Meny

Sample of literary figures

  • George Smiley

    Male

    He is rather fat, has been said to liken a toad, and is married to the beautiful and forever unfaithful Lady Ann Sercombe. Besides which, George Smiley is a lethal agent with the British Secret Service in a suite of novels by John Le Carré. Before retiring, he also becomes the director of the secret service. In some of the early books, he is however more active as a detective.

    Further reading

  • Barry Duckworth

    Male

    Middle-aged Detective who has everything from a main role to small bit parts in Linwood Barclay’s books about the town Promise Falls. Barry Duckworth tries unsuccessfully to lose weight, and to hide his receding hairline by combing his hair over the bald part. He is happily married, doesn’t have a shady past, and has such an everyday appearance that nobody really notices him. But he is stubborn and he solves his cases!

    Further reading

  • Ruth Galloway

    Female

    Her age is 40+ and she lives with her daughter Kate and her cat close to the sea in Norfolk. But forensic archaeologist Ruth Galloway has a lot of friends, including the married detective chief inspector, Harry Nelson, the father of her daughter. She is independent, humorous, attractive with a nice figure – she weighs around 80 kg. Elly Griffiths (pseudonym for Domenica Maxted) has written a suite of detective stories about her.

    Further reading

  • Maisie Dobbs

    Female

    Young, brave and intelligent private detective who started to work as a domestic when she was only 13 years old. Maisie Dobbs had a benevolent female employer, and got to study nursing and psychology. She fell in love with a doctor who was killed in the First World War, and in 1929 she started her own detective agency. Jacqueline Winspear has written more than a dozen books about her.

    Further reading