Sample of literary figures
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Van Veeteren
Male
Despite his successful career as a detective chief inspector, he tires of his job, and starts afresh as an antiquarian bookseller. But he continues to play an important role in Håkans Nesser’s books about the police in Maardam. Van Veeteren is a well-built and heavy man, he has a bass voice, is divorced and has been operated for stomach cancer. He is very fond of classical music and dark beer, and likes to chew on a toothpick.
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Erlendur
Male
A detective inspector in Reykjavík, and the main character in a row of police novels by Arnaldur Indriðason. Erlendur – his surname, Sveinsson, is rarely named as is customary in Iceland – is a skilful and empathetic police officer, but rather tired and sometimes anxiety-ridden. One reason is that he left his family when the children were small, for reasons that he can’t himself remember. His ex-wife still hates him for this, and both his son and his daughter ended up abusing drugs.
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Philip Dryden
Male
He left his job as a star reporter when his wife, Laura, ends up in a coma after an accident. Instead, Philip Dryden becomes as an investigative crime reporter on the little local newspaper <i>The Crow</i> in the country town of Ely. Laura slowly wakes up from her coma, and they have a son Eden. Jim Kelly describes his problem-solver as almost 190 cm tall, with green eyes and black hair. His best friend is the taxi driver Humphrey Holt.
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Robin Ellacott
Female
A long-legged blonde woman with long hair and blue-green eyes, first secretary and later assistant to private detective Cormoran Strike i London. She has a similarly long-lasting yet ambivalent relationship with her future husband Matthew Cunliffe, who wants her to get a different job. Author Robert Galbraith (pseudonym for J.K. Rowling) reveals that Robin Ellacott has more than friendly feelings for Strike.