List of fictional detectives explained
Fictional detectives are characters in detective fiction. These individuals have long been a staple of detective mystery crime fiction, particularly in detective novels and short stories. Much of early detective fiction was written during the "Golden Age of Detective Fiction" (1920s–1930s). These detectives include amateurs, private investigators and professional policemen. 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's C. Auguste Dupin.[1] 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–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, created by Humayun Ahmed
- Arjun – young detective from Jalpaiguri in West Bengal, created by Samaresh Majumdar
- P. K. Basu – criminal lawyer, created by Narayan Sanyal
- Trixie Belden – teen detective, created by Julie Campbell Tatham
- Boston Blackie – reformed jewel thief, created by Jack Boyle
- Rosemary Boxer – with Laura Thyme, gardening detective, created by Brian Eastman
- Beatrice Adela Lestrange Bradley – widowed socialite, created by Gladys Mitchell
- Father Brown – Catholic priest, created by English novelist G. K. Chesterton. Features in 51 detective short stories.
- Encyclopedia Brown – boy detective Leroy Brown, nicknamed "Encyclopedia" for his intelligence and range of knowledge.
- Cadfael – early 12th-century monk solves murders and social problems, created by Ellis Peters, also known as Edith Pargeter.
- Jonathan Creek – creative consultant to a magician, in a British TV series by the same name, written by David Renwick.
- Nancy Drew – High school sleuth, created by Edward Stratemeyer.
- C. Auguste Dupin – upper class character created by Edgar Allan Poe. Dupin made his first appearance in Poe's "The Murders in the Rue Morgue" (1841), widely considered the first detective fiction story.
- Dr Gideon Fell – "lexicographer" and drinker, created by John Dickson Carr
- Sister Fidelma – A Celtic nun in the 7th century who solves mysteries, by Peter Berresford Ellis
- The Famous Five (novel series) - Child detectives and their pet dog created by Enid Blyton.
- Jessica Fletcher – writer, created by William Link and Richard Levinson for Murder, She Wrote TV series (1984–1996)
- Pandab Goenda – team of five child detectives, created by Sasthipada Chattopadhyay
- Gogol – teenage detective, created by Samaresh Basu
- Beverly Gray – protagonist of the Beverly Gray Mystery series by Clair Blank
- Cordelia Gray – private detective in London in novels and TV by P. D. James
- Myrtle Hardcastle – Victorian girl detective, main character in the Myrtle Hardcastle Mystery novels, created by Elizabeth C. Bunce
- The Hardy Boys – Sibling high school sleuths, (Frank & Joe) created by Edward Stratemeyer.
- Jonathan & Jennifer Hart – millionaire couple, created by Sidney Sheldon
- Patrick Jane – con artist, created by Bruno Heller for The Mentalist TV series
- Jagga Jasoos – young detective, created by Anurag Basu for the eponymous film
- Al Moghameron Al Khamsa (The Five Adventurers or The Adventurous Five) - kid detectives created by Egyptian writer Mahmoud Salem.
- Jayanta & Manik – amateur detective duo created by Bengali novelist Hemendra Kumar Roy
- Kakababu – former director of the Archaeological Survey of India, created by Sunil Gangopadhyay
- Sally Lockhart – teenage girl, created by Philip Pullman
- Amelia Peabody – Egyptologist who solves a variety of dastardly crimes in turn-of-the-century Egypt, created by Elizabeth Peters.
- Ellery Queen – author and editor of a magazine, created by two writers, using the pseudonym Ellery Queen
- Easy Rawlins – black WWII veteran from Houston. All stories take place in Los Angeles during the 50s & 60s. Created by Walter Mosley.
- Joseph Rouletabille – journalist created by French writer Gaston Leroux. Main character in The Mystery of the Yellow Room.
- Niladri Sarkar – retired colonel, naturist and amateur investigator, created by Bengali writer Syed Mustafa Siraj
- Laura Thyme – with Rosemary Boxer, gardening detective, created by Brian Eastman
- Dr. John Thorndyke – medical doctor who trained to become a forensic specialist, created by R. Austin Freeman
- Philip Trent – gentleman sleuth, created by E. C. Bentley
- Professor Augustus S. F. X. Van Dusen – created by Jacques Futrelle
- Hetty Wainthropp – retired working-class woman, created by David Cook
- Lord Peter Wimsey – wealthy English gentleman, created by Dorothy L. Sayers, assisted by his valet (and batman from WW1) Bunter and later also Harriet Vane
- Kyoko Kirigiri - a former detective from the game
- Shuichi Saihara - main detective and second protagonist in
- Three Investigators - An American juvenile detective book series created by Robert Arthur Jr.
- Kiyoshi Shimada - a Buddhist priest who excels at solving mysteries, created by Yukito Ayatsuji. Shimada first appeared in Ayatsuji's debut novel The Decagon House Murders (1987). The book belongs to his Bizarre House/Mansion Murders series. The first two volumes of the series have been translated into English by Locked Room International.[2]
Private investigators
See main article: List of fictional private investigators.
Police detectives
See main article: List of fictional police detectives.
Forensic specialists
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation TV shows
Anime and manga
- Koichi Zenigata – character in Lupin III, by Monkey Punch. Arch rival to the main protagonist Lupin.
- Hajime Kindaichi – character from the manga and anime series Kindaichi Case Files.[4]
- Shinichi Kudo/Conan Edogawa – protagonist of Gosho Aoyama's series Case Closed, which is known in Japan as Meitantei Conan.[5]
- L – a detective featured in the Death Note series created by Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata
- Alice – protagonist of Kamisama no memochou, a NEET Detective.
- Sou Touma – main character of the Q.E.D. series created and produced by Motohiro Katou.
- Kyoko Kirigiri – character in started off as "Ultimate ???" revealed as the "Ultimate Detective".
- Shuichi Saihara – character in known as the 'Ultimate Detective".
- Naoto Shirogane – character in Persona 4 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.
- Goro Akechi – character in Persona 5 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.
- Grévil de Blois - inspector working in Sauville's police department. Featured in the novel series Gosick created by Kazuki Sakuraba.
- Siesta - character from the Light Novel and anime series The Detective Is Already Dead.
- Sakaido - character from the original anime series Id – Invaded directed by Ei Aoki and written by Ōtarō Maijō. The anime has also received a manga sequel.
- Armed Detective Agency - an organization from the animanga series Bungou Stray Dogs, the most notable of which being Edogawa Ranpo.
- Kyouko Okitegami - protagonist of Nisio Isin's novel series Bōkyaku Tantei. She is a famous detective who finishes all her cases in one day, because she resets her memory every time she goes to sleep.
See also
References
- Julian Symons. The Great Detectives: Seven Original Investigation，1981，
External links
Notes and References
- Book: Silverman, Kenneth . Edgar A. Poe: Mournful and Never-ending Remembrance. Harper Perennial. New York. 1991. 0-06-092331-8. registration.
- Web site: Locked Room International.
- Web site: Series Order.
- Web site: Kindaichi Case Files 2008 New Anime. ja. 2010-02-07. Tokyo MX.
- Web site: https://web.archive.org/web/20040327142351/http://caseclosed.com/. March 27, 2004. Case Closed FAQ. October 3, 2010. Funimation.
