Who are your all-time FAVORITE SLEUTHS?

TC Beacham · Jan 4, 2010

For many years I read mostly literary fiction, but returned to M/T/S about two years ago and have been making up for lost time!

When creating female sleuth Del Jakes in LEAVE ME GASPING, I tried to combine female sensabilities with what is usually thought of as a more male style (sleek and fast-moving) because that's what I wanted to read.

This year, I hope to discover many more great M/T/S novels and I've been downloading samples to my Kindle to get started.

Who are your all-time FAVORITE SLEUTHS?

(On Edit: Not that M/T/S isn't also literary sometimes.)

MarkEsq · Jan 4, 2010

My favorite sleuth of all time is Sherlock Holmes.

His love of mystery, the fact that he solved them because he wanted to, not because he found himself in a jam and had to, I think makes him one of the all-time greats. He relied on intelligence and the science he used was mostly of his own making. He had a sense of humor, a kindness towards his sidekick, and a depth to his own character, which was (as we all know) quite flawed.

alleycat · Jan 4, 2010

Sherlock Holmes is one of my favorites as well. I'm not sure it's still there, but at one time Amazon had one of the Sherlock Holmes books available on Kindle for free.

I would also suggest just about anything by Raymond Chandler.

TC Beacham · Jan 4, 2010

MarkEsq said:
My favorite sleuth of all time is Sherlock Holmes.

His love of mystery, the fact that he solved them because he wanted to, not because he found himself in a jam and had to, I think makes him one of the all-time greats. He relied on intelligence and the science he used was mostly of his own making. He had a sense of humor, a kindness towards his sidekick, and a depth to his own character, which was (as we all know) quite flawed.

Have you seen the movie with Robert Downey Jr.? If so, what did you think?

TC Beacham · Jan 4, 2010

alleycat said:
Sherlock Holmes is one of my favorites as well. I'm not sure it's still there, but at one time Amazon had one of the Sherlock Holmes books available on Kindle for free.

I would also suggest just about anything by Raymond Chandler.

Thanks! Just downloaded A STUDY IN SCARLET. Even the title is great!

Shadow_Ferret · Jan 4, 2010

As mentioned, Sherlock Holmes.

But I used to love Charlie Chan, too. His stories by Earl Der Biggers were always very good.

Someone else said, Raymond Chandler. I'd include Dashiell Hammett. I loved "The Thin Man." Nick Charles and his wife, Nora, were very amusing.

CaroGirl · Jan 4, 2010

I've always had a soft spot for Hercule Poirot, with his oily moustaches and his propensity to shout out, "I am not French; I am Belgian!" Tres amusante.

MarkEsq · Jan 4, 2010

TC Beacham said:
Have you seen the movie with Robert Downey Jr.? If so, what did you think?

Not yet, but I definitely plan to. Anyone else here see it?

Lavern08 · Jan 4, 2010

Chief Inspector Jacques Clouseau (of course)

maryland · Jan 4, 2010

Inspector Jules Maigret by Georges Simenon - I have many of the 84+ books (and there's 18 short stories.) By today's standards they are rather short - 130 pages for instance.
Also, Inspector Evariste Clovis Desire Pel located in Burgundy. Several books were written by Mark Hebden in the 1980s and after his death, his daughter, Juliet Hebden continued the series and kept up the standard impeccably.
And Philip Marlowe, of course. There's even one completed by Robert.B. Parker,'Poodle Springs,' 1989.

veinglory · Jan 4, 2010

Sherlock Holmes FTW.

Also Joseph Hansen's Dave Brandstetter.

bclement412 · Jan 4, 2010

Lavern08 said:
Chief Inspector Jacques Clouseau (of course)

Haha same!

And also, Sherlock Holmes. Duh. I am dying to see that movie, even though I've heard everything from "I hated it" to "I loved it".

CatSlave · Jan 4, 2010

veinglory said:
...Also Joseph Hansen's Dave Brandstetter.

Ditto.

And Sue Grafton's Kinsey Millhone.

Shakesbear · Jan 4, 2010

MarkEsq said:
Not yet, but I definitely plan to. Anyone else here see it?

Yes.

Possible spoilers...

I enjoyed it - despite a plot that rather stretched credulity. The Holmes/Watson relationship was really good - Downey and wotsisname really worked well together, and there was some good banter between them. Watson is about to marry and Holmes is not happy about this - which sort of works. Costumes - especially ladies - were really good as were most of the interior sets. London was dull and dreary which reminded me of the way it was presented in The Prestige. It was a roller coaster and seemed to end very quickly - so I really enjoyed it! The end left various opening s for a sequel. Would recommend it though not necessarily to anyone who has not read the originals - or seen Jeremy Brett who was, imo, the best Holmes.

BradyH1861 · Jan 4, 2010

In real life, me.

In the books, I like Dave Robicheaux. (James Lee Burke) I even own a Robicheaux Dock and Baitshop T-Shirt! In my opinion (my humble opinion), The Tin Roof Blowdown is the best book in the series.

ToddWBush · Jan 4, 2010

Saying Holmes is your favorite sleuth is like saying "Michael Jordan is my favorite basketball player", it's just not fair. He's already the best and the one everyone wants to be like (no pun intended), so pick someone else.

Harry Bosch, Elvis Cole, Joe Pike, Patrick Kenzie for modern sleuths.

And in the future, there's not a single mystery made that Data can't solve.

sheadakota · Jan 4, 2010

ToddWBush said:
Harry Bosch, Elvis Cole, Joe Pike, Patrick Kenzie for modern sleuths.

These! also Tres Navarre (Rick Riordon's series)

alleycat · Jan 4, 2010

Some additional suggestions:

Some of the Adam Dalgliesh novels by P.D. James. I think the earlier ones are better than the later ones; perhaps A Taste for Death would be a goof choice. Dalgliesh is not the classic sleuth--more of a introverted, intellectual detective who goes about his work in a quiet, workmanlike way.

One of the novels by by Tony Hillerman featuring Navajo Tribal Police Lieutenant Joe Leaphorn.

SirOtter · Jan 4, 2010

Rex Stout's Nero Wolfe
Lee Child's Jack Reacher
P.J. Parrish's Louis Kincaid
Isaac Asimov's Elijah Baley and R. Daneel Olivaw
Leslie Charteris' Simon Templar, AKA the Saint

SirOtter · Jan 4, 2010

Erle Stanley Gardner's Perry Mason
Ellery Queen
And even poor old Philo Vance, whom, as Ogden Nash once noted, needs a kick in the pance.

alleycat · Jan 4, 2010

I'd almost forgotten about Nero Wolfe.

SirOtter · Jan 4, 2010

Stuart Kaminsky's Toby Peters

SJ Gordon · Jan 4, 2010

Oh, no one is going for Miss Marple! Nemesis in a crocheted shawl! I do love Holmes, Poirot and a host of others, but let's have a little love for Miss Marple!

gothicangel · Jan 5, 2010

Rebus and Walllander.

HistorySleuth · Jan 5, 2010

Sherlock for sure for me. I've been reading Holmes since grade school. How weird is that? Of course I read the Hardy Boys as a kid too. Sherlock got me hooked on all the sleuthing. On TV though anything like Sherlock, Inspector Morse, even Murder She Wrote when it was still set in Cabot Cove (since Cape Cod was the most favorite place I ever visited.)

Agatha Christie stories including on TV/movies (Miss Marple, Poirot) Although I haven't read yet "The Incident of the Dog's Ball" which her daughter recently found in the attic. Mousetrap and And Then There Were None (Ten Little Indians) are among my all time favorite movies.

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