Fictional detectives are characters in detective fiction. These individuals have long been a staple of detective mystery crime fiction, particularly in detective novels and short stories. Much of early detective fiction was written during the "Golden Age of Detective Fiction" (1920s–1930s). These detectives include amateurs, private investigators and professional policemen. They are often popularized as individual characters rather than parts of the fictional work in which they appear. Stories involving individual detectives are well suited to dramatic presentation, resulting in many popular theatre, television, and film characters.

The first famous detective in fiction was Edgar Allan Poe's C. Auguste Dupin. Later, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes became the most famous example and remains so to this day. The detectives are often accompanied by a Dr. Watson–like assistant or narrator.

Types Fictional detectives generally fit one of four archetypes: The accomplished amateur detective (Miss Marple, Jessica Fletcher, TinTin, Lord Peter Wimsey); From outside the field of criminal investigation, but gifted with knowledge, curiosity, desire for justice, etc. The private investigator (Cordelia, Holmes, Marlowe, Spade, Poirot, Magnum, Millhone, Tommy & Tuppence); Works professionally in criminal and civic investigations, but outside the criminal justice system. The police detective (Dalgliesh, Kojak, Lestrade, Morse, Hopkins, Columbo, Craddock, Alleyn, Japp, Maigret, Marriott); Part of an official investigative body, charged with solving crimes. The forensic specialist (Scarpetta, Quincy, Cracker, CSI teams, Thorndyke); Affiliated with investigative body, officially tasked with specialized scientific results rather than solving the crime as a whole. Notable fictional detectives and their creators include:

