This is the growing list--both in the sense that authors are occasionally added to it and that many of the authors are still providing us with more adventures of their detectives. I have attempted to list them according to the following pattern:
Author
Mystery category
Name of featured detective
Usual location for the series
Time of the novel
Prequel, if any
First novel in the series
Ingrid Black (husband and wife collab)
Former Law-enforcement Officer
Saxon, ex-FBI profiler
Dublin, Ireland
Contemporary
First novel in the series: The Dead (2003)
May move this to a different list as there hasn't been a new novel since 2008
Giles Blunt
Police Procedural
Detective John Cardinal
Algonquin Bay, fictional town near Toronto, Canada
Contemporary
First novel in the series: Forty Words for Sorrow (2000)
Karin Fossum,
Police Procedural
Inspector Konrad Sejer
Elvestad, Norway
Contemporary
First novel in the series: In the Darkness aka Eva's Eye (1995)
Michael Gregorio (wife and husband collab)
Judicial Detective
Magistrate Hanno Stiffeniis
Konigsberg, Prussia
Historical mystery set in Prussia during the Napoleonic wars in 1804.
First Book in Series Critique of Criminal Reason (2006)
They may have ended the series as there hasn't been a new one since 2010.
Eliot Pattison
Former Law-enforcement Officer
Shan Tao Yun,
Tibet: Former police officer in Beijing, China, whose duty was to investigate
corruption in the party and ends up in a work camp in Tibet for
being too diligent in his duties.
Contemporary
First novel in the series: The Skull Mantra (1999)
Peter Robinson
Police Procedural
Chief Inspector Alan Banks
Yorkshire, England
Contemporary
First novel in series: Gallows View (1987)
C. J. Sansom
Judicial detective
Matthew Shardlake, lawyer
London, England
Historical mystery, 16th century, during the reign of King Henry VIII,
First novel in the series: Dissolution (2003)
Steven Saylor
Private Professional
Gordianus the Finder
Rome
Historical mystery, 1st century BC
Prequel: The Seven Wonders.
Second Prequel: Raiders of the Nile
First novel in the series: Roman Blood (1991)
Charles Todd (mother and son collab)
Police Procedural
Inspector Ian Rutledge
London, England and countryside
Historical mystery, just after WWI
Prequel: A Fine Summer's Day, set in 1914.
First novel in the series: A Test of Wills, (1996)
Fred Vargas
Police Procedural
Commissaire Jean-Baptiste Adamsberg
Paris, France
Contemporary
First novel in the series: The Chalk Circle Man (1991)
The following is the sad list--those favorite series that have ended, usually because of the author's death but sometimes because of the author's decision to end the series.
Agatha Christie
Talented amateur
Miss Jane Marple
St. Mary Mead, England
Contemporary when written in 1930
First novel in the series: The Murder at the Vicarage (1930)
Colin Dexter
Police Procedural
Inspector Morse
Oxford, England
Contemporary
First novel in the series: Last Bus to Woodstock (1975)
Colin Dexter ended the series
Batya Gur
Police procedural
Inspector Michael Ohayon,
Jerusalem, Israel
Contemporary
First novel in the series: The Saturday Morning Murder: a psychoanalytic case (1992)
P. D. James
Police Procedural
Commander Adam Dalgliesh
London, England
Contemporary
First novel in the series: Cover Her Face (1962)
Bernard Knight
Technical professionals
Sir John de Wolfe (coroner)
County of Devon, England
Historical mystery, 1196 AD
First novel in the series: The Sanctuary Seeker (19980
Bernard Knight ended the series and now has two other series
Ellis Peters
Talented Amateur
Brother Cadfael (a Benedictine monk)
Shrewsbury Abbey, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England
Historical mystery set in mid 12th century
Prequel: A Rare Benedictine
First novel in the series: A Morbid Taste for Bones (1977)
Dorothy Sayers
Talented Amateur
Lord Peter Wimsey
London, England
Contemporary when written
First novel in the series: Whose Body (1923)
Arthur Upfield
Police procedural
Inspector Napoleon (Bony) Bonaparte
Australia, various fictional locations
Contemporary when written
First novel in the series: The Barrakee Mystery (1928)
Showing posts with label mystery categories. Show all posts
Showing posts with label mystery categories. Show all posts
Monday, May 18, 2015
Friday, March 6, 2009
Is it a police procedural or a PI or...?
