List of male detective characters

A

Detective Chief-Inspector Roderick Alleyn, series by Ngaio Marsh

Jonathan Ames, Bored to Death: A Noir-otic Story by Jonathan Ames

B

Martin Beck, series by Sjöwall and Wahlöö

Blacksad, Blacksad

Detective Inspector Napoleon "Bony" Bonaparte, by Arthur Upfield

FBI Agent Seeley Booth, Bones, TV series based on the books by Kathy Reichs

Harry Bosch, series by Michael Connelly

Slam Bradley, Slam Bradley

Father Brown, series by G. K. Chesterton

Romeo Brown, Romeo Brown

Detective Sammy Bryant, Southland TV series

Byomkesh Bakshi, by Sharadindu Bandyopadhyay

C

Brother Cadfael, The Cadfael Chronicles, by Ellis Peters

Rick Cahill, "Yesterday's Echo" by Matt Coyle

Lieutenant Horatio Caine, CSI: Miami TV series (2002–2012)

Vincent Calvino, by Christopher G. Moore

Albert Campion, by Margery Allingham

Inspector Canardo, Canardo

Frank Cannon, Cannon

Nick Carter, Nick Carter

Henri Cassin, So Dark the Night (1946 movie); based on a story by Aubrey Wisberg

Charlie Chan, series by Earl Derr Biggers

Nick Charles, The Thin Man by Dashiell Hammett

Clifton, Clifton

Inspector Clouseau, The Pink Panther

Rustin Cohle, True Detective, series by Nic Pizzolatto

Elvis Cole, series by Robert Crais

Lieutenant Columbo, Columbo TV film series (1968–2003)

FBI Special Agent Dale Cooper, Twin Peaks TV series (1990–1991)

Carland Cross, Carland Cross.

Mateo Cruz, BAU Section Chief, Criminal Minds

D

Dr. Phil D'Amato, by Paul Levinson

Harry D'Amour, by Clive Barker

Detective Superintendent Andy Dalziel in the novels and TV series Dalziel and Pascoe by Reginald Hill

Lieutenant Cedric Daniels, The Wire

Peter Decker, by Faye Kellerman

Judge Dee, by Robert van Gulik

Alex Delaware, by Jonathan Kellerman

Harry Devlin, by Martin Edwards

Doctor Spektor, Doctor Spektor

Dylan Dog, Dylan Dog

Dan Dunn, Dan Dunn

Nathaniel Dusk, Nathaniel Dusk

F

Marcus Didius Falco, series by Lindsey Davis

Erast Fandorin, by Boris Akunin

Dr. Gideon Fell, by John Dickson Carr

Detective Don Flack, CSI: NY TV series (2004–2013)

Detective Inspector Malcolm Fox, in two crime novels by Ian Rankin. The Complaints and The Impossible Dead

Feluda, by Satyajit Ray

G

Detective Sergeant David Gabriel, The Closer TV series (2005–2012)

Inspector Gadget, Inspector Gadget

Commander George Gideon, Scotland Yard in the novels by John Creasey

Gordianus the Finder, by Steven Saylor

Gil Grissom, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation TV series (2000–)

H

Mike Hammer, series by Mickey Spillane

Hawkshaw, Hawkshaw the Detective

Heiji Hattori, by Gosho Aoyama

Harry Hole, series by Jo Nesbø

Sherlock Holmes, series by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Somerset Holmes, Somerset Holmes

Aaron Hotchner, BAU unit chief, Criminal Minds

J

Barnaby Jones, Barnaby Jones

Gil Jourdan, Gil Jourdan

K

Martin Kane, Martin Kane, Private Eye

Rip Kirby, Rip Kirby

Nick Knatterton, Nick Knatterton.

Detective Lieutenant Theo Kojak, Kojak

Detective Vince Korsak, Rizzoli & Isles

Shinichi Kudo, by Gosho Aoyama

L

Thomas Lynley, by Elizabeth George

M

Detective Vic Mackey, The Shield

Thomas Magnum, Magnum, P.I.

Jules Maigret, by Georges Simenon

Joe Mannix, Mannix

Philip Marlowe, by Raymond Chandler

Perry Mason, by Erle Stanley Gardner

Travis McGee, by John D. MacDonald

Detective Jimmy McNulty, The Wire

Sir Henry Merrivale, by Carter Dickson

Adrian Monk, Monk

Inspector Morse, by Colin Dexter

FBI Special Agent Fox Mulder, The X-Files

Derek Morgan, Criminal Minds

N

Detective Zack Nichols, Law & Order: Criminal Intent

Bogey Nicholson, Bogey

P

Detective Sergeant Peter Pascoe in the novels and TV series Dalziel and Pascoe by Reginald Hill

Hercule Poirot, by Agatha Christie

Bernard Prince, Bernard Prince

Detective Lieutenant Louie Provenza, The Closer

Q

Ellery Queen, The Adventures of Ellery Queen

R

Jack Reacher, by Lee Child

Detective Danny Reagan, Blue Bloods

Detective Inspector John Rebus, by Ian Rankin

Red Barry, Red Barry

Dave Robicheaux, by James Lee Burke

Jim Rockford, The Rockford Files

Lincoln Rhyme, by Jeffery Deaver

David Rossi, current Unit Senior Agent, Criminal Minds

Spencer Reid, Criminal Minds

S

Michael Shayne, Dressed to Kill (1941) and 11 other movies; The Dead Take No Bows, a mystery novel by Richard Burke; 3 radio shows and a TV series

Dan Shepherd, by Stephen Leather

Sergeant Andy Sipowicz, NYPD Blue

Sam Spade, by Dashiell Hammett

Lance Spearman, Lance Spearman

Shawn Spencer, Psych

Spenser, by Robert B. Parker

Detective Elliot Stabler, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit

T

Tif, Tif et Tondu

Tondu, Tif et Tondu

Philip Trent, by E. C. Bentley

Detective Inspector Tom Thorne, by Mark Billingham

V

Detective Van Zwam, The Adventures of Nero.

Philo Vance, 12 novels by S. S. Van Dine, radio, movies.

W

Inspector Kurt Wallander, by Henning Mankell

Chief Inspector Reginald Wexford, by Ruth Rendell

Lord Peter Wimsey, by Dorothy L. Sayers

Nero Wolfe, by Rex Stout