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We don't have a book vote in February as our book for April has already been chosen (The Murder at Sissingham Hall, which was the runner-up in our poll to choose a March read).

So, for a bit of fun and to get a feel of the group's favourites, here is a Favourite Detectives discussion.

Who are your favourite 3 fictional detectives?

1. Golden Age

2. Modern

3. Any Time!

As well as the discussion here, there is also a poll for favourite GA detectives:


/poll/show/1...

This will be open for a week. Happy voting!

I'm trying to think of my own answers to the questions above, but my mind has gone blank on modern detectives that I like - will have a think and return later!

I quite like DCI Banks created by Peter Robinson.

Andy Dalziel, created by Reginald Hill.

Golden Age - Lord Peter Wimsey, closely followed by Michael Innes' Inspector Appleby

Modern - Inspector Montalbano. I also have a soft spot for Donna Leon's Brunetti, and Precious Ramotswe of the No 1 Ladies Detective Agency.

Favorites are so very hard, usually its the one I'm currently reading.

Modern: Inspector Gamache of the three pines series by Louise Penny, with nods to Cormoran Strike by Robert Galbraith and, like Pamela, Precious Ramotswe.

Both Montalbano and Brunetti are on my 'want to read soon' list.

I'm sure I'll think of others once I push post.

Holmes is a no brainer! I’m currently listening to his complete stories (audible edition). I’m loving it!

Lord Peter Wimsey
Andrew Dalziel and Peter Pascoe
Brother Cadfael
Mma Ramotswe and Mma Makutsi
Mrs. Jeffries

To name a few!

GA - Gideon Fell
Modern - Montalbano
I also like Brunetti, Gamache

Golden Age: Appleby or Campion

Modern: Spenser

All Time: V. I. Warshawski or a composite of the Navajo detectives in Tony Hillerman’s books

Modern: Inspector Montalbano, Inspector Gamache (from Louise Penny's series), Inspector Erlendur (Arnaldur Indridason's series); Amelia Peabody (Elizabeth Peters's series)

I found it very hard to select a single favorite in the Golden Age poll! I like them all :) Plus Alan Grant (Josephine Tey), Miss Silver (Patricia Wentworth), Napoleon Bonaparte (Arthur W. Upfield), Inspector Appleby (Michael Innes) & Nero Wolfe (Rex Stout)... oh and Maigret (Georges Simenon)!

I feel like there should be some sort of category for the time in between the Golden Age and now (covering the time from, say, 1950-1990). There were quite a few mystery writers this period that I wouldn't call 'modern' (as in contemporary).

Sarah Caudwell (detective Hilary Tamar)
Maj Sjowall & Per Wahloo (Inspector Martin Beck)
Dick Francis (no specific detective)
Emma Lathen (detective John Putnam Thatcher)
Colin Dexter (Inspector Morse)
Tony Hillerman (detectives Leaphorn & Chee)
John D. MacDonald (detective Travis McGee)

Lord Peter Wimsey
distant second, Alan Grant
modern: Hilary Tamar and potential distant second (only read 6 of the books) Phryne Fisher
third: Sarah Lund (who wears great sweaters too!)

I think I will choose Lord Peter Wimsey as my Golden Age favorite, then 2a Morse, 2b Rebus, and 2c Vera. I can't decide between them because they are so different
.

And Maigret! totally forgot him

Poirot and Wimsey. I don't think I have a favourite modern detective, although I am fond of Cathal Breen in William Shaw's Breen and Tozer series. Not sure I can count spy fiction, but the wonderful Jackson Lamb has to feature as one of the great fictional creations of recent years.

I'll pick Wimsey as my Golden Age favourite, but it is pretty much a tie with Albert Campion for me.

I don't really have a favourite modern detective, as in present day - I have enjoyed some of the Brunetti series by Donna Leon but need to catch up with the more recent books.

From any time, I like Martin Beck in the Sjöwall and Wahlöö novels and suffragette detective Nell Bray in Gillian Linscott's historical mystery series. Oh, and Nicholas Elyot in the Oxford Medieval Murder Mysteries by Ann Swinfen.

