Pretty decent list, depending on how you're defining the genre and what values of "great" you allow for.
Still, it has some of my favorites, so it must be a good list, right?
(h/t +J. Steven York)
The 12 Greatest Fictional Detectives (Who Aren’t Sherlock Holmes)
We all love Sherlock Holmes, but maybe by now we’ve loved him enough. There are many great detectives out there. If you’re looking for an eerily intelligent fictional detective who isn’t propping up a deerstalker hat, check out a list of the other best sleuths the world has to offer.
78 view(s)
I love the old detective stories, and the gentle, thoughtful detective. It's good to see Nero Wolfe in there – I've spent many fine hour in Archie's company. And I agree- Columbo is the best of the best.
I'll have to read The Ladi s no1 detective agency one of these days.
+Paula Moore I'm a deep-dyed Nero Wolfe / Archie Goodwin fan, no question about it. Definitely a winner on this list.
Also Peter Whimsey (great and multi-layered books, some remarkable TV adaptations, and I played a satire on the character in a high school play), Poirot and Marple … and, yes, Columbo, who, as a commenter in the original post said, "weaponized humility and hubris."
+Stan Pedzick I read the first one and enjoyed it — less as a mystery and more as a slice of life. Did so after having visited Botswana, which further informed the tale.
+Dave Hill Ahh, true,
I'm sure you have a way better mental picture you can paint with your mind.
Cool, I'll add it to my list.
Quite a testament to Agatha Christie to have not one but two detectives on this list.
+Stephen Miller It's a testament to Christie that she managed to successfully write two very different but very enjoyable characters in their own lengthy series. I'm trying to think of anyone else who's done that in this particular genre.
It's hard to think of any writer in any genre who has accomplished that. Anne Rice comes to mind, with Lestat and Rowan in, respectively, their vampire and witch universes. But it's pretty tough to do.