Top 10 of the Greatest Detectives in Literature
10 The Hardy Boys
The Hardy Boys, brothers Frank and Joe Hardy, are fictional characters that appear in a number of children’s and teen mystery novels. The show follows a group of youngsters who work as amateur detectives, solving problems that have perplexed their professional counterparts. Edward Stratameyer’s ‘Hardy Boys,’ published between 1927 and 1979, is about two crime-solving brothers who have been companions to many during their adolescent years. Frank (18) and Joe (17) Hardy are two bright kids eager to assist the cops and their father, a private investigator, in this mystery series. Stratameyer designed the adventure series in the first place.
9 Nancy Drew
Since its debut in 1930, Nancy Drew has acted as a proper role model for many teenage girls all around the world. Nancy’s father, Carson Drew, is an attorney with whom she frequently collaborates in the resolution of seemingly intractable issues. Drew, like the Hardy Boys, is one of the world’s youngest sleuths at the age of 18 (she was 16 in early books). Nancy Drew was likewise created by Edward Stratameyer, and like the ‘Hardy Boys,’ the stories were later ghostwritten and published under the name Carolyn Keene. Nancy Drew Files, a series of books published in the 1980s, featured an older Nancy.
8 V.I. Warshawski
Sara Paretsky is the creator of V.I. Warshawski, or Vic, one of the world’s first badass female private investigators. The first appearance of this Chicago investigator was in the 1982 novel ‘Indemnity Only.’ Except for one short storey, all of Warshawski’s stories are told in the first person, keeping readers on their toes with her sarcasm and fierce temper. Her skilled and willful nature has earned her the title of one of the few female investigators among fans and literary reviewers. Vic enjoys listening to opera and classical music while he is not smashing bad dudes with karate.
7 Nick And Nora Charles
They first appeared in Dashiell Hammett’s 1933 novel “The Thin Man.” The novel was quickly converted into a film of the same name, which received rave reviews and sold out theatres. People were enthralled by their wit and silliness. Moreover, despite being a detective storey, the picture was plenty with laughter. The fact that a detective film can be funny astounds the audience. Five sequels were released from 1934 and 1947, followed by a radio show (from 1941 to 1950) and a television show (form 1957 to 1959).
6 Sam Spade
Despite only appearing in a few publications, Dashiell Hammett’s fictional character Sam Spade is widely regarded as a pivotal figure in the development of hard-boiled private detective fiction. ‘The Maltese Falcon’ was the first novel in which he appeared (1930). Spade also made appearances in three lesser-known short works later on. The Maltese Falcon was adapted three times, the most successful of which starred Humphrey Bogart. As a result, the role became intimately linked with the actor from the 1940s onwards. Bogart’s portrayal of Spade, who was initially blond, with his tiny body, dark features, and no-nonsense demeanour.
5 Mike Hammer
Mike Michael Michael Michael Michael Michael Michael Michael Michael Michael Michael Michael Michael Michael Michael Michael Michael Michael Michael Hammer isn’t the type of guy you’d want to have over for dinner, but the world needs guys like him to prevent crimes from occurring. Hammer is a self-admitted misanthrope, brutally violent, and driven by a genuine passion against violent crime, something that neither Dashiell Hammett nor Raymond Chandler’s heroes suffer from. Though he admires the police force, he believes that the legislation frequently obstructs justice. Hammer’s persona is supposed to be based on Frank Hamer, a real-life hard-boiled Texas Ranger and gunfighter who is best known for tracking down and shooting Bonnie and Clyde in 1934.
4 Miss Marple – The Greatest Detectives in Literature
This gentle, old English lady can read a murder like the line in the skin of her hand, thanks to Agatha Christie, the mistress of mysteries. Miss Marple originally appeared in the novel ‘Murder at the Vicarage’ in 1930, and she has since appeared in 11 more novels and 20 short tales. Miss Marple’s final novel was published in 1976. The character (together with Hercule Poirot) is well-known and has been made into a number of stage plays, TV shows, and films. Margaret Rutherford, Angela Lansbury, and Helen Hayes are among the actors who have played her so far.
3 Hercule Poirot
In Agatha Christie’s first novel, ‘The Mysterious Affairs at Styles,’ the Belgian investigator makes an appearance. Poirot is one of Christie’s most well-known and long-lived characters, appearing in 33 novels, one play, and more than 50 short stories from 1920 to 1975. Christie was weary of the character by the 1930s, but he couldn’t kill him off because of public demand. The development of a Belgian investigator was motivated by the fact that, due to British propaganda at the time, it was considered patriotic to demonstrate sympathy for the Belgians.
2 Philip Marlowe
Despite the fact that Philip Marlowe was a gruff, hard-drinking detective, he was unlike most of his colleagues. He was thoughtful and philosophical, as well as ethically decent and unconcerned about the genre’s traditional femme fatales. Raymond Chandler created Marlowe as the protagonist of a series of novels, including ‘The Big Sleep,’ which was published in 1939 and was his debut work. Chandler’s early short works, which appeared in pulp magazines such as Black Mask and others, featured characters who were similar to Marlowe but had different names. Some of these short stories were later combined and developed into Marlowe books. In 1958, he published his final storey.
1 Sherlock Holmes
This detective does not require an introduction. When he’s not working on a case, he’s the master sleuth, but when he isn’t, he’s a bit of a wreck, and he turns to cocaine for excitement. Due to the numerous films and television programmes based on Sherlock Holmes, it is likely that most non-readers around the world have heard of him, and the character has even appeared in over 200 films. In 1887, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle introduced Sherlock Holmes to the world via the eyes of the narrator, Dr. Watson. His popularity hasn’t waned since then. Until 1914, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle published four novels and 56 short tales.