Meny

Sample of literary figures

  • Gunnarstranda

    Male

    Detective Inspector Gunnarstranda – his first name is never mentioned – is a middle-aged man who smokes too much. He works for the Oslo police and solves crime in a string of books by the Norwegian author Kjell Ola Dahl. Gunnarstranda can be cynical and disillusioned, but he is also kind and helpful. He general works alongside his seargeant, Frank Frølich.

    Further reading

  • Paddy Meehan

    Female

    When Patricia ‘Paddy’ Meehan gets a job with a newspaper in Glasgow, she is overjoyed. The job isn’t as much fun as she had hoped, but after having solved a murder case she is promoted to crime reporter – and can solve some more cases. Her family are poor, but she nevertheless manages to live a fairly pleasant private life, writes Denise Mina in her dark detective stories about Paddy.

    Further reading

  • Stephanie Plum

    Female

    A 30-year-old bounty hunter, quick-witted and sexy, with brown curly hair. She works in Trenton, New Jersey, her creator Janet Evanovich tells us. She stumbled into her profession by chance when she was unemployed. She is single – although she co-habits with her hamster Rex – and has two handsome admirers in the police officer and childhood friend Joe Morelli and her professional colleague Carlos ‘Ranger’ Mañoso.

    Further reading

  • John Rebus

    Male

    Rebus is a Scottish detective who usually works in Edinburgh where most of Ian Rankin’s novels about him are set. Rebus is a loner with cooperation issues and he is not always popular with his superiors. He has a drinking problem, he was born in Cardenden, Fife, in 1947 and he has no interest in politics. Rebus eventually retires from his job, but returns to join a cold case team.

    Further reading