Meny

Literary figures

Sample of literary figures

  • Francis Hancock

    Male

    His father was an Englishman, his mother from India. Francis Hancock himself is a funeral director in London during the Second World War, when the Germans bombed the city. His experiences during the First World War, when he was a soldier, have given him mental problems. He is very withdrawn, which doesn’t, however, prevent him from being a clever – albeit reluctant – amateur detective in a suite of books by Barbara Nadel.

    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

  • Linda Martinez

    Female

    Her mother is English, her father from Jamaica and she (Linda Martinez) is a police officer in Stockholm. She makes a quick career, and becomes the head of the investigative section. She was introduced in a TV series by Jan Guillou and Leif G.W. Persson in the 1990s, and has since then played a more or less large role in several of Persson’s books. She doesn’t like to talk about her private life, but she can be very blunt and direct, and likes strong beer.

    Further reading

  • Tom Reynolds

    Male

    A friendly, calm and humorous police detective in Dublin, who leads the investigations into brutal murders in books by Jo Spain. He is between 40 and 50 years old, with a slightly crooked nose and black hair going grey, and he is happily married to Louise: they have a daughter together, Maria, who is not entirely without problems. Tom Reynolds’ personality is based on the author’s husband, Martin, who is a journalist, however, not a police officer.

    Further reading