THE 30 MOST FAMOUS DETECTIVES (REAL AND FICTIONAL) - CULTURE VOCABULARY - 2025

The most famous detectives are those who have surprised us by their ability to discover the truth in the most difficult situations. Among them are Sherlock Holmes, Hercule Poirot or Eliot Ness.

Their ability to see beyond what the rest of us mortals are capable of intuiting, their insight or their observant intelligence are some of the traits that distinguish them.

Top 30 most famous detectives in history

1- Sherlock Holmes

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle is the creator of this character, undoubtedly the most famous detective in history. Protagonist in addition to one of the best-known literary sagas, Sherlock taught us that the simplest explanation is the correct one, as unlikely as it may seem.

Along with his friend Dr. Watson, Sherlock confronts his nemesis, Professor Moriarty. This character was so acclaimed that many, believing him to be a real detective, sent letters to his address in London. Since his appearance in The Scarlet Study in 1887, Sherlock became the most famous detective.

2- Viktor Burakov

The Russian detective Victor Burakov, became popular for taking on the maniac “Butcher of Rostov”, who murdered 53 people in the Russian region of Rostov. In honor of this character, Tom Rob Smith wrote his book The Child 44.

Burakov is now a senior pensioner of the Russian Police, but he continues to cooperate in difficult cases.

3- VI Warshawski

"Never underestimate a man's ability to underestimate a woman." This sexy detective, created by Sara Paretsky, changed the role of women in crime novels.

Warshawski graduated from University with a law degree and worked as a public defender before becoming a detective. “Vic”, as her friends call her, is an autonomous woman who frequently faces discrimination from men.

4- Hercule Poirot

Hercule Poirot, the fictional Belgian detective created by Agatha Christie, is the protagonist of more than 30 novels and 50 short stories. Poirot's Belgian nationality is said to have been given in honor of Belgian refugees living in England.

The fact that he is a Belgian refugee also explains why Poirot lived in a pension and why, being an expert in his field, he precisely did not have a job.

5- Eliot Ness

Eliot Ness, a United States Treasury agent, stood out for leading Los Untocables, who enforced the Prohibition Law that prohibited the sale of alcohol in Chicago.

He is famous for having caught Al Capone, the famous gangster who controlled the mafia in the 1920s and 1930s. The Untouchables team consisted of Ness, Jim Malone, Oscar Wallace and George Stone. Notably, the Untouchables were criticized for their methods.

Eliot Ness wrote a book about his history before dying of a heart attack at the age of 54.

6- Miss Marple

Another famous Agatha Christie heroine and also a detective was Miss Marple. A lady with impressive deductive abilities who used to deceive by her appearance, which was not typical of the classic detective prototype.

7- Miss Smilla

Detective Smilla Qaaviqaaq Jaspersen lives in Greenland and investigates the death of a neighboring child. Author Peter Hoeg Smila's heroine is especially susceptible to types of snow.

This ability helps her solve the mystery of the death of her neighbor, who was found dead by falling from the roof. The Danish writer's work was brought to the big screen.

8- Roderick Alleyn

Roderick Alleyn is a fictional detective created by the writer Ngaio Marsh, one of the so-called queens of the detective genre. Alleyn is the protagonist of 32 novels in which the course of his life can be appreciated, from when he was an officer to being Superintendent, as well as aspects of his personal life such as his wedding or the birth of his son.

9- Eugène-François Vidocq

Eugène-François Vidocq was the first director of the French National Security office and also the founder of the first private detective agency. His controversial life inspired writers like Edgar Allan Poe in his works.

Before founding his agency, Vidocq is believed to have been a criminal. He also had numerous lovers and was married several times. At the end of his career, he was accused of sympathizing with the Bonapartists.

10- Auguste Dupin

In his work The Murders of the Morgue Street, Edgar Allan Poe introduces the character of the detective Auguste Dupin, inspired by the just mentioned Vidocq. Dupin's character differs in that he is not a detective by profession, and his motivation for solving mysteries changes with each book.

This character was created before the term or detective profession existed. It is considered to have laid the foundations for the detective novel genre.

11- Robert Peel

Another famous historical figure is the aristocrat Robert Peel who, although he was not a detective, created the London Metropolitan Police and the Royal Irish Police. Peel formulated the principles of police activity and later the activity of detectives.

12- Harry Hole

Harry Hole, protagonist of the saga of crime novels by the Norwegian writer Jo Nesbo, is a detective with a very difficult temperament, who has to fight his own demons and at the same time fight drug traffickers and murderers.

His work takes him to different parts of the world. The author, Jo Nesbo, is just as versatile as his character as he is a musician, economist and reporter.

13- Pepe Carvalho

Detective Pepe Carvalho, created by Manuel Vázquez, does not fit the common character of detective novels. His attitude is often self-destructive, since as the years go by, he increasingly denies his ideas.

Whoever was a communist in his youth ends up working as a CIA agent. All their stories are related to important events in the history of Spain in the 20th century.

14- Enrique Cazenevue Cortés

The first private detective agency in Spain was founded by Enrique Cazenevue Cortés on Balmes street in Barcelona. Cazenevue is the author of a book called Detectivism.

