The Most famous detectives Are those who have surprised us by their ability to discover the truth in the most difficult situations.
Their ability to see beyond what other mortals are capable of intuition, their insight or their observing intelligence are some of the features that distinguish them.
Top 30 most famous detectives in history
1- Sherlock Holmes
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle is the creator of this character, undoubtedly the most famous detective in history. Protagonist in addition to one of the best-known literary sagas, Sherlock taught us that the simplest explanation is correct, however implausible it may seem.
Together with his friend Dr. Watson, Sherlock confronts his nemesis, Professor Moriarty. This character was so acclaimed that many, believing that he was a real detective, sent letters to his address in London. Since its appearance in The Scarlet Study In 1887, Sherlock became the most famous detective.
Viktor Burakov
The Russian detective Victor Burakov, became popular to face the maniacal"butcher of Rostov", that killed 53 people in the Russian region of Rostov. In honor of this character, Tom Rob Smith wrote his book The child 44 .
Burakov is now the pensioner of the Russian Police, but continues to cooperate in difficult cases.
3- V.I. Warshawski
"Never underestimate a man's ability to underestimate a woman." This sexy detective, created by Sara Paretsky, changed the role of the woman in the detective novels.
Warshawski graduated in law from the University and worked as a public defender before becoming a detective. "Vic", as her friends call her, is an autonomous woman who frequently faces discrimination on the part of men.
Hercules Poirot
Hercules Poirot, the fictional Belgian detective created by Agatha Christie, is the protagonist of more than 30 novels and 50 short stories. It is said that the Belgian nationality of Poirot was given in honor to the Belgian refugees who lived in England.
The fact of being a Belgian refugee also explains why Poirot lived in a pension and why, being an expert in his field, precisely did not have work.
5- Eliot Ness
Eliot Ness, an agent of the United States Treasury, stood out for leading Los Intocables, who enforced the Dry Law prohibiting the sale of alcohol in Chicago.
He is famous for having captured Al Capone, a famous ganster who controlled the Mafia in the 1920s and 30s. The Intocables team was formed by Ness, Jim Malone, Oscar Wallace and George Stone. It should be noted that the Untouchables were criticized for their methods.
Eliot Ness wrote a book about his story before dying of a heart attack at 54 years of age.
6- Miss Marple
Another famous heroine of Agatha Christie and also a detective was Miss Marple. A lady with impressive deductive abilities who used to cheat by her appearance, which was not typical of the classic detective prototype.
7- Miss Smilla
Detective Smilla Qaaviqaaq Jaspersen lives in Greenland and investigates the death of a neighbor child. The heroine of author Peter Hoeg Smila is especially susceptible to the types of snow.
This ability helps to solve the mystery of the death of its neighbor, who was found dead when falling from the ceiling. The work of the Danish writer was brought to the big screen.
8- Roderick Alleyn
Roderick Alleyn is a fictional detective created by writer Ngaio Marsh, one of the so-called police queens. Alleyn is the protagonist of 32 novels in which you can appreciate the course of his life, from being an official until Superintendent, as well as aspects of his personal life as his wedding or the birth of his son.
9- Eugène-François Vidocq
Eugène-François Vidocq was the first director of the French National Security office and also founder of the first private detective agency. His controversial life inspired writers like Edgar Allan Poe in his works.
It is believed that before founding his agency, Vidocq was a criminal. He also had many lovers and married several times. At the end of his career, he was accused of sympathizing with the Bonapartists.
10- Auguste Dupin
In his work The crimes of Morgue Street , Edgar Allan Poe introduces the character of detective Auguste Dupin, inspired by the recently mentioned Vidocq. The character of Dupin differs in that he is not a detective by profession and his motivation to solve mysteries changes in line with each book.
This character was created before the term or detective profession existed. It is considered that it laid the foundations of the genre of detective novel.
Robert Peel
Another famous historical personage is the aristocrat Robert Peel who, although it was not detective, created Metropolitan Police of London and the Real Irish Police. Peel formulated the principles of the police activity and later the activity of the detectives.
Harry Hole
Harry Hole, star of the black novel saga of the Norwegian writer Jo Nesbo, is a detective with a very difficult temperament, who has to fight against his own demons and at the same time fight against drug traffickers and murderers.
His work takes him to different parts of the world. The author, Jo Nesbo, is as multifaceted as his character as a musician, economist and reporter.
13- Pepe Carvalho
The detective Pepe Carvalho, created by Manuel Vázquez, does not fit in the common personage of the detective novels. His attitude is often self-destructive, since as the years go by, he increasingly renounces his ideas.
Who in his youth was a communist, ends up working as a CIA agent. All his stories are related to important facts of the history of Spain in Century XX.
14- Enrique Cazenevue Cortés
The first private detective agency in Spain was founded by Enrique Cazenevue Cortés on Calle Balmes in Barcelona. Cazenevue is the author of a book called Detectivism .
He can be attributed the title of teacher of this profession since many of its associates ended up becoming independent and in addition Cazenevue was dedicated to give talks in the radio on its methods of work.
