Sample of literary figures
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Jackson Brodie
Male
He is a middle-aged divorced detective, former soldier and police officer, born in Yorkshire but living in London despite the fact that he has never liked southern England. So he is happy to travel north, and some of Kate Atkinson’s novels about him are set in Scotland. Jackson Brodie’s strength as a detective does not lie in logical reasoning, but in his empathy with the afflicted: the victims of crime and their loved ones.
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Derek Strange
Male
Former police officer who has made a career change and become a private detective in a suite of novels by George P. Pelecanos. He is well-built, with grey hair and beard, and loves music. He has a sporadic relationship with his assistant Janine Baker, and is a ‘reserve dad’ for her son, Lionel. Derek Strange lives alone with his dog, Greco, a boxer. He is sometimes greatly helped by another former police officer, Terry Quinn.
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Benny Griessel
Male
He is a middle-aged detective with the Cape Town police, is of average height with greying untidy hair, a rugged face and a Slavic appearance. Benny Griessel does, however, have problems. He boozes – which is why his wife and their two children throw him out, and he finds a new partner. He struggles determinedly against his alcoholism, author Deon Meyer tells us, and he embarks upon a relationship with singer Alexa.
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Kinsey Millhone
Female
Kinsey Millhone is an American private detective with a messy private life. Her parents died in a car crash when she was still young, both her marriages ended in divorce, and her love affairs are brief. On the other hand, she is very good at her job, as a string of novels by Sue Grafton show. She sometimes makes guest appearances in books by other authors.