Several years ago I was scheduled to teach a lit class that focused on mystery works. Unfortunately the class didn't make it, but I did do some preparation for it, before it was cancelled. I developed a scheme for categorizing the varieties of mysteries that are now found on the shelves. But, since many mysteries seem to perch on the boundary lines of two or more categories, this would make for an interesting discussion. I arbitrarily selected the detective's occupation as the most significant element in deciding which category would be appropriate.
I thought I would list them here, along with definitions and examples, if I can come up with any, to see if you think this is useful. This is definitely a "work in progress," so if you have any suggestions, changes, or disagreements, post a comment.
1. Police procedural: any member of a governmental law enforcement agency--Scotland Yard, NYPD, small town police department, sheriff's department.
Examples:
PD James--Chief Inspector Adam Dalgliesh, England, Scotland Yard
Batya Gur--Inspector Michael Ohayon, Israel, Jerusalem CID
Giles Blunt--Detective John Cardinal, Canada, Algonquin Bay police dept.
Michael Connelly--Detective Harry Bosch, US, LAPD police dept.
Karin Fossum--Inspector Konrad Sejer, Norway, police dept.
Numerous others--I think there are now police procedurals from every continent on the planet (except, possibly, Antarctica).
2. Private professional: any investigator who conducts investigations at the request of others for pay. This is the PI, in other words, regardless of what title is used: private investigator, private detective, inquiry agent, shamus, or various others.
Examples:
Arthur Conan Doyle--probably invented this category, Sherlock Holmes, England
Raymond Chandler--Philip Marlowe, US
Dashiell Hammett--Sam Spade, US
Sue Grafton--Kinsey Millhone, US
PD James--Cordelia Gray, England
Alexander McCall Smith--Precious Ramotswe, Botswana
Steven Saylor--Gordianus the Finder, 1st novel at 80 b.c. and latest at 46 b.c., Rome
Sara Paretsky-- V. I. Warshawski, US
3. The Accidental Detective: a private citizen who gets involved in a mystery, frequently a death of a friend or relative. The authorities have written it off as an accident or suicide; however, the accidental detective knows better. The character remains an "accidental detective" if there is no second book; however, as soon as the second adventure appears, the character is now a "talented amateur."
Examples:
PD James--Innocent Blood, England
Steve Berry--The Charlemagne Pursuit
4. Talented Amateur: a private citizen who stumbles over bodies and crimes around every corner, regardless of their day job, or lack thereof--any of a plethora of cooks, caterers, knitters, gardeners, dog trainers, swimming pool cleaners, elevator operators, faculty members, mystery writers, pet sitters, members of the aristocracy....
Examples:
Edgar Allan Poe--C. Auguste Dupin, independently wealthy, France
Agatha Christie--Miss Marple, senior citizen, England
Margery Allingham--Albert Campion, unknown, England
Dorothy L. Sayers--Lord Peter Wimsey, aristocracy, England
Edmund Crispin--Gervase Fen, Literature professor, Oxford, England
Ellis Peters--Brother Cadfael, Benedictine monk, England, 12th century.
5. Technical professionals or experts: CSI, crime lab, pathologists, coroners, medical examiners, consultants. . .all of whom spend more time doing police investigations than working in the laboratory as they are being paid to do or perhaps doing their day job .
Examples:Patricia Cornwell, Dr. Kay Scarpetta, US.
Bernard Knight--Sir John de Wolfe, appointee to protect the Crown's interests in various situations, including that of possible criminal activity; his position eventually became what we now call the coroner. 12th century England.
6. Judicial detectives: any of a number of members of the judicial system who spend more time acting like police and almost no time doing the job they are being paid to do: lawyers, judges, defense attorneys, bailiffs, bounty hunters, prosecutors, district attorneys.