For Golden Age detective I would love to say Miss Silver, because I think she's a great character - intelligent, compassionate, with excellent judgement. However I don't think she's a great detective, sadly - quite often she reaches the solution through sheer intuition or by eavesdropping on the servants.

So, although it's horribly obvious, I will have to say Sherlock Holmes. He combines intelligence with decisive action and also, in the original books, a kindness and compassion and commitment to justice which are often forgotten from modern quirky screen adaptations.

For my modern detective, I am perversely going to go for a screen character. Special Agent Dale Cooper from Twin Peaks shares Holmes's ability to combine intelligence and direct action and also his compassion and love for humanity. They are two flawed but admirable human beings.

It's a draw between Wimsey and Poirot in the GA detectives poll at the moment:

/poll/show/1...

Poirot has just nudged ahead at the moment, but I think both he and Wimsey are fantastic and, to my mind, easily the two best of the GA detectives.

I voted for Poirot but really it's not so much that he's my favourite detective as that those are my favourite detective novels: I still don't think anyone beats Christie for plotting, playing fair (i.e. giving us all the clues), and sleight of hand (distracting us so we ignore the clues in plain sight).

As for modern detectives: Montalbano - yes, yes, yes!

My favourite of all time is Thraxas. This probably has limited appeal as the books are Mash-ups, pulp fiction detective novels in a fantasy setting.
I voted for Poirot in the GA poll, but I don't know too much about the others, I must get to the Whimsey books soon. I also like Nicholas Elyot, Judy and enjoy the Judge Dee books too. Not sure about modern detectives from books, but can I cheat and say I do like Jonathon Creek, as far as I know, these aren't books.

I love making lists!

GA - 1. Sherlock Holmes 2. Miss Marple 3. Father Brown

Modern - 1. Penny's Gamache 2. Laurie King's Mary Russell 3. Smith's Mma Ramotswe

All-time - 1. Rumpole 2. Cadfael 3. Nero Wolfe

1. Golden Age: 1. Wimsey 2. Holmes 3. Poirot

2. Modern: 1. Amanda Cross's Kate Fansler 2. Laurie King's Mary Russell 3. Sarah Caudwell's Hilary Tamar
3. Any Time! 1. Kerry Greenwood's Phryne Fisher 2. Rex Stout's Nero Wolfe & Archie Goodwin 3. John Dickson Carr's Gideon Fell

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I have got to read Sarah Caudwell soon - she gets mentioned so often and the books sound like a great mix of mystery and humor.

For GA, I finally decided on Gervase Fen, over Wimsey, for his humor. I expect Campion, with Lugg, will become a favorite but two books is too soon to decide. (That covers all forms of two/too/to!)

I've been pondering my 'any time' choice and have decided on William Monk, with Hester's calming influence. Without Hester, Monk is curt, impolite, impatient and unhappy.

Close runner ups are Mary Russell and Cadfael, with a nod to Sebastian St Cyr, whose books I am racing through at the moment ... as much for the romantic aspect as the mystery.

Of course I did cut my teeth on Sherlock as I remember reading them with my father and they wear remarkably on rereads.

Roman Clodia wrote: "I voted for Poirot but really it's not so much that he's my favourite detective as that those are my favourite detective novels: I still don't think anyone beats Christie for plotting, playing fair..."

Yeah, that was my reasoning too.

Favorite detectives Poirot, Miss Marple, and Matthew Shardlake

LOVE Shardlake, Melanie. I think we need a new novel, don't you?

Lord Peter Wimsey is the definite favourite as I have all the books (including finally the follow up series which I now need to continue reading). I have some of the Inspector Alleyn books but I am not as keen on him as on Albert Campion - unfortunately I don't have any of those books as the ones I read were borrowed from the library in the distant past.

I have read several modern mysteries but I can't say that I have a particular favourite detective.

All time - definitely Cadfael which I have read many times. I also enjoy re-reading the Inspector Felse/Dominic Felse books

I haven't read the Inspector Felse books, Jay-me. In fact, I hadn't heard of them, but they look really intriguing.

