Meny

Sample of literary figures

  • Svend Foyn

    Male

    Lawyer and a skilled amateur detective who lives in the Norwegian town of Tønsberg, like his creator Jan Mehlum. Svend Foyn is divorced and has a teenaged daughter, loves music and books and easily becomes sentimental. His appearance is not particularly noticeable, but he is quite tall – more than 190 cm – and struggles to hold his weight under 90 kilos. His best female friend is Hulda – a Saint Bernhard dog.

    Further reading

  • Vincent Ruiz

    Male

    The colour of his face shows that he drinks too much. Otherwise he is big and strong – not least as regards language – with a broken nose. Vincent Ruiz has a history of 43 years as a police officer in London, three marriages and just as many divorces. He does, however, have good contact with his ex-wives as well as his children. And even though he is now retired, he still catches villains in Michael Robotham’s novels.

    Further reading

  • 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 He is very withdrawn, which doesn’t, however, prevent him from being a clever – albeit reluctant – amateur detective in a suite of books by Barbara Nadel.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

  • Anna Holt

    Female

    Anna Holt is a police officer, later commissioner of police, in Stockholm. She is the creation of authors Jan Guillou and Leif G.W. Persson who wrote the screenplay for a series of television episodes about her in the 1990s. Over the years, she has featured in some of the novels each has written independently. Holt is a complex woman, a determined and inventive investigator and a skilled interrogator.

    Further reading