Who's your favourite fictional detective?

[BurlingtonBertieFromBow]

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

Oh gosh yes Andy Dalziel.

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

DI Resnick (John Harvey)
DI Grace
DI Banks

Charlie Parker.

Dirk Gently.

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

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.

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.

Rebus

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.

My lover Virgil Flowers from John Sandford's books.

Columbo best TV detective.

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.

Alex Cross
Robert Hunter

Bobby Goren

I'm a long term Agatha Christie fan so Miss Marple & Hercule Poirot of course.
TV detectives - Jane Tennison, Andy Dalziel, Jonathon Creek & of course Columbo.

Oh Lee, that's where your name is from! Every time I see it, a little bell rings in my brain.

I love Virgil. That fucking Flowers.

Columbo
&
Monk

Thursday Next. (Jasper Fforde)
Jimmy Perez. (Anne Cleeves)

Falco (just been reading on LD's webpage that she is unlikely to write any more but she is writing a new series featuring Albia as the detective. Domitian on the throne so presumably MDF and Helena are living in discreet retirement.

Lord Peter

VI

Kate Brannigan

Albert Campion

MJ Trow's Lestrade

Just borrowed The Eyre Affair so will see about Thursday Next......

I'm intrigued that so many people are saying Falco. I have caught a few on Radio 4 ( am rather fond of Anton Lesser ) but haven't actually read any. I think that I will have to give the books a go.

As far as Simon Serrailler goes, I read one ages ago ( the first one, I think ) as I was a fan of Susan Hill in her pre detective fiction days but I was a bit 'meh' to be honest. Do they get better? Or was I just missing something?

I like a lot of those mentioned - Rebus, Hole, Brodie, Dalziel, Thorne, Warshawaki etc. People haven't mentioned Wallender who I think ranks up there. And what about Aurelio Zen? Particularly when played by Rufus Sewell!

Philip Marlowe (Raymond Chandler) - surely the original hard-boiled PI?

Miss Marple
Mma Ramotswe

and yes yes to Aurelio Zen/Rufus Sewell on tv (haven't read any books yet)

Thursday Next also of course!