical examiner and private investigator * Dr. Lancelot Priestly – created by

John Rhode Cecil John Charles Street (3 May 1884 – 8 December 1964), who was known to his colleagues, family and friends as John Street, began his military career as an artillery officer in the British Army. During the course of World War I, he became a ...

* Dr. R. Quincy – ''

Quincy, M.E. ''Quincy, M.E.'' (also called ''Quincy'') is an American mystery medical drama television series from Universal Studios that aired on NBC from October 3, 1976, to May 11, 1983. Jack Klugman starred in the title role as a Los Angeles County medi ...

'' TV series *

Lincoln Rhyme Jeffery Deaver (born May 6, 1950) is an American mystery and crime writer. He has a bachelor of journalism degree from the University of Missouri and a J.D. degree from Fordham University and originally started working as a journalist. He late ...

and Amelia Sachs – created by

Jeffery Deaver Jeffery Deaver (born May 6, 1950) is an American mystery and crime writer. He has a bachelor of journalism degree from the University of Missouri and a J.D. degree from Fordham University and originally started working as a journalist. He lat ...

* Elizabeth Rodgers – ''

Law & Order ''Law & Order'' is an American police procedural and legal drama television series created by Dick Wolf and produced by Wolf Entertainment, launching the '' Law & Order'' franchise. ''Law & Order'' aired its entire run on NBC, premiering o ...

'' TV series *

Dr. Kay Scarpetta Kay Scarpetta is a fictional character inspired by former Virginia coroner, Chief Medical Examiner Marcella Farinelli Fierro MD (retired). She is the protagonist in a series of crime fiction, crime novels written by Patricia Cornwell noted for it ...

– created by

Patricia Cornwell Patricia Cornwell (born Patricia Carroll Daniels; June 9, 1956) is an American crime writer. She is known for her best-selling novels featuring medical examiner Kay Scarpetta, of which the first was inspired by a series of sensational murders in ...

Abby Sciuto Abigail "Abby" Beethoven Sciuto is a fictional character from the ''NCIS (TV series), NCIS'' television series on CBS, CBS Television, and is portrayed by Pauley Perrette. In a season 10 episode entitled "Hit and Run", a young Abby was played by ...

– ''

'' TV series * Dr. John Thorndyke – created by R. Austin Freeman *

Bruce Wayne Batman is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in the 27th issue of the comic book '' Detective Comics'' on March 30, 1939 ...

– ''

Batman comics Batman has been featured in many ongoing series, miniseries, maxiseries, one-shot issues, graphic novels, trade paperbacks and intercompany crossovers published by DC Comics. These titles have been handled or coordinated through a single edit ...

'' and adaptions * Barry Allen – ''

Flash comics ''Flash Comics'' is a comics anthology published by All-American Publications and later by National Periodical Publications (DC Comics). The title had 104 issues published from January 1940 to February 1949. Despite the title, the anthology featu ...

'' and adaptions

CSI: Crime Scene Investigation TV shows

* Stella Bonasera – '' CSI: NY'' TV series *

Horatio Caine Horatio Caine is a fictional character and the protagonist of the American crime drama ''CSI: Miami'', portrayed by David Caruso from 2002 to 2012. He is the head of the crime lab, under the rank of Lieutenant of the Miami-Dade Police Departmen ...

– '' CSI: Miami'' TV series *

Jo Danville Detective Josephine Danville is a fictional character and the co-protagonist of the CBS crime drama '' CSI: NY'', portrayed by Sela Ward. Background Jo Danville joins the team as the new Assistant Supervisor, replacing Stella Bonasera. She com ...

– '' CSI: NY'' TV series *

Calleigh Duquesne Detective Calleigh Duquesne is a fictional character on the CBS crime drama '' CSI: Miami'', portrayed by Emily Procter. Background Calleigh is a ballistics and tool mark specialist originally from Louisiana. She is fluent in Spanish and has a ...

– '' CSI: Miami'' TV series * Gil Grissom – '' CSI: Crime Scene Investigation'' TV series * Raymond Langston – '' CSI: Crime Scene Investigation'' TV series *

D. B. Russell D. or d. may refer to, usually as an abbreviation: * Don (honorific), a form of address in Spain, Portugal, Italy, and their former overseas empires, usually given to nobles or other individuals of high social rank. * Date of death, as an abbreviat ...

– '' CSI: Crime Scene Investigation'' TV series *

Mac Taylor Detective Mac Taylor is a fictional character and the co-protagonist of the CBS crime drama '' CSI: NY''. Portrayed by Gary Sinise, Mac is the Director of the NYPD Crime Lab and the Supervisor of the NYPD CSI team. Mac appeared in 200 episodes ...