15- Robert Langdon
Dan Brown is the author of the famous book series on Professor Robert Langdon, who has become a reference character for modern detective books. Langdon, educated and intelligent university professor, uses his knowledge to solve crimes and mysteries. Unlike other fictional heroes, he is not very good with fists.
16- Fray Guillermo de Baskerville
The detective novel by Umberto Eco, The name of the rose Tells the story of Brother William of Baskerville, who along with his pupil Adso de Melk solve a series of mysteries that occur in an abbey of the Apennines. The story was taken to the big screen, in addition to winning numerous prizes, like the Strega 1981.
17- Father Brown
Another famous priest-detective is Father Brown, inspired by the priest John O'Connor, who turned the creator G.K. Chesterton to Catholicism. Father Brown is characterized by a deep understanding of psychology, allowing him to understand the motives of criminals and victims.
18- Mikael Blomkvist
Swedish journalist and writer Stieg Larsson gave us the saga of Millenium . In it the hacker Lisbeth Salander and the investigative journalist Mikael Blomkvist will solve diverse crimes, using each one its talents. The story has so captivated the audience that it has been brought to the big screen.
19- Richie Roberts
Richie Roberts is a famous detective from Essex County, who stood out for his role in the capture of narco Frank Lucas, with whom Roberts established a close friendship.
The story of this pair of curious characters inspired the film American Ganster . Currently, this detective is engaged in private practice. It is interesting to note that both Roberts and Lucas have criticized the film American Ganster .
20- David Toschi
David Toschi was a prominent detective, who worked in San Francisco between 1952 and 1983. He is known for conducting research on the serial killer, Zodiac.
Although the Zodiac case has not yet been resolved, it is considered that without Toschi's efforts the case would be much more stagnant.
It is important to note that Toschi only finished high school and does not have any higher education. Toschi currently lives in San Francisco and is 85 years old.
21- Marco Didio Falco
Famed novelist Lindsey Davis, passionate about the history and archeology of Ancient Rome, created the character of the detective Marco Didio Falco. In the language of the time, Marco Didio would be an informant of the Roman emperor Vespasian. Davis's novels are written in the first person from Falco's perspective.
22- Pazair
Another detective of historical novel is the young Pazair, personage created by Christian Jacq and protagonist of the trilogy The Judge of Egypt . The young judge Pazair must detain a general who has organized a plot to kill Pharaoh Ramses 'the Great'.
23- Melvin Purvis
One of the most prominent detectives in the United States is Melvin Purvis, also known as 'Little Mel'. This man played a primary role in catching criminals like Pretty Boy Floyd, Baby Face Nelson, Machine Gun Kelly and the Barker brothers.
But his most famous case was that of John Dillinger, a famous bank robber, whom 'Little Mel' personally killed.
24- Rusty Sabish
Rusty Sabish is in charge of discovering who raped his ex-lover Carolyn Polhemus in the novel Innocent ham By Scott Turow. Sadly Sabish is not totally sane emotionally and her story with Carolyn sometimes does not allow her to see things clearly.
25- Julián Herranz
The Pope's personal detective, the Spanish cardinal Julian Herranz, has stood out as a detective of the Holy See, managing to catch all those who have attempted to unravel the secrets of the Church.
The case of Vatileaks is his most famous case. Faced with constant attacks by the press on this case, Herranz stated that"in any government there are more dark areas than in the Vatican"and reiterated its commitment to carry the investigation to the final consequences.
26- Sam Spade
Sam Spade, the protagonist of the novel The Maltese Falcon , Written by Dashiell Hammett. It is characterized by its hardness in solving a mystery. Spade tries to find a statuette that is considered a relic of art, but to achieve this he faces a group of criminals, not all interested in the piece of art.
27- Allan Pinkerton
Pinkerton was the first private detective agency in the world, founded by Scottish Allan Pinkerton. After its foundation was closed, the agency continued working for many years but was discredited for having taken part in the activities of the employers against the labor movement in the USA.
Pinkerton also stands out for having created a database of all the crimes known to date in the United States. This database was left to the FBI.
28- Philip Marlowe
Philip Marlowe, star of Goodbye doll , The eternal dream And other works by Raymond Chandler, is a cynical detective, who criticizes corrupt society and believes that everyone lies. Marlowe himself is defined in his novel as a lover of chess, drinking and women. This character is considered the typical detective of the American police novel.
29- Charles Latimer
The British writer Charles Latimer is the protagonist of the novel The mask of Dimitrios . Latimer, being no detective but writer, differs from other heroes of the genre in that his method to discover the truth is the conversation with different personages with whom he is interviewed when traveling through different cities of Europe and Asia.
30- William King
His most acclaimed case was Albert Fish, also known as 'The Gray Man', the 'Vampire of Brooklin' and the 'Maniac of the Moon'. William King caught this insane killer, who is believed to have raped more than 100 victims and killed 5 people.
He was convicted of the murder of Grace Budd. William King discovered it thanks to a letter that Fish wrote years later where it was identified to him by its letter and by its orthographic errors.