Greatest Fictional Crime Fighters?

[John Baird]

What do you think of this list ( The List ) of the best fictional crime fighters of all time (from literature)? There are a few notable omissions but who would be in your top three? For me it’s Sherlock Holmes, Philip Marlowe and Lew Archer.

 

[I. J. Parker]

Neither! I don't like Sherlock Holmes and don't know the other two very well.  In any case, I like character-driven novels and dislike people who have uebermensch personalities. Give me an ordinary guy who just does the best he can under difficult circumstances.  My favorite writer at the moment is Andrea Camilleri.  His protagonist is Inspector Montalbano. I also like Dexter's Morse and Wingfield's Frost, and Beck in the Sjowall/Wahloo books and Mankell's character.  I think they are all representative of the sort of character/book I admire

[John Baird]

Montalbano, Morse, Beck and Mankell's Wallander are all on the list. See list of characters

Frost probably should be as well. I don't know if you've seen the TV series but once you have you'll picture David Jason playing Jack Frost for evermore.

Your choices are a little on the grumpy side. And no Americans? 

[Dana King]

I would liked to have seen Steve Carella, or at least the entire 87th Precinct mentioned.

[John Baird]

Good call.

[Stephen Seitz]

They're on my list.

[I. J. Parker]

I didn't notice the link and now find I can't access it.

 

As for Americans:  Hillerman's Joe Leaphorn.  I like Connelly but don't care much for Bosch.  Nobody else comes to mind.

 

Grumpy???

[John Baird]

Thanks. As for grumpy: Morse moans, Wallander is downbeat and depressed, Beck is always ill and suffers relationship woes.  

Here the link: http://www.crimethrillerhound.co.uk/#!greatest-fictional-crime-figh...

[I. J. Parker]

Yes, I got that far. It won't open and will probably eventually time out. It could be my browser.

 

Montalbano is a pretty cheerful fellow.

It strikes me that a man who deals all his life with crime doesn't have much to laugh about.

[MC - Tina]

Wallander's too dark for me.  He depressed me just watching the one TV episode.  lol

[MC - Tina]

He fights crime via his "leetle grey cells" so my guy is Poirot. Also Marple, Agatha Raisin.  I know, I'm a wuss.  lol

[Stephen Seitz]

Of course, Holmes casts the longest shadow, and I would agree with Marlowe. But I don't see how anyone can overlook the 87th Precinct.

[I. J. Parker]

Never warmed up to it.  It seemed dated. (Like Holmes and Poirot)