– '' CSI: NY'' TV series * Catherine Willows – '' CSI: Crime Scene Investigation'' TV series

Anime and manga

Hajime Kindaichi is the Japanese word meaning . In the Japanese traditional martial arts such as karate, judo, aikido, Kūdō and kendo, it is a verbal command to "begin". Hajime is also a common Japanese given name for males. In the Amami Islands, Hajime (元) ...

– character from the

manga Manga ( Japanese: 漫画 ) are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, and the form has a long prehistory in earlier Japanese art. The term ''manga'' is use ...

and

anime is hand-drawn and computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside of Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, in Japan and in Japanese, (a term derived from a shortening of ...

series ''

Kindaichi Case Files is a Japanese mystery manga series based on the crime solving adventures of a high school student, Hajime Kindaichi, the supposed grandson of the famous (fictional) private detective Kosuke Kindaichi. Written by Yōzaburō Kan ...

''. * Shinichi Kudo/Conan Edogawa –

's series ''

Case Closed ''Case Closed'', also known as , is a Japanese detective manga series written and illustrated by Gosho Aoyama. It has been serialized in Shogakukan's ''shōnen'' manga magazine '' Weekly Shōnen Sunday'' since January 1994, with its c ...

'', which is known in Japan as Meitantei Conan. * L – a detective featured in the Death Note series created by

and

* Alice –

of '' Kamisama no memochou'', a NEET Detective. * Sou Touma – main character of the '' Q.E.D.'' series created and produced by

Motohiro Katou is a Japanese manga artist, best known for creating the ''Q.E.D.'' series. He made his debut on game-related works for Enix. Presently he publishes his detective manga works on Kodansha. In 2009, he received the Kodansha Manga Award for his wo ...

. * Kyoko Kirigiri – character in '' Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc'' started off as "Ultimate ???" revealed as the "Ultimate Detective". * Shuichi Saihara – character in '' Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony'' known as the 'Ultimate Detective". * Naoto Shirogane – character in ''

Persona 4 released outside of Japan as ''Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4'', is a 2008 role-playing video game by Atlus. It is chronologically the fifth installment in the '' Persona'' series, itself a part of the larger ''Megami Tensei'' franchise, and w ...

'' who is lonely, has a 200 level IQ, has insecurities on her age and her gender, and is the Detective Prince. Her weapon of choice is a handgun, mostly a revolver. She is currently voiced by

Mary Elizabeth McGlynn Mary Elizabeth McGlynn Blum (born October 16, 1966)Birthday references: * * is an American voice actress, ADR director and singer best known for her involvement in music production in multiple games from the '' Silent Hill'' series, and her e ...

. * Goro Akechi – character in ''

Persona 5 is a 2016 role-playing video game developed by Atlus. It takes place in modern-day Tokyo and follows a high school student known by the pseudonym Joker who transfers to a new school after being falsely accused of assault and put on probation. ...

'' who is the charismatic, lonely and wanting to be at the centre of attention at all times, pancake loving, black mask wearing, Second Advent of the Detective Prince. His Metaverse weapons of choice are, a chainsaw sword, a laser sabre, a serrated blade, and a ray gun. He is currently voiced by Robbie Daymond *Dick Gumshoe – character from the manga and video game series

Ace Attorney ''Ace Attorney'' is a series of visual novel adventure video games developed by Capcom. With storytelling fashioned after legal dramas, the first entry in the series, '' Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney'', was released in 2001; since then, fiv ...

. *Grévil de Blois - inspector working in Sauville's police department. Featured in the novel series Gosick created by

Kazuki Sakuraba is a Japanese author of novels and light novels, and Naoki Prize winner. Biography Sakuraba was born in Shimane Prefecture on the 26th of July 1971. She, however, grew up in Yonago, Tottori, Yonago, Tottori Prefecture. She started writing no ...

. * Siesta - character from the

Light Novel A light novel (, Hepburn: ''raito noberu'') is a style of young adult novel primarily targeting high school and middle school students. The term "light novel" is a '' wasei-eigo'', or a Japanese term formed from words in the English language ...

and

series ''

The Detective Is Already Dead is a Japanese light novel series written by Nigojū and illustrated by Umibōzu. Media Factory have published the series since November 2019 under their MF Bunko J imprint. A manga adaptation with art by Mugiko has been serialized in Media ...

''.

Notes

References

* Julian Symons. ''The Great Detectives: Seven Original Investigation''，1981，

External links

''Stop, You're Killing Me!''
(a list of fictional detectives found in novels) {{Bengali detective characters Lists of fictional detectives

Types

Amateur detectives

Private investigators

Police detectives

Forensic specialists

CSI: Crime Scene Investigation TV shows

Anime and manga

See also

Notes

References

External links