Meny

Sample of literary figures

  • Dexter Morgan

    Male

    A handsome, friendly and always well-dressed forensic technician, born in 1971 and married to Rita Bennett whose two children he is very fond of. In secret, he is a serial murderer lacking in empathy, as is revealed by author Jeff Lindsay (pseudonym for Jeffry P. Freundlich). Dexter Morgan saw his mother being murdered and is encouraged by his stepfather, who is a police officer, to kill major criminals who have evaded justice.

    Further reading

  • Sergeant Santos

    Male

    It is not clear what Santos’ first name is. He is the head of the police department in a little community outside the city of Salvador in Brazil, where his creator, Kjell Eriksson, also lives nowadays. Santos’ stout wife is called Zelita and they have five children together. Hardened by the corruption in his native country, he prefers to drink beer and lie in his hammock, but now and then he is obliged to work – and then he is very successful.

    Further reading

  • Adam Dalgliesh

    Male

    Adam Dalgliesh is a successful, much respected detective inspector and poet that features in novels by P.D. James. In her first book about him, she spelt his name Dalgleish, which has caused some confusion. He is a typical soft-spoken, straightforward, pragmatic English gentleman who operates more like a classic private detective than a Scotland Yard DI. He conducts himself with ease in all kinds of geographical and social settings.

    Further reading

  • Dudley Smith

    Male

    Police officer in Los Angeles in four of James Ellroy’s novels. Dudley Smith was born in Ireland, he is tall and broad shouldered, and goes all in brown, one could say: he has brown hair cut very short, brown eyes and he usually wears a shabby, brown suit. Few police officers in crime fiction have been described as so unsympathetic: he is an egoistic and violent bully and, it turns out, a murderer. And he is happy with that!

    Further reading