I also never heard of the Felse books and they look good. Maybe once I finish Cadfael!

I wonder is LPW is favourite because as well as the detective stories, we also get his personal life and his developing relationship with Harriet? We know him and root for him in a way we might not with some others.

Michelle wrote: "I wonder is LPW is favourite because as well as the detective stories, we also get his personal life and his developing relationship with Harriet? We know him and root for him in a way we might not..."

That is definitely a factor for me; I enjoy series that develop the main characters.

For me it is not only the relationship between Peter and Harriet, but the one that Peter has with Bunter. I find their service together especially interesting. Even the Dowager Duchess realized Bunter's importance in Peter's life.

Our favourite detectives poll has now finished, and, as predicted, Lord Peter Wimsey was the winner - but it was a close thing, with Hercule Poirot just one vote behind.

Full results:

Lord Peter Wimsey 8 votes, 29.6%
Hercule Poirot 7 votes, 25.9%
Sherlock Holmes 5 votes, 18.5%
Gervase Fen 3 votes, 11.1%
Miss Marple 2 votes, 7.4%
Albert Campion 1 vote, 3.7%
Inspector Roderick Alleyn 1 vote, 3.7%

There were also 2 comments on the poll.

Suki said that Nero Wolfe was her favourite.

Fred listed a number of favourite detectives:

Dr. Gideon Fell
Sir Henry Merrivale
Lew Archer
Nero Wolfe
Lt. Joe Leaphorn/Jim Chee
Kinsey Milhone

I would agree with the top two :)

The surprise for me was how low Miss Marple scored. She is amoung my favorites.

It’s funny, I almost voted for Lord Peter Wimsey but then realized that I liked Harriet better.

I like Peter and Harriet together but I also like the books where he is on his own.

Sandy, perhaps Miss Marple split the Christie vote?

Maybe you are right about Poirot and Marple splitting the vote, Susan! So far I prefer Miss M, but I have only read 3 Poirot books so I could change my mind as I get to know him better...

Judy wrote: "Our favourite detectives poll has now finished, ..."

So happy to see that Gervase Fen made the list. He is my current addiction. I also like Miss Silver mysteries.

Thank you everybody for recommending so many authors not known to me.

I missed the poll, but my favourite detectives would probably be:

Golden Age: 1. Lord Peter Wimsey 2. Miss Silver 3. Alan Grant.
Modern: 1. Peter Grant (does he count?) 2. Jimmy Perez 3. Jackson Brodie (I don't read a lot of modern-day crime fiction).
Any time: 1. Lew Archer 2. Nigel Strangeways 3. Veronica Speedwell.

Mine would be:
Golden Age: 1. Hercule Poirot 2. Jane Marple

Present Day: 1. DCI Banks 2. Rebus. 3 Sgt. DC Smith by Peter Grainger

All time: 1. Nero Wolfe and Archie Goodwin 2. Wexford 3.Harry Bosch

Present day: Armand Gamache of Louise Penny's Three Pines series (maybe influenced because I just finished the latest book).

And for all time, an addition to my list is a detective I hadn't discovered at the time of the poll: Marcus Didius Falco, an early Rome series by Lindsey Davis

Fun to see this thread revisited. I've just looked back at my previous picks and would have to say Wolfe and Archie are now vying with Wimsey and Campion as my Golden Age favourites.

I still don't really have a present-day favourite detective - must read more current mysteries and do better. :)

I’d say:

Golden Age: 1. Tie between Miss Marple, Hercules Poirot;
2. Lord Peter Wimsey.

Modern Age: 1. Bryant & May from Christopher Fowler’s Peculiar Crimes Unit mystery series;
2. Richard Jury from Martha Grimes� series (I don’t read a lot of modern mysteries).

Of all time: 1. Brother Athelstan,
2. Brother Cadfael,
3. Dame Frevisse
4. Matthew Shardlake

Forgot, for favorite all-time detective, Amelia Peabody and Sebastian St. Cyr!