My Favorite Fictional Detectives

Mysteries have always been one of my favorite things to read, right up there with fantasy and sci-fi. Trying to figure out the mystery before the detective (which works on various levels depending on the detective) is one of my favorite things to do. When I was younger, I loved those whodunit puzzle books and I may or may not have run around in a cape and hat pretending to be Sherlock Holmes.

How I felt while wearing my detective gear

Ahem. Today I'd thought I'd share a list of my favorite detectives. I'll try to keep it short, but no promises. (Also, wow, I have over fifty mystery books on my Goodreads shelf. If that isn't a sign I like mysteries, I don't know what is.)

Sherlock Holmes

What sort of detective list would this be if I didn't mention the greatest detective of all times? The extraordinary Sherlock Holmes. He's smart, excellent at deductions, and handy in a fight. I've read almost all of his mysteries, spin off books by other authors, and watched the show and movies. He will forever be one of my favorite detectives. And you can't forget Watson, his faithful friend.

Enola Holmes

Five or so years ago I discovered Enola Holmes, the protagonist of a series about Sherlock and Mycroft's fictional younger sister. She was whip smart, just like her brothers, and didn't want to be conformed into a proper young lady. I loved her. She's great for younger readers and now they're even going to be making a movie based off of it.

Charlotte Holmes

Okay, okay, last Holmes. Charlotte is the descendant of Sherlock himself. I like her because she's so smart, and yet so sensitive. Oh, she covers it up, pretends she doesn't care, but when we get chapters from her point of view, you can tell she cares very much, if only her brain would let her.

Nancy Drew

Of course I grew up on the Nancy Drew novels. Didn't every girl? While Nancy might not appeal to today's audiences as much, I still love her. Her and her girl squad would run around solving mysteries and getting into trouble. She's the best.

The Hardy Boys

I love Nancy Drew, but I think I liked the Hardy Boys a tiny bit more, just because they got in more trouble. Nancy never got shot at or held hostage (very often) or got in car crashes. Frank and Joe did. Despite how old fashioned the books are, they're still lots of fun and great mysteries. Besides, who doesn't love some brother action?

Moriarty

Yes, I know I said no more Holmes's. But Moriarty doesn't count. And no, I'm not talking about the one from the books. I'm talking about the girl version from Lock and Mori (she's Mori if you didn't know). It's interesting to watch her, because I want to see if she comes out bad like her book counterpart. Besides that, she's smart, strong, and a great sister.

Lemony Snicket

Lemony is a detective, especially if you read All the Wrong Questions. He's an interesting character because he often walks the line between good and bad, operating in a moral gray area. Despite knowing so little about him, I feel like I know him very well.

Hercule Poirot

One of Agatha Christie's famous detectives, Hercule Poirot is an older gentleman who solves mysteries. He never needs a gun or a police force. Through simple observation and research, he can solve a mystery. I've seen one actor play him and I'm going to see another soon, but I think they've both done well.

Miss Marple

Agatha Christie's other famous detective is Miss Marple, an old lady who also solves mysteries. I haven't read a lot of her books, but I like her anyway, just because who would suspect an old lady of being a detective? She's the sort of person who goes out for tea and solves a murder on her way home.

Father Brown

Finally, we have Father Brown. I'd say he's one of the least known detectives on this list. As his name implies, he's a priest, but he's also excellent at solving mysteries. Once again, I like him because he's not what you'd expect. He's soft spoken and a man of the cloth, but that doesn't mean he can't solve slight gory murders. I had to read a few of his mysteries in English literature year and enjoyed them so much, I read a lot of the others.

Writing this list makes me want to go read all of these mysteries again. Don't mind me, I'll probably just be binge reading Nancy Drew or the Hardy Boys for the rest of the month.

Let's talk! Do you like mysteries? Who are your favorite detectives? Tell me in the comments.