Meny

Sample of literary figures

  • Nestor Burma

    Male

    Private eye Nestor Burma is a famous character in French 20th century crime fiction. He runs his own detective agency, Fiat Lux, in Paris with his secretary Hélène Chatelain, who is hopelessly in love with him. They feature in a string of hardboiled, humorous books by Léo Malet. Burma also features in films, television dramas and a cartoon.

    Further reading

  • Bjørn Beltø

    Male

    Norwegian archaeologist, who solves mysteries with religious connections in a suite of novels by Tom Egeland. Bjørn Beltø is just over 30 years old and is an albino, which means that he has poor vision and pale skin. He is single and finds it hard to get relationships to work, despite certain women being interested in him. He periodically suffers from anxiety, and then prefers to sit at home and listen to classical music.

    Further reading

  • Angie Gennaro

    Male

    Angela ”Angie” Gennaro is a small, dark, good looking private detective that features in novels by Dennis Lehane. She is working alongside her childhood friend Patrick Kenzie. She is a devout Catholic and therefore reluctant to leave her alcoholic, abusive husband. Kenzie and Gennaro solve crime in a string of hardboiled detective novels set in Boston.

    Further reading

  • Thóra Gudmundsdóttir

    Female

    When we meet her in Yrsa Sigurðardóttir’s first crime novel, skilful lawyer Þóra Guðmundsdóttir is 36 years old and the single mother of a son Gylfi, 16, and a daughter Sóley. She is divorced from her husband Hannes, but later embarks upon a relationship with the German police officer Matthew Reich. He is blond with long hair, high cheek bones and walnut-shaped blue eyes. And he is also the part-owner of a legal firm in Reykjavik.

    Further reading