Meny

Sample of literary figures

  • Harry Bosch

    Male

    He is actually called Hieronymus Bosch, but calls himself – for understandable reasons – Harry. His mother was a prostitute and was murdered; his father is a well-known lawyer whom he first met as an adult. Harry Bosch was a soldier and then became a police officer, mainly in Los Angeles. And he was also the main character in a whole row of detective stories by Michael Connelly.

    Further reading

  • Dudley Smith

    Male

    Police officer in Los Angeles in four of James Ellroy’s novels. Dudley Smith was born in Ireland, he is tall and broad shouldered, and goes all in brown, one could say: he has brown hair cut very short, brown eyes and he usually wears a shabby, brown suit. Few police officers in crime fiction have been described as so unsympathetic: he is an egoistic and violent bully and, it turns out, a murderer. And he is happy with that!

    Further reading

  • Barbara Havers

    Female

    Contrary to many other female police officers in crime fiction Barbara Havers is not a good-looking woman. Her creator, Elizabeth George, claims she made her deliberately unattractive and unkempt. Havers has cooperation issues and she is moody, stubborn and temperamental. Yet she has a functional working relationship with her complete opposite, the well bred, neatly turned out Detective Inspector Thomas Lynley.

    Further reading

  • Harry (Henry) Nelson

    Male

    Middle-aged detective chief inspector in Norfolk, where he cooperates with forensic archaeologist Ruth Galloway in a series of detective stories by Elly Griffiths (pseudonym for Domenica Maxted). Harry Nelson is married to Michelle and has three children with her – but also a daughter with Galloway after a one-night-stand with her. He is tall and dark, with greying hair and has a reputation for being brusque when impatient.

    Further reading