Riot Recommendation

Riot Recommendation: 44+ of Your Favorite Fictional Detectives

María Cristina García lives in New York with her favorite spouse, her favorite toddler, her favorite cat, and her second-favorite cat. When not ranking members of her household, she's catching up on Supergirl, strumming her mandolin, or trying to beat the clock on her library loans. Twitter: @MeowyCristina Blog: MeowyCristina.com

This Riot Recommendation is sponsored by The Night Market by Jonathan Moore.

A mind-bending, masterfully plotted novel that will captivate fans of Blake Crouch, China Miéville, and Lauren Beukes, The Night Market follows Inspector Ross Carver as he works to untangle a web of conspiracy that spans the entire nation. This near-future thriller from an author who consistently gives us “suspense that never stops” (James Patterson) will make your most paranoid fantasies seem like child’s play.


I check every month to see if Netflix has brought back Jessica Fletcher or Lieutenant Columbo. And every month, disappointment. So I guess I’m going to have to get my sleuthing fix between the pages of a book. And after I asked, Riot readers came through with a ton of leads. The following are just some of your favorite fictional detectives.

Gervase Fen (as written by Edmund Crispin)

Phryne Fisher (as written by Kerry Greenwood)

Corinna Chapman (as written by Kerry Greenwood)

Jim Qwilleran (as written by Lilian Jackson Braun)

China Bayles (as written by Susan Wittig Albert)

Cormoran Strike (as written by Robert Galbraith)

Rachel Getty and Esa Khattak (as written by Ausma Zehanat Khan)

Daisy Wells and Hazel Wong (as written by Robin Stevens)

Sophie Young and Grace Yang (as written by Kristen Kittscher)

Enola Holmes (as written by Nancy Springer)

Irene Adler and Penelope Huxtable (as written by Carole Nelson Douglas)

Mary Russell (as written by Laurie R. King)

Mrs. Hudson and Mary Watson (as written by Michelle Birkby)

Maisie Dobbs (as written by Jacqueline Winspear)

Sean Duffy (as written by Adrian McKinty)

Chief Inspector Armand Gamache (as written by Louise Penny)

Duncan Kincaid and Gemma James (as written by Deborah Crombie)

Fin Macleod (as written by Peter May)

Detective Inspector Jack Caffery (as written by Mo Hayder)

Mr. Campion (as written by Margery Allingham)

Amelia Peabody Emerson (as written by Elizabeth Peters)

Sheriff Walt Longmire (as written by Craig Johnson)

Spenser (as written by Robert B. Parker)

Matthew Shardlake (as written by C. J. Sansom)

Lord and Lady Hetheridge (as written by Emma Jameson)

Stephanie Plum (as written by Janet Evanovich)

Flavia de Luce (as written by Alan Bradley)

Hercule Poirot (as written by Agatha Christie)

Roxane Weary (as written by Kristen Lepionka)

Jigsaw Jones (as written by James Preller)

Philip Marlowe (as written by Raymond Chandler)

October Daye (as written by Seanan McGuire)

Jack Taylor (as written by Ken Bruen)

Charlie Parker (as written by John Connolly)

Brother Cadfael (as written by Ellis Peters)

Justin de Quincy (as written by Sharon Kay Penman)

Adelia Aguilar (as written by Ariana Franklin)

Jesters Theophilos and Claudia (as written by Alan Gordon)

Kinsey Millhone (as written by Sue Grafton)

Julian Kestrel (as written by Kate Ross)

Travis McGee (as written by John D. MacDonald)

Jim Chee and Bernadette Manuelito (as written by Tony Hillerman)

Thursday Next (as written by Jasper Fforde)

Nancy Drew (as written by Carolyn Keene)