my top ten favorite fictional detectives.

source.

With the We Love Detectives Week going strong over at Hamlette’s Soliloquy, I’m pleased to contribute a second post to the event—a list of my top ten favorite fictional detectives. There was a bit of difficulty compiling this list, as I have a tendency to forget favorites AND I definitely have more than ten favorite detectives. But in the end, I’m quite pleased with how this list turned out. Enjoy!

(Oh, and just so you know, it’s not reeeeally in order of least- to most-liked, or vice versa—with the exception of the first detective on the list.)

Mark McPherson – Laura (1944)

source.

Mark just might be my favorite fictional detective of all time. To begin with, he’s played by Dana Andrews—that’s about a dozen extra points in his favor right there. 😉 But the character himself is great as well. Mark is extremely good at his job, and remains unflappable in the face of great annoyances—and there are some pretty annoying suspects in Laura. Like Waldo Lydecker. Or Shelby Carpenter. Or Ann Treadwell. But Mark remains calm, polite, and (mostly) professional throughout.

Besides Mark’s skills as a detective, I also love how sweet he can be. (Sweet toward whom, I can’t say—spoilers! You’ll just have to watch the movie.) If you’ve seen Laura and you’d like to spend more time with Mark, I highly recommend Vera Caspary’s book (of the same title). Part of the story is told from Mark’s point of view, and you can just hear Dana Andrews’ voice reading the lines. ❤

John Anderton – Minority Report (2002)

source.

What’s a detective to do when all murders are now solved before they’re even committed? Well, John Anderton (Tom Cruise) works instead on interpreting the the visions of those who ‘pre-witness’ the murders. It’s honest work—or so he thinks. When John himself is accused of future-murdering a man he doesn’t even know, he goes on the run to escape the authorities and possibly clear his name. John could have been just another action hero, but Tom Cruise brings a lot of depth to the character by highlighting John’s grief, protectiveness, and determination.

Sherlock Holmes – original stories/novels by Arthur Conan Doyle, BBC’s Sherlock, the Enola Holmes series by Nancy Springer, and The Jeweled Peacock of Persia by Jake Theone and Luke Theone

source.

I could NOT have a list like this without mentioning the world’s greatest fictional detective. I mean, when you’ve got the public mourning when you kill off said detective…you’re doing something very right. There has not been a version of Sherlock Holmes that I didn’t like (as you can see from all the sources listed above). What about Sherlock appeals to me so much? Well, he’s a genius. It’s very fun to read about well-written geniuses. And he has a heart—and empathy, despite his often biting remarks.

Also, Basil Rathbone played him. Doesn’t get much better than that.

Basil of Baker Street – The Great Mouse Detective (1986) and the Basil of Baker Street series by Eve Titus

source.

“But wait!” you might cry. “Shouldn’t Basil simply be included in the section about Sherlock Holmes?”

I say “no”, for the simple reason that Sherlock Holmes is actually his own character in the Basil books (and The Great Mouse Detective). Therefore, Basil does not equal Sherlock—not totally, at least. Anyway, I love Basil. Probably more than Sherlock, to be completely and perfectly honest. Again with the brilliance! Again with the compassion! Barrie Ingham is delightful as the voice of Basil. Also, The Great Mouse Detective is nostalgic for me in a way no other Sherlock Holmes property is.

Jedediah Jones – Dancing & Doughnuts by Rachel Kovaciny

(source)
_{There is no movie of Dancing & Doughnuts, but I have it on good authority that Bobby Darin would have been perfect casting for Jedediah…}

Jedediah Jones is the first amateur detective on this list—his tenure as detective actually only lasts a couple of weeks (if I recall correctly), before he takes up a different career (which I won’t name, for the sake of spoilers). But I’m still such a huge fan of Jedediah-as-detective. When faced with an increasingly puzzling problem, he doesn’t get mad and he doesn’t quit, just keeps searching for a solution. And he’s honest and kind and funny to boot—just an all-around wonderful guy.

Trixie Belden – Trixie Belden series by Julie Campbell/various authors

I just love this cover, that’s all. (source)

I grew up reading both Nancy Drew and Trixie Belden books, and Trixie’s adventures were always the most fun and interesting. While Nancy is perfect in every way, Trixie is a tween who definitely doesn’t have everything figured out yet. But that’s okay, because her sympathetic nature and quick thinking never lead her in the wrong direction—at least, not for long. In addition, Trixie has the most splendid, supportive group of friends. Who wouldn’t want to hang out with Honey, Brian, Mart, Di, and Jim (especially Jim, lol)?

Lady Grace Cavendish – The Lady Grace Mysteries by various authors

source.

Another book series I read as a kid! Grace is a Maid of Honour to Queen Elizabeth I, and ends up solving several different mysteries for the queen (almost always involving a grisly murder). Now, Grace is only thirteen, so the books are *cough* a tad unrealistic. XD But Grace is such a sharp, witty, brave heroine that I don’t really mind.

Bastian Dennel – The Midnight Show by Sarah Pennington

source.

Funny thing: this is the second detective on this list who comes from a Twelve Dancing Princesses retelling (the first being Jedediah Jones). I just read The Midnight Show for the first time this year, and fell in love with Bastian Dennel—without warning. Bastian is hired to shadow popular singer Dayo Temitrope to figure out why she wakes up with sore feet and vague memories of horrible nightmares. His gentlemanly demeanor won both Dayo’s heart and mine.

Iris Henderson – The Lady Vanishes (1938)

source.

Dear, courageous Iris. Despite being gaslit by almost everyone on the train, she persists in searching for Miss Froy. Iris is one of my favorite heroines ever!

Shawn Spencer – Psych

source.

Shawn is an immature goofball but, man, do I still love him. And I believe that’s because Shawn’s heart is in the right place. He fiercely loves his family and friends. He makes me laugh. He makes me cry. And he’s brilliant at crime-solving. We love to see it.

---

Although the mystery genre is not my favorite, I do love detectives. Their job is really that of restoring order to a disordered world—and, as you can see, my favorites do so with a compassionate heart and brave resolve.

Do you spot any favorite characters on this list? Who are some of your favorite fictional detectives? Let me know in the comments! ❤

Eva-Joy