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The 30 Greatest Literary Detectives of All Time

From Shortlist: "Whodunit? It wasn't us, perhaps it was you. There's only one way to find out. Let's call for that most shadowy and exciting of literary creations – the crime-solving, riddle-repairing, mystery-mending sleuth.
From Sherlock Holmes to Kurt Wallander, by way of Sam Spade and Miss Marple, these characters have brightened up literature for decades. That they'll carry on doing so is an open and shut case that even foolhardy PI's such as ourselves could solve.
So, let's leave it to the big boys – and girls – eh? Without further ado, here are the 30 best literary sleuths known to man, woman or beast..."
First is an image of the literary sleuth - have you heard of him/her before?
Second is an image of a work in their canon - have you read that particular work?
Enjoy!!
339 users · 3,280 views
 
from shortlist.com · made by SDM Listman
avg. score: 14 of 60 (23%)
required scores: 1, 4, 10, 15, 23 

How many have you heard of/read?

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Philip Marlowe (The Big Sleep)
Philip Marlowe (The Big Sleep)
1
The Big Sleep (Raymond Chandler)
The Big Sleep
2
Raymond Chandler
Sam Spade
Sam Spade
3
The Maltese Falcon (Dashiell Hammett)
The Maltese Falcon
4
Dashiell Hammett
Sherlock Holmes
Sherlock Holmes
5
Hound of the Baskervilles (Doyle)
Hound of the Baskervilles
6
Doyle
Chief Inspector Reginald Wexford
Chief Inspector Reginald Wexford
7
From Doon With Death (Ruth Rendell)
From Doon With Death
8
Ruth Rendell
Detective Mike Hoolihan
Detective Mike Hoolihan
9
Night Train (Martin Amis)
Night Train
10
Martin Amis
Inspector Bucket
Inspector Bucket
11
Bleak House (Charles Dickens)
Bleak House
12
Charles Dickens
Miss Marple
Miss Marple
13
At Bertram's Hotel (Agatha Christie)
At Bertram's Hotel
14
Agatha Christie
Arkady Renko
Arkady Renko
15
Gorky Park (Martin Cruz Smith)
Gorky Park
16
Martin Cruz Smith
Smilla Qaaviqaaq Jaspersen
Smilla Qaaviqaaq Jaspersen
17
Miss Smilla's Feeling for Snow
Miss Smilla's Feeling for Snow
18
Inspector Morse
Inspector Morse
19
Last Bus to Woodstock (Colin Dexter)
Last Bus to Woodstock
20
Colin Dexter
John Rebus
John Rebus
21
Knots and Crosses (Ian Rankin)
Knots and Crosses
22
Ian Rankin
William of Baskerville
William of Baskerville
23
The Name of the Rose (Umberto Eco)
The Name of the Rose
24
Umberto Eco
Chief Inspector Adam Dalgliesh
Chief Inspector Adam Dalgliesh
25
Cover Her Face
Cover Her Face
26
Detective Chen Cao
Detective Chen Cao
27
Death of a Red Heroine (Qiu Xiaolong)
Death of a Red Heroine
28
Qiu Xiaolong
Perry Mason
Perry Mason
29
The Case of the Velvet Claws (Erle Stanley Gardner)
The Case of the Velvet Claws
30
Erle Stanley Gardner
Harry Hole
Harry Hole
31
The Bat (Jo Nesbø)
The Bat
32
Jo Nesbø
C. Auguste Dupin
C. Auguste Dupin
33
The Murders in the Rue Morgue (Edgar Allan Poe)
The Murders in the Rue Morgue
34
Edgar Allan Poe
Father Brown
Father Brown
35
Father Brown: The Essential Tales (G.K. Chesterton)
Father Brown: The Essential Tales
36
G.K. Chesterton
Maigret
Maigret
37
The Shadow Puppet (Georges Simenon)
The Shadow Puppet
38
Georges Simenon
The Continental Op
The Continental Op
39
Red Harvest (Dashiell Hammett)
Red Harvest
40
Dashiell Hammett
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