Sherlock Holmes - best detective ever?

[Raisin]

How about the number one detective then? I know there will be a lot of Poirot/Agatha Christie fans on this forum but for me it's Sherlock

[David]

How about the number one detective then? I know there will be a lot of Poirot/Agatha Christie fans on this forum but for me it's Sherlock

Indubitably, my dear Raisin.

[Elphin]

How about Rebus?

elph

[Raisin]

David, it's all elementary isn't it? Did you know that that's where Mark Hadden got the title for his book? Because Sherlock says, "to the curious incident of the dog in the night-time." and Watson says "the dog did nothing in the night-time" and Sherlock says "that was the curious incident"

Elphin, oh dear me now I am torn. I think I missed out lovely Rebus because Ian Rankin is classed as a crime-fiction writer (and a very good one) and not as an official "detective" novelist. But maybe there should be a discussion thing for him as well, because he is so fantastique

[k-j]

Lord Peter Wimsey, anyone? I keep meaning to read more Sayers.

[barrie]

Inspector Clouseau of the Sûreté.

Harikrishnamurty my dear Raisin.

[Raisin]

Ah... Clouseau, but the best detective? Really? Mon dieu, if you say so A lot of comedy there, so it's hard to take any real detecting seriously, especially when he ends up in a nudist colony. Sans un prix

Peter Whimsy I am unfamiliar with, is that disgraceful?

[k-j]

Peter Whimsy I am unfamiliar with, is that disgraceful?

Yes! No-one quite like Lord Peter Wimsey. Upper-class bon vivant, smart-alec and borderline cad, Wimsey has the intellectual audaciousness of Holmes without the latter's Spock-like aloofness. I think Sayers wrote about a dozen Wimsey novels - he ages in real time as they go on - but to my shame I've only read Whose Body? and Have His Carcasse. Definitely check them out!

[Raisin]

Wow, thanks K, will be having a look at them soon Obviously I am missing out, thanks for recommending! I have been slacking on the reading side of things lately, school work has piled up

[David]

As a Sherlock fan, you'll have read The Name of the Rose? That's a great detective story.

[Elphin]

Surely the number one detective must work for the Number One (Ladies) Detective Agency??

Never read them myself - I seem to remember a movie or TV programme though.

elph

[Raisin]

David, I've seen the film with Sean Connery, (Der name der rose) haven't read the book yet though I remember it had quite a few similarities to the Sherlock Holmes stories, Sir William of Baskerville is the most obvious similarity.

Elph, the Number One (Ladies) Detective Agency is a great read, and the film/series was good as well. Worth a look

I am gathering quite a reading list for the half term!

[Charles]

Always gotta love Morse, but then like most of the general public I've never actually read any of the novels so have no business mentioning him here really do I?

[Raisin]

Of course you can! I don't read Miss Marple or many others, I tend to stick to Sherlock or modern day crime like Rebus But I still think you can say detectives like Miss Marple and Poirot are great, just because of their reputation.

Raisin

[Amadeus]

Dr House....


gaz

[Ros]

Dr House doesn't detect, though, does he? He decides something incorrect - the patient vomits/explodes - then he decides something else and that's correct. Despite the white boards, there's not much deducing going on.

[Raisin]

Well Dr House is actually based on Sherlock Holmes, Wilsons character being the equivalent of Watson, House is addicted to Vicodin when Holmes was addicted to Opium, etc. Also his team to go and do what could be seen as detective work, performing forensic examinations in the homes of the patients, and each patient is referred to as a new "case." So I think I could see House as one of the best detectives