My Top 10 Iconic Detectives
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There are far too many great fictional detectives to list all of them. I had to settle for a top ten list. These are just my personal faves from the detectives who shaped the genre, defining some of the subgenres and explorations of what mysteries could be. I’m giving you the first appearance of the character in published material – whether short story or novel. That way you can get a true introduction. The links are associate links.
The word detective wasn’t even a thing when Poe wrote his Dupin stories. Dupin is the prototype for the analytical detective.
With Holmes, Doyle set the tone for the entire mystery genre. Holmes might be cantankerous, but he cares about his friends and his cases.
Miss Marple showed that detectives could be anyone, as long as they had a keen mind and sense of observation.
Poirot is the only fictional character to have an obituary in the New York Times. He was beloved by fans despite his fastidious nature.
Whimsey is the model for the “gentleman detective,” who tends to solve crimes to pass the time, which serves as an engaging element of wish-fulfilment for the reader, when done with grace and humor, as Sayers does.
Who doesn’t know Nancy Drew? From casual reference to film adaptations, everyone has a take on this teen detective. In the book series, she solved over 500 cases – necessitating multiple authors.
Marlowe is a good example of the “hardboiled detective.” Marlow may be in a darker world, but he still never loses his sense of humor.Yet, he’s a deep character with interests in chess and poetry.
I love a good fish-out-of-water story, so having Stephanie become a bounty hunter – when she’s the last person you’d expect for the job. This dynamic allows for a character growing to competence over the course of a series.
Thursday is a literary detective, who solves her mysteries inside the pages of classic books. It’s about as meta as you can get. Thursday has a deep sense of humor – but an empathetic backstory.
Hannah is a baker, and one of the original amateur detectives to star in a culinary mystery. Hannah’s outgoing, and ready with advice, but at the same time, she tends to put her foot in her mouth. She has the logical mind needed for detecting.