Sleuths, Private Eyes, and Policemen: An International Compendium of the 100 Greatest Literary Detectives
Edited by Eric Sandberg (University of Oulu) eric.sandberg@oulu.fi
Contributors are sought for of a new reference work, titled Sleuths, Private Eyes, and Policemen: An International Compendium of the 100 Greatest Literary Detectives. The Volume is under contract with Rowman & Littlefield for publication in late 2017.
This collection will focus on the investigators who lie at the heart of crime fiction (and who appear with surprising frequency in other genres), and will offer academics and general readers a rigorous, opinionated, and entertaining survey of the key figures in one of our richest literary traditions. The hundred entries will offer broad historical and international coverage, but must be based on books available in English.
Each entry will be approximately 1000 words in length, and will contain 1) an initial ‘characteristic’ quotation, 2) an essay summarizing the distinctive features of the investigator, outlining major features of their fictional careers, and making the case for their ‘greatness’ based on factors such as literary-historical importance, uniqueness, literary quality, and cultural resonance, and 3) a bibliography of key works in which the investigator appears. A sample entry will be available for contributors.
Possible entries include the characters listed below, but proposals for entries on other investigators are most welcome, as are multiple entries by single contributors.
Please submit a 100-word rationale for the inclusion of your selected character, along with a short (50 word) bio, and a short list of any relevant publication or teaching experience by 15 March 2016 to eric.sandberg@oulu.fi. Complete entries will be due 30 July 2016.
| Hercule Poirot, Agatha Christie
Miss Marple, Agatha Christie Sherlock Holmes, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Lord Peter Wimsey, Dorothy L. Sayers Inspector Bucket, Charles Dickens Adam Dalgliesh, P. D. James Cordelia Gray, P. D. James Father Brown, G.K. Chesterton Inspectors Morse and Lewis, Colin Dexter Inspectors Dalziel and Pascoe, Reginald Hill Inspector Trent, E. C. Bentley Albert Campion, Margery Allingham Sir John Appleby, Michael Innes Inspector Allan Grant, Josephine Tey Philo Vance, S. S. Van Dyne D.I. Tom Thorne, Mark Billingham Inspector Ghote, H. F. R. Keating Mr. Peters, Mary Elizabeth Braddon Vish Puri and Mama Ji, Tarquin Hall Mrs Lestrange Bradley, Gladys Mitchell Sexton Blake, Various Authors Bulldog Drummond, Sapper Mr Peters, Mary Elizabeth Braddon Bernie Gunther, Philip Kerr Inspector Rebus, Ian Rankin Mma Precious Ramotswe, Alexander McCall Smith Quint Dalrymple, Paul Johnston Jack Laidlaw, William McIlvanney Kate Brannigan, Val McDermid Lindsay Gordon, Val McDermid Maureen O’Donnell, Denise Mina Paddy Meehan, Denise Mina Jackson Brodie, Kate Atkinson Quirke, Benjamin Black (John Banville) Roderick Alleyn, Ngaio Marsh Eberhard Mock, Marek Krajewski Teodor Szacki, Zygmunt Miloszewski Inspector Boruvka, Josef Škvorecký Erast Fandorin, Boris Akunin Anastazja Kamienska, Aleksandra Marinina Mei Wang, Diane Wei Lang
|
Inspector Erlendur Sveinsson, Arnaldur Indridason
Harry Hole, Jo Nesbø Inspector Harjunpaa, Matti Joensuu Maria Kallio, Leena Lehtolainen Martin Beck, Maj Sjöwall and Per Wahlöö Inspector Kurt Wallander, Henning Mankell Erika Falck and Patrik Hedström, Camilla Läckberg Philip Marlowe, Raymond Chandler The Continental Op, Dashiell Hammett Bernie Rhodenbarr, Lawrence Block Harry Bosch, Michael Connelly Richard Jury and Melrose Plant, Martha Grimes C. Auguste Dupin, Edgar Allan Poe Nero Wolfe, Rex Stout P. I. Spenser, Robert B. Parker Ezekiel “Easy” Rawlins, Walter Mosley Kemal Pasha, Jenny White Doc Sportello, Thomas Pynchon Alex Delaware, Jonathan Kellerman Steve Carella, Ed McBain Coffin Ed Johnson and Gravedigger Jones, Chester Himes Virginia Kelley, Nikki Baker Kate Fansler, Amanda Cross Sharon McCone, Marcia Muller Pam Nilsen, Barbara Wilsen Mario Conde, Leonardo Padura Inspector Maigret, Georges Simenon Chief Inspector Adamsberg, Fred Vargas Camille Verhoeven, Pierre Lemaitre Arsène Lupin, Maurice Leblanc Michele Ferrara, Michele Giuttari Salvo Montalbano, Andrea Camilleri Commissario Soneri, Valerio Varesi Pepe Carvalho, Manuel Vázquez Montalbán Detective Leo Caldas, Domingo Villar Sergeant Jakob Studer, Friedrich Glauser Inspector Bärlach, Friedrich Dürrenmatt Kemal Kayankaya, Jakob Arjouni Emil, Erich Kästner Inspector Imanishi, Seicho Matsumoto Detective Mitarai, Soji Shimada Detective Benny Griessel, Deon Mayer |
International Crime Fiction Research Group 
I’m quite partial to Tana French’s Cassie Maddox :)
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Yes, me too. And speaking of Irish Crime Fiction, what about Jack Taylor? Ben Devlin? Sean Duffy? And so many more…
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Guido Brunetti Donna Leon
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Certainly one of the best loved and most famous indeed !
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