Accomplished amateur detectives

Misir Ali – part-time professor of psychology and academic author at University of Dhaka, created by Humayun Ahmed Arjun – young detective from Jalpaiguri in West Bengal, created by Samaresh Majumdar P. K. Basu – criminal lawyer, created by Narayan Sanyal Trixie Belden – teen detective, created by Julie Campbell Tatham Boston Blackie – reformed jewel thief, created by Jack Boyle Rosemary Boxer – with Laura Thyme, gardening detective, created by Brian Eastman Beatrice Adela Lestrange Bradley – widowed socialite, created by Gladys Mitchell Father Brown – Catholic priest, created by English novelist G. K. Chesterton. Features in 51 detective short stories. Encyclopedia Brown – boy detective Leroy Brown, nicknamed "Encyclopedia" for his intelligence and range of knowledge. Cadfael – early 12th-century monk solves murders and social problems, created by Ellis Peters, also known as Edith Pargeter. Jonathan Creek – creative consultant to a magician, in a British TV series by the same name, written by David Renwick. Nancy Drew – High school sleuth, created by Edward Stratemeyer. C. Auguste Dupin – upper class character created by Edgar Allan Poe. Dupin made his first appearance in Poe's "The Murders in the Rue Morgue" (1841), widely considered the first detective fiction story. TinTin – Reporter and adventurer who travels the world with a white dog named Snowy, created by Herge Dr Gideon Fell – "lexicographer" and drinker, created by John Dickson Carr Sister Fidelma – A Celtic nun in the 7th century who solves mysteries, by Peter Berresford Ellis The Famous Five (novel series) - Child detectives and their pet dog created by Enid Blyton. Jessica Fletcher – writer, created by William Link and Richard Levinson for Murder, She Wrote TV series (1984–1996) Pandab Goenda – team of five child detectives, created by Sasthipada Chattopadhyay Gogol – teenage detective, created by Samaresh Basu Beverly Gray – protagonist of the Beverly Gray Mystery series by Clair Blank Myrtle Hardcastle – Victorian girl detective, main character in the Myrtle Hardcastle Mystery novels, created by Elizabeth C. Bunce The Hardy Boys – Sibling high school sleuths, (Frank & Joe) created by Edward Stratemeyer. Jonathan & Jennifer Hart – millionaire couple, created by Sidney Sheldon Patrick Jane – con artist, created by Bruno Heller for The Mentalist TV series Jagga Jasoos – young detective, created by Anurag Basu for the eponymous film Al Moghameron Al Khamsa (The Five Adventurers or The Adventurous Five) - kid detectives created by Egyptian writer Mahmoud Salem. Jayanta & Manik – amateur detective duo created by Bengali novelist Hemendra Kumar Roy Kakababu – former director of the Archaeological Survey of India, created by Sunil Gangopadhyay Sally Lockhart – teenage girl, created by Philip Pullman Miss Marple – a small town old spinster who solves several crimes using common sense, created by Agatha Christie Veronica Mars – school girl whose father is a private detective, created by Rob Thomas Martin Mystère - an archaeologist and researcher on occult mysteries. Amelia Peabody – Egyptologist who solves a variety of dastardly crimes in turn-of-the-century Egypt, created by Elizabeth Peters. Ellery Queen – author and editor of a magazine, created by two writers, using the pseudonym Ellery Queen Easy Rawlins – black WWII veteran from Houston. All stories take place in Los Angeles during the 50s and 60s. Created by Walter Mosley. Joseph Rouletabille – journalist created by French writer Gaston Leroux. Main character in The Mystery of the Yellow Room. Niladri Sarkar – retired colonel, naturist and amateur investigator, created by Bengali writer Syed Mustafa Siraj Laura Thyme – with Rosemary Boxer, gardening detective, created by Brian Eastman Dr. John Thorndyke – medical doctor who trained to become a forensic specialist, created by R. Austin Freeman Philip Trent – gentleman sleuth, created by E. C. Bentley Professor Augustus S. F. X. Van Dusen – created by Jacques Futrelle Hetty Wainthropp – retired working-class woman, created by David Cook Lord Peter Wimsey – wealthy English gentleman, created by Dorothy L. Sayers, assisted by his valet and batman from WW1 Bunter and later Harriet Vane Kyoko Kirigiri - a former detective from the game Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc Shuichi Saihara - main detective and second protagonist in Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony Three Investigators - An American juvenile detective book series created by Robert Arthur Jr. Kiyoshi Shimada - a Buddhist priest who excels at solving mysteries, created by Yukito Ayatsuji. Shimada first appeared in Ayatsuji's debut novel The Decagon House Murders (1987), part of his Bizarre House/Mansion Murders series. The first two volumes of the series have been translated into English by Locked Room International. Hildegarde Withers- a New York City schoolteacher turned amateur sleuth created by Stuart Palmer Tin Goyenda-Three teenagers form a team to solve mysteries (inspired from the three investigators series by Robert Arthur Jr.) - created by Rakib Hasan

