Sample of literary figures
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Robbie (Robert) Lewis
Male
A jolly, patient and methodical detective sergeant in Oxford, who is the right hand and faithful companion of the somewhat gruffy Chief Inspector Morse in the crime novels by Colin Dexter. Lewis’ first name is rarely mentioned in the books, and in the TV series he is called Robbie. In the novels, he is happily married to Valerie and they have two children; in the later TV series, in which he is the main character, he is an older widower.
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Barbara Havers
Female
Contrary to many other female police officers in crime fiction Barbara Havers is not a good-looking woman. Her creator, Elizabeth George, claims she made her deliberately unattractive and unkempt. Havers has cooperation issues and she is moody, stubborn and temperamental. Yet she has a functional working relationship with her complete opposite, the well bred, neatly turned out Detective Inspector Thomas Lynley.
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Fran Hunter
Female
Single mother, artist and teacher who settles on the Shetland Islands so that her daughter Cassie can get to know her father, Fran’s former husband, who is from the islands. However, Fran finds herself in a murder mystery and meets police officer Jimmy Perez with whom she starts a relationship. The books about Hunter and Perez gave author Ann Cleeves her breakthrough – despite the tragic end to the love story.
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Brother Cadfael
Male
Brother Cadfael is a former crusader who joined the Benedictines on his return to England. He is a herbalist at a monastery in Shrewsbury in Shropshire where he solves crime. These whodunits by Ellis Peters (a pen name used by Edith Pargeter) are set in England during the turbulent first half of the twelfth century. They have caused a major surge in popular interest in historical crime novels.