Sleuthing
Alleyn, Inspectordetective in Ngaio Marsh’s many mystery stories. [New Zealand Lit.: Harvey, 520]
tough solver of brutal crimes. [Am. Lit.: Herman, 94–96]
Chesterton’s priest and amateur detective. [Br. Lit.: Herman, 20–21]
shrewd detective solves a murder and uncovers Lady Dedlock’s past. [Br. Lit.: Bleak House in Benét, 144]
unpretentious cerebral detective. [Br. Lit.: Herman, 31–33]
blind detective in stories by Ernest Bramah. [Br. Lit.: Barnhart, 159]
turn-of-the-century flatfoot. [Radio: “Nick Carter, Master Detective” in Buxton, 173-174]
imperturbable Oriental gumshoe. [Am. Lit.: Her-man, 36–37; Comics: Horn, 165–166]
urbane and witty private detective. [Am. Lit.: The Thin Man]
bungling French detective; inexplicably and with great asininity gets his man. [Am. Cinema: “The Pink Panther”]
untidy, cigar-smoking mastermind. [TV: “NBC Mystery Movie” in Terrace, II, 141]
first detective in English fiction. [Br. Lit.: The Moonstone in Benét, 683]
teenage girl supersleuth. [Children’s Lit.: The Hidden Staircase]
patriotic Englishman, hero of stories by Sapper. [Br. Lit.: Payton, 108]
ratiocinative solver of unsolvable crimes. [Am. Lit.: Poe “The Murders in the Rue Morgue”; “The Mystery of Marie Roget”; “The Purloined Letter”]
fat, astute detective in John Dickson Carr’s mysteries. [Am. Lit.: Benét, 170]
square-jawed, low-paid detective of question-able expertise and unquestionable obtuseness. [Comics: “Li’l Abner” in Horn, 450]
teenagers solve crimes and mysteries with detective father. [Children’s Lit.: Clue in the Embers; Twisted Claw; Tower Treasure]
implacable detective with photographic memory. [Br. Lit.: The Ticket-of-Leave Man, Barnhart, 546]
the great detective; famous for deductive reasoning. [Br. Lit.: Payton, 316]
coat with cape; emblem of Sherlock Holmes. [Br. Costume and Lit.: Espy, 267]
Barney Ross’s deaf ex-actor and amateur detective. [Am. Lit.: Herman, 105]
meticulous detective; pride of French Sureté. [Fr. Lit.: Monsieur Lecoq]
bungling Scotland Yard foil to Sherlock Holmes. [Br. Lit.: Payton, 387]
murderer turned detective. [Fr. Lit.: Herman, 20]
traditional detective equipment; from its use by Sherlock Holmes. [Br. Lit.: Payton, 473]
studiously precise detective; bases his work solidly on police methods. [Fr. Lit.: Herman, 114]
private eye with unorthodox style. [TV: Terrace, II, 62]
hard-boiled but engaging private eye. [Am. Lit.: The Big Sleep; Farewell, My Lovely; The Long Goodbye]
sweet old lady, tougher than she seems. [Br. Lit.: Herman, 51–55]
attorney busier with detection than law. [Am. Lit.: Herman, 71–74]
the “codfish Sherlock.” [Am. Lit.: Herman, 122–124]
tough private eye and tougher private avenger. [Am. Lit.: Herman, 92–94]
. clever Japanese detective. [Am. Cin.: Halliwell, 494]
famous detective agency; founded in 1850. [Am. Hist.: Jameson, 392]
brainy, dandified genius in Christie mysteries. [Br. Lit.: Herman, 51–55]
. redoubtable widow joins the C.I.A. [Am. Lit.: A Palm for Mrs. Pollifax]
lawyer uses fingerprint evidence to win his client’s acquittal and expose the true murderer. [Am. Lit.: Mark Twain Pudd’nhead Wilson; Benét, 824]
dilettantish private investigator. [Am. Lit.: Her-man, 105]
Rabbi David Small solves crimes using his Talmudic training. [Am. Lit.: Friday the Rabbi Slept Late]
dashing diviner of knotty puzzles. [Radio: Buxton, 206; TV: Terrace, II, 264]
hard-boiled private eye. [Am. Lit.: Herman, 79–82]
urbane solver of intricate crimes. [Br. Lit.: Herman, 37–38]
charming, civilized, urbane detective. [Am. Lit.: Herman, 86–87]
California’s brilliant, black detective. [Am. Lit.: In the Heat of the Night]
square-chinned detective of police comic strip. [Comics: Horn, 206]
impressively learned, polished, and urbane detective. [Am. Lit.: Herman, 22, 126–127]
Shakespeare-quoting gentleman turned amateur detective. [Br. Lit.: Herman, 113–114]
corpulent, lazy, but persevering crime-solver. [Am. Lit.: Herman, 119–122]
Allusions—Cultural, Literary, Biblical, and Historical: A Thematic Dictionary. Copyright 2008 The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.