Private investigators

David Addison in Moonlighting – created by Glenn Gordon Caron Angel (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) – Vampire with a soul and private investigator in Los Angeles Byomkesh Bakshi – created by Sharadindu Bandyopadhyay Goenda Baradacharan – created by Shirshendu Mukhopadhyay Parashor Barma – created by Premendra Mitra Batman – World's Greatest Detective in the DC Universe – created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger Tommy and Tuppence Beresford – created by Agatha Christie Sexton Blake - created by Harry Blyth Benoit Blanc - created by Rian Johnson Jackson Brodie – created by Kate Atkinson Nestor Burma – created by Léo Malet Albert Campion – created by Margery Allingham Pepe Carvalho – created by Manuel Vázquez Montalbán Richard Castle – A successful novelist and private investigator from the ABC television series Castle Nick & Nora Charles – created by Dashiell Hammett Dipak Chatterjee – created by Swapan Kumar Elvis Cole – created by Robert Crais Dylan Dog - a private investigator of supernatural crimes. Bulldog Drummond – created by H. C. McNeile Feluda – created by Satyajit Ray Phryne Fisher – created by Kerry Greenwood Ganesh – created by Sujatha Garrett – created by Glen Cook Dirk Gently (Svlad Cjelli) - created by Douglas Adams Cordelia Gray – private detective in London, created by P. D. James Peter Gunn – created by Blake Edwards Mike Hammer – created by Mickey Spillane Dixon Hawke - created for D. C. Thomson Madelyn "Maddie" Hayes in Moonlighting – created by Glenn Gordon Caron Sherlock Holmes – created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Matt Houston – created by Lawrence Gordon Jack Irish – created by Peter Temple Robert T. Ironside – Handicapped police consultant, former police detective. Created by Collier Young, and played by Raymond Burr Jessica Jones - created by Brian Michael Bendis and Michael Gaydos Jake Lassiter – created by Paul Levine Nelson Lee - created by John William Staniforth Bernie Little – in the Chet and Bernie Mystery Series, created by Spencer Quinn L. Lawliet – created by Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata Thomas Magnum – created by Donald P. Bellisario for Magnum, P.I. TV series Joe Mannix – created by Richard Levinson and William Link for Mannix TV series Philip Marlowe – created by Raymond Chandler Mitin Masi – created by Suchitra Bhattacharya Kinsey Millhone – created by Sue Grafton for her "alphabet mysteries" series of novels. Tess Monaghan, created by Laura Lippman Adrian Monk – created by Andy Breckman for Monk TV series Kogoro Mori, created by Gosho Aoyama Bhaduri Moshai – created by Nirendranath Chakraborty Hercule Poirot – created by Agatha Christie Precious Ramotswe – created by Alexander McCall Smith Jeff Randall – created by Dennis Spooner for Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased) TV series Jim Rockford – created by Roy Huggins and Stephen J. Cannell for The Rockford Files TV series Kiriti Roy – created by Indian dermatologist and popular Bengali novelist Nihar Ranjan Gupta John Shaft – created by Ernest Tidyman Sam Spade – created by Dashiell Hammett Shawn Spencer and Burton Guster – created by Steve Franks for Psych TV series Spenser – created by Robert B. Parker Remington Steele – created by Robert Butler, Michael Gleason for Remington Steele TV series Jake Styles – created by Dean Hargrove and Joel Steiger for Jake and the Fatman TV series Cormoran Strike – created by Robert Galbraith (a pen name of J.K. Rowling) Jack Taylor - based on Ken Bruen's crime-drama books; an Irish ex-cop as a maverick private investigator The Continental Op – created by Dashiell Hammett Philo Vance – created by S. S. Van Dine V. I. Warshawski – created by Sara Paretsky Nero Wolfe – created by Rex Stout Ace Ventura - created by Jack Bernstein Karamchand - created by Anil Chaudhary

Police detectives

Inspector Roderick Alleyn – created by Ngaio Marsh Sgt. Suzanne "Pepper" Anderson – from the television series Police Woman, created by Robert L. Collins, played by Angie Dickinson 87th Precinct detectives – created by Ed McBain Inspector Alan Banks – created by Peter Robinson Superintendent Battle – created by Agatha Christie Napoleon "Bony" Bonaparte – created by Arthur Upfield Harry Bosch – created by Michael Connelly Inspector Nash Bridges from Nash Bridges (1996 to 2001), played by Don Johnson – created by Carlton Cuse Charlie Chan – created by Earl Derr Biggers Inspector Clouseau – from the Pink Panther franchise Columbo – from the American TV series Columbo, created by William Link and Richard Levinson Sergeant Cork – created by Ted Willis James "Sonny" Crockett – created by Anthony Yerkovich, played by Don Johnson (1984 to 1990) and Colin Farrell (2006) in Miami Vice Alex Cross – created by James Patterson Inspector Adam Dalgliesh – created by P. D. James Shabor Dasgupta – created by Shirshendu Mukhopadhyay Judge Dee – 8th century Chinese fictionalized magistrate with later editions by Robert van Gulik