Fictional detectives are characters in detective fiction. These characters 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 movie characters.
The first famous detective in fiction was Edgar Allan Poe's C. Auguste Dupin. Later, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes became the most famous example to this day. The detectives are often accompanied by a Dr. Watson-like assistant or narrator. However, in several of her novels where he appears Agatha Christie gives reference to Hercule Poirot being the greatest detective in all the world.
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, Frost, Clouseau); 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:
Beverly Gray – protagonist of the Beverly Gray Mystery series by Clair Blank
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. Stars 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
Jessica Fletcher – writer, created by William Link and Richard Levinson for Murder, She Wrote TV series (1984-1996)
Jonathan & Jennifer Hart – millionaire couple, created by Sidney Sheldon
Patrick Jane – con artist, created by Bruno Heller for The Mentalist TV series
Sally Lockhart – teenage girl, created by Philip Pullman
Miss Marple – a small town old spinster who solves a number of crimes using common sense, created by Agatha Christie
Veronica Mars – school girl whose father is a private detective, created by Rob Thomas
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 50's & 60's. Created by Walter Mosley.
Joseph Rouletabille – journalist created by French writer Gaston Leroux. Main character in The Mystery of the Yellow Room.
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 then Harriet Vane
Misir Ali – part-time professor of psychology at University of Dhaka, created by Humayun Ahmed
David Addison in Moonlighting – created by Glenn Gordon Caron
Byomkesh Baksi – created by Sharadindu Bandyopadhyay
Tommy and Tuppence Beresford – created by Agatha Christie
Jackson Brodie – created by Kate Atkinson
Albert Campion – created by Margery Allingham
Nick & Nora Charles – created by Dashiell Hammett
The Continental Op – created by Dashiell Hammett
Elvis Cole – created by Robert Crais
Bulldog Drummond – created by H. C. McNeile
Feluda – created by Satyajit Ray
Phryne Fisher – created by Kerry Greenwood
Garret and the Dead Man – created by Glen Cook
Cordelia Gray – created by P. D. James
Peter Gunn – created by Blake Edwards
Mike Hammer – created by Mickey Spillane
Madelyn "Maddie" Hayes in Moonlighting – created by Glenn Gordon Caron
Sherlock Holmes – created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Jack Irish – created by Peter Temple
Jake Lassiter – created by Paul Levine
Bernie Little – in the Chet and Bernie Mystery Series, created by Spencer Quinn
L. Lawliet – created by Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata
Kinsey Millhone – created by Sue Grafton for her "alphabet mysteries" series of novels.
Thomas Magnum – created by Donald P. Bellisario for Magnum, P.I. TV series
Joe Mannix – created by Richard Levinson and William Link for Mannix TV series
Philip Marlowe – created by Raymond Chandler
Tess Monaghan, created by Laura Lippman
Adrian Monk – created by Andy Breckman for Monk TV series
Hercule Poirot – created by Agatha Christie
Jeff Randall – created by Dennis Spooner for Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased) TV series
Jim Rockford – created by Roy Huggins and Stephen J. Cannell for The Rockford Files TV series
John Shaft – created by Ernest Tidyman
Sam Spade – created by Dashiell Hammett
Shawn Spencer and Burton Guster – created by Steve Franks for Psych TV series
Spenser – created by Robert B. Parker
Remington Steele – created by Robert Butler, Michael Gleason for Remington Steele TV series
Jake Styles – created by Dean Hargrove and Joel Steiger for Jake and the Fatman TV series
Philo Vance – created by S. S. Van Dine
V. I. Warshawski – created by Sara Paretsky
Nero Wolfe – created by Rex Stout
Pepe Carvalho - created by Manuel Vázquez Montalbán
Jimmy Kudo - (anime character) Case Closed created by Gosho Aoyama
Inspector Roderick Alleyn – created by Ngaio Marsh
87th Precinct detectives – created by Ed McBain
Superintendent Battle – created by Agatha Christie
Napoleon Bonaparte (Bony) – created by Arthur Upfield
Harry Bosch – created by Michael Connelly
Charlie Chan – created by Earl Derr Biggers
Inspector Clouseau – from The Pink Panther franchise
Columbo – from the American TV series Columbo, created by William Link and Richard Levinson
Sergeant Cork – created by Ted Willis
Inspector Adam Dalgleish – created by P. D. James
Inspector French (Joseph French) – created by Freeman Wills Crofts
Inspector Frost – created by R. D. Wingfield
D.C.S. Christopher Foyle – from the British TV series Foyle's War, created by Anthony Horowitz
Superintendent Hanslet – created by John Rhode, pseudonym of Cecil John Street
Inspector Japp – created by Agatha Christie
DCI Carol Jordan - created by Val McDermid
Richard Jury – created by mystery author Martha Grimes
Lt. Theo Kojak – Kojak TV series (played by Telly Savalas)
Inspector Lestrade – created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Lewis – TV series, based on the books by Colin Dexter
Steve McGarrett – Hawaii Five-O TV series
Jules Maigret – created by Georges Simenon
Adrian Monk – created by Andy Breckman and David Hoberman
Inspector Morse – TV series, based on the books by Colin Dexter
William Murdoch – TV series, based on the series of novels by Maureen Jennings
Inspector Rebus – created by Ian Rankin
Dave Robicheaux – created by James Lee Burke
Dick Tracy - created by Chester Gould
Simon Serrailler – created by Susan Hill
Inspector Jimmy Waghorn – created by John Rhode, pseudonym of Cecil John Street
Inspector Wallander – created by Henning Mankell
Chief Inspector Armand Gamache – created by Louise Penny
Temperance Brennan – Bones TV series based on the books by Kathy Reichs
Donald "Ducky" Mallard – N.C.I.S. TV series
Dexter Morgan – Dexter TV series
Dr. Lancelot Priestly – created by John Rhode
Dr. R. Quincy – Quincy, M.E. TV series
Lincoln Rhyme and Amelia Sachs– created by Jeffery Deaver
Elizabeth Rodgers – Law & Order TV series
Dr Tony Hill – Home Office profiler created by Val McDermid
Dr. Kay Scarpetta – created by Patricia Cornwell
Abby Sciuto – N.C.I.S. TV series
Dr. John Thorndyke – created by R. Austin Freeman
Bruce Wayne – Batman comics and adaptions
Barry Allen – Flash comics and adaptions
Dr. Siri Paiboun – created by Colin Cotterill
Stella Bonasera – CSI: NY TV series
Horatio Caine – CSI: Miami TV series
Jo Danville – CSI: NY TV series
Calleigh Duquesne – CSI: Miami TV series
Gil Grissom – CSI: Crime Scene Investigation TV series
Raymond Langston – CSI: Crime Scene Investigation TV series
D. B. Russell – CSI: Crime Scene Investigation TV series
Mac Taylor – CSI: NY TV series
Catherine Willows – CSI: Crime Scene Investigation TV series
Anime and manga
Hajime Kindaichi – Character from the manga and anime series Kindaichi Case Files.
Shinichi Kudo/Conan Edogawa – The protagonist of Gosho Aoyama's series Case Closed, which is known in Japan as Meitantei Conan.
L Lawliet – created by Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata
Alice – The protagonist of Kamisama no memochou, a NEET Detective.
Sou Touma – The main character of the Q.E.D. series created and produced by Motohiro Katou.
