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Original poster

Who's your favourite fictional detective?

163 replies

BurlingtonBertieFromBow · 04/09/2012 17:11

I like Jackson Brodie in Kate Atkinson's books
Also Inspector Barnaby, George Smiley (does some detecting in A Murder of Quality) and Adam Dalgleish

OP posts:
IslaValargeone · 07/09/2012 19:49

Bobby Goren

milkteef · 07/09/2012 19:44

Alex Cross
Robert Hunter

greenhill · 07/09/2012 19:34

stokey I think it is Roy Grace's sheer ordinariness that appeals, he doesn't have a drink problem or anger issues. He has a dry sense of humour and there is good interaction between him and the other members of the team. There was a Harlan Cobenesque issue about his missing/ dead wife in the latest though. Also he is open to all ideas, even slightly supernatural ones.

LeeCoakley · 07/09/2012 19:24

My lover Virgil Flowers from John Sandford's books.

Columbo best TV detective.

Stokey · 07/09/2012 19:15

All the Roy Grace fans, what is it you like about them? I read dead Simple and was a bit underwhelmed. Should I persevere?
Have always loved Agatha Christie. In modern times, like PD James and Val McDermid. Am always looking out for good detectives but have been pretty disappointed by most (admittedly cheap downloads) recently.

willowstar · 07/09/2012 00:48

Rebus

hedgehogpatronus · 07/09/2012 00:38

ennis I can wholeheartedly recommend the tv version. It's not a faithful interpretation of the books, but it is excellent crime tv in it's own right.

hedgehogpatronus · 07/09/2012 00:36

piprabbit I've been waiting for someone to mention Dalziel! Not sure I actively fancy him, but I'd love to hang out with him for a day , he's bloody hilarious.

gazzalw · 06/09/2012 18:36

It's got to be Hercules Poirot I'm afraid!

NicholasTeakozy · 06/09/2012 17:43

Charlie Parker.

Dirk Gently.

SecretSquirrels · 06/09/2012 16:46

DI Resnick (John Harvey)
DI Grace
DI Banks

GreenShadow · 06/09/2012 16:43

Definitely Simon Serrailler (Susan Hill). He is so much more real to me than all the heavy drinking, flawed alternatives.

BalloonSlayer · 06/09/2012 15:50

Oh gosh yes Andy Dalziel. Wink

piprabbit · 06/09/2012 15:46

Kinsey Millhone
VI Warshawshki
Miss Marple
Kate Brannigan
Andy Dalziel (would it be very wrong to fancy him a bit?)
Falco
Lord Peter Wimsey
Sam Vimes

gymboywalton · 06/09/2012 15:45

precious ramotswe-gorgeous books

BalloonSlayer · 06/09/2012 15:45

I like Inspector Wexford. Because he is NORMAL, happily married with kids, no tragedy in the past blighting his life making him throw himself into his work and become icily attractive to ladies he meets who turn out to have done it blah blah blah. I should say almost normal though as he was in his early sixties in 1964, and he still is. But, hey, way to go Reg!

Xiaoxiong · 06/09/2012 15:44

Father Brown!

WhereYouLeftIt · 06/09/2012 15:43

Harry Dresden (The Dresden Files series by Jim Butcher). Not strictly speaking a detective, although he does have his PI licence and many of the books begin with him taking on a case.

And Miss Marple! Who can resist the ultimate undercover investigator?

bluepencil · 06/09/2012 15:38

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

EmpressOfTheGoldFlames · 06/09/2012 15:36

Peter Wimsey AND Harriet Vane
Val McDermid's Kate Brannigan
Jane Rizzoli & Maura Isles (not seen the TV version, just mean the books)
Kinsey Millhone
The early VI Warshawski, later ones not so much.

Francagoestohollywood · 06/09/2012 15:34

Maigret.

SoniaGluck · 06/09/2012 15:30
Grin
Thedoctrineofennis · 06/09/2012 13:10

Hedgehog I haven't seen the tv version. I do want to be HN when I grow up and lose two stone though so I'd probably get the opposite impression!

Thedoctrineofennis · 06/09/2012 13:09

Sonia you're in love with him because DLS was, and she is a very good writer. Don't feel bad about it - there's an orderly queue on this thread and others where LPW comes up Grin

hedgehogpatronus · 06/09/2012 13:05

Thedoctrineofennis because I am unduly influenced by the tv version, in which she is a bitch to Tony more often than not. Plus I just read the latest book in which she is pretty ridiculous.

Also can't bear Hermione Norris, give me Simone Lahbib any day drool

I know IABU.

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