Meny

Literary figures

Sample of literary figures

  • Jackson Lamb

    Male

    Misanthropic boss of Slough House, a department for discharged spies and agents in the British MI5. Jackson Lamb, a central figure in a suite of novels by Mick Herron, is a former spy who has gone to seed. He is tall, has an ‘offensive’ face, is cynical and sarcastic, a chain smoker and is careless about his personal hygiene. This doesn’t prevent him and his department from managing to solve several sensitive spy cases.

    Further reading

  • Irene Huss

    Female

    Inspector Irene Huss lives in Gothenburg, Sweden. She is married to a chef and she is the mother of twins, two teenage girls that now and then annoy their parents by taking an interest in neo-Nazism or vegan food. Huss is struggling to get ahead in a male-dominated profession. Her creator, Helen Tursten, has made her a European ju-jitsu champion, which occasionally comes in useful.

    Further reading

  • Ben Cooper

    Male

    Cooper’s father was a policeman and Benjamin, or Ben, followed in his footsteps. He works at the Derbyshire police. Cooper grew up in Derbyshire and many of his investigations take place in the Peak District. He usually works alongside his superior officer, Diane Fry. In Stephen Booth’s novels they are in love; a fact they both refuse to admit it even to themselves.

    Further reading

  • Yashim Togalu

    Male

    He is tall, well-built, aged between 30 and 40, with curly black hair and a nice moustache. He is also a eunuch, and he investigates murders and other crimes in 19th century Istanbul on the orders of the sultan, whom he faithfully serves. Yashim Togalu is not uninterested in women, according to author Jason Goodwin, but he understandably prefers to devote his time to cooking, French novels and mysteries.

    Further reading