He can be attributed the title of master of this profession since many of his associates ended up becoming independent and also Cazenevue dedicated himself to giving talks on the radio about his working methods.

15- Robert Langdon

Dan Brown is the author of the famous book series on Professor Robert Langdon, who has become a reference character for modern detective books.

Langdon, an educated and intelligent university professor, uses his knowledge to solve crimes and mysteries. Unlike other fictional heroes, he is not very good with his fists.

16- Fray Guillermo de Baskerville

Umberto Eco's detective novel The Name of the Rose tells the story of Friar Guillermo de Baskerville, who, together with his pupil Adso de Melk, solve a series of mysteries that occur in an abbey in the Apennines. The story was brought to the big screen, in addition to winning numerous awards, such as the 1981 Strega.

17- Father Brown

Another famous priest-detective is Father Brown, inspired by the priest John O'Connor, who converted the creator GK Chesterton to Catholicism. Father Brown is characterized by a deep understanding of psychology, which allows him to understand the motives of criminals and victims.

18- Mikael Blomkvist

Swedish journalist and writer Stieg Larsson gave us the Millennium saga. In it, hacker Lisbeth Salander and investigative journalist Mikael Blomkvist solve various crimes, each using their talents. The story has so captivated the audience that it has been brought to the big screen.

19- Richie Roberts

Richie Roberts is a famous Essex County detective, who was noted for his role in the capture of drug lord Frank Lucas, with whom Roberts became close friends.

The story of this pair of curious characters inspired the movie American Ganster. Currently, this detective is in private practice. It is interesting to note that both Roberts and Lucas have criticized the movie American Ganster.

20- David Toschi

David Toschi was a prominent detective, working in San Francisco from 1952 to 1983. He is known for having conducted the investigation into the serial killer, the Zodiac.

Although the Zodiac case has not yet been resolved, it is considered that without Toschi's efforts the case would be considerably more stagnant.

Importantly, Toschi only finished high school and has no higher education. Toschi currently lives in San Francisco and is 85 years old.

21- Marco Didio Falco

Famed novelist Lindsey Davis, passionate about the history and archeology of Ancient Rome, created the character of the detective Marco Didio Falco.

In the language of the time, Marco Didius would be an informant for the Roman emperor Vespasian. Davis' novels are written in the first person from Falco's perspective.

22- Pazair

Another historical novel detective is the young Pazair, a character created by Christian Jacq and the protagonist of the trilogy The Judge of Egypt. The young judge Pazair must stop a general who has organized a plot to kill the pharaoh Ramses 'the Great'.

23- Melvin Purvis

One of the most prominent detectives in the United States is Melvin Purvis, also known as 'Little Mel'. This man played a major role in catching criminals like Pretty Boy Floyd, Baby Face Nelson, Machine Gun Kelly and the Barker brothers.

But his most famous case was that of John Dillinger, a famous bank robber, whom "Little Mel" killed personally.

24- Rusty Sabish

Rusty Sabish is tasked with discovering who raped his ex-lover Carolyn Polhemus in Scott Turow's novel Presumed Innocent. Sadly Sabish is not totally emotionally sane and his history with Carolyn sometimes does not allow him to see things clearly.

25- Julián Herranz

The Pope's personal detective, the Spanish Cardinal Julián Herranz, has stood out as a detective for the Holy See, managing to catch all those who have attempted to reveal the secrets of the Church.

The case of the Vatileaks is his most famous case. Faced with the constant attacks by the press on this case, Herranz declared that "in any government there are more dark areas than in the Vatican" and reiterated his commitment to take the investigation to the last consequences.

26- Sam Spade

Sam Spade, the protagonist of the novel The Maltese Falcon, written by Dashiell Hammett. It is characterized by its toughness when solving a mystery.

Spade tries to find a statuette that is considered a relic of art, but to achieve it he faces a group of criminals, not all interested in the piece of art.

27- Allan Pinkerton

The Pinkerton agency was the first private detective agency in the world, founded by Scotsman Allan Pinkerton. After closing its foundation, the agency continued working for many years but was discredited for having taken part in the activities of the employers against the labor movement in the USA.

Pinkerton is also notable for having created a database of all known crimes to date in the United States. This database was left in the hands of the FBI.

28- Philip Marlowe

Philip Marlowe, protagonist of Goodbye Doll, The Eternal Sleep and other works by Raymond Chandler, is a cynical detective, who criticizes corrupt society and believes that everyone is lying.

Marlowe himself defines himself in his novel as a lover of chess, drink and women. This character is considered the typical detective in the American crime novel.

29- Charles Latimer

British writer Charles Latimer is the protagonist of the novel The Mask of Dimitrios. Latimer, being not a detective but a writer, differs from other heroes of the genre in that his method of discovering the truth is through conversation with different characters with whom he meets while traveling through different cities in Europe and Asia.

30- William King

His most acclaimed case was the Albert Fish case, also known as 'The Gray Man', the 'Brooklin Vampire' and the 'Moon Maniac'. William King caught this insane killer, who is credited with raping over 100 victims and killing 5 victims.

He was convicted of the murder of Grace Budd. William King discovered it thanks to a letter that Fish wrote years later where he was identified by his handwriting and by his spelling errors.