Examples:
Erle Stanley Gardner--Perry Mason (who else?), defense attorney, US.
Janet Evanovich--Stephanie Plum, bounty hunter, US
Linda Fairstein--Alexandra Cooper, assistant prosecutor,, US.
The above is subject to revision, naturally. If one or more belong in another category let me know. If I'm missing a category, let me know.
I thought I would list them here, along with definitions and examples, if I can come up with any, to see if you think this is useful. This is definitely a "work in progress," so if you have any suggestions, changes, or disagreements, post a comment.
1. Police procedural: any member of a governmental law enforcement agency--Scotland Yard, NYPD, small town police department, sheriff's department.
Examples:
PD James--Chief Inspector Adam Dalgliesh, England, Scotland Yard
Batya Gur--Inspector Michael Ohayon, Israel, Jerusalem CID
Giles Blunt--Detective John Cardinal, Canada, Algonquin Bay police dept.
Michael Connelly--Detective Harry Bosch, US, LAPD police dept.
Karin Fossum--Inspector Konrad Sejer, Norway, police dept.
Numerous others--I think there are now police procedurals from every continent on the planet (except, possibly, Antarctica).
2. Private professional: any investigator who conducts investigations at the request of others for pay. This is the PI, in other words, regardless of what title is used: private investigator, private detective, inquiry agent, shamus, or various others.
Examples:
Arthur Conan Doyle--probably invented this category, Sherlock Holmes, England
Raymond Chandler--Philip Marlowe, US
Dashiell Hammett--Sam Spade, US
Sue Grafton--Kinsey Millhone, US
PD James--Cordelia Gray, England
Alexander McCall Smith--Precious Ramotswe, Botswana
Steven Saylor--Gordianus the Finder, 1st novel at 80 b.c. and latest at 46 b.c., Rome
Sara Paretsky-- V. I. Warshawski, US
3. The Accidental Detective: a private citizen who gets involved in a mystery, frequently a death of a friend or relative. The authorities have written it off as an accident or suicide; however, the accidental detective knows better. The character remains an "accidental detective" if there is no second book; however, as soon as the second adventure appears, the character is now a "talented amateur."
Examples:
PD James--Innocent Blood, England
Steve Berry--The Charlemagne Pursuit
4. Talented Amateur: a private citizen who stumbles over bodies and crimes around every corner, regardless of their day job, or lack thereof--any of a plethora of cooks, caterers, knitters, gardeners, dog trainers, swimming pool cleaners, elevator operators, faculty members, mystery writers, pet sitters, members of the aristocracy....
Examples:
Edgar Allan Poe--C. Auguste Dupin, independently wealthy, France
Agatha Christie--Miss Marple, senior citizen, England
Margery Allingham--Albert Campion, unknown, England
Dorothy L. Sayers--Lord Peter Wimsey, aristocracy, England
Edmund Crispin--Gervase Fen, Literature professor, Oxford, England
Ellis Peters--Brother Cadfael, Benedictine monk, England, 12th century.
5. Technical professionals or experts: CSI, crime lab, pathologists, coroners, medical examiners, consultants. . .all of whom spend more time doing police investigations than working in the laboratory as they are being paid to do or perhaps doing their day job .
Examples:Patricia Cornwell, Dr. Kay Scarpetta, US.
Bernard Knight--Sir John de Wolfe, appointee to protect the Crown's interests in various situations, including that of possible criminal activity; his position eventually became what we now call the coroner. 12th century England.
6. Judicial detectives: any of a number of members of the judicial system who spend more time acting like police and almost no time doing the job they are being paid to do: lawyers, judges, defense attorneys, bailiffs, bounty hunters, prosecutors, district attorneys.
Examples:
Erle Stanley Gardner--Perry Mason (who else?), defense attorney, US.
Janet Evanovich--Stephanie Plum, bounty hunter, US
Linda Fairstein--Alexandra Cooper, assistant prosecutor,, US.
The above is subject to revision, naturally. If one or more belong in another category let me know. If I'm missing a category, let me know.
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