Meny

Sample of literary figures

  • Hafez el-Assad

    Male

    He is simply called Assad by his colleagues in the crime novels by Danish writer Jussi Adler-Olsen. Despite lacking formal qualifications, he is employed in the police department’s so-called ‘cold-case’ group. He generously shares of his knowledge of, for example, various types of weapons, but is not keen to talk about himself. Assad has his roots in an Arab country, probably Syria, and has certain difficulties with the Danish language.

    Further reading

  • Henrik Pettersson

    Male

    A 30-year-old small-time crook, slim, medium blond, unmarried and without empathy. He lives in Stockholm where he neglects several jobs and relaxes with drugs and sex until he gets into very serious trouble in a trilogy of crime novels by Anders de la Motte and is hunted and not only by the police. Henrik ‘HP’ Pettersson’s big sister Rebecca Normén is, however, a police officer and can help him when he has got into trouble.

    Further reading

  • Meyer Meyer

    Male

    Max Meyer, of Polish-Jewish extraction, had a curious sense of humour: he named his son Meyer Meyer. The name contributed to the boy becoming the victim of bullies in school. As an adult, he turned completely bald, became a police detective, patient, and is married to the motherly Sarah with whom he has three children. He works in the 87th police district in Isola in police novels by Ed McBain (pseudonym for Evan Hunter).

    Further reading

  • Maureen O’Donnell

    Female

    She is the protagonist in the prize-winning Garnethill trilogy by the Scottish crime writer Denise Mina. Young Maureen is a human wreck: sexually abused by her father, her mother an alcoholic, her brother a drug dealer. She has spent time in a mental hospital, and started a relationship with her psychiatrist. But she is stubborn and determined, and struggles to solve the problems and crimes she comes across.

    Further reading