Famous Private Detectives in
Novels, Movies, and Television--

Albert Campion → TV portrayal by Peter Davidson
An aristocrat in the early 20th century in several novels and the TV series Campion (Created by Margery Allingham).
•Novels: 1930‑1965 •TV series: 1989‑1990.

Agatha Raisin → Portrayed by Ashley Jensen
Based on the mystery novels by Marion Chesney, a former public relations professional in the British TV series Agatha Raisin (Created by Marion Chesney using the pseudonym M. C. Beaton).
•Novels: 1992‑2019 •TV series: 2014‑2020.

Beverly Gray → No screen presence
A young woman solving mysteries in various venues Beverly Gray Mystery Stories (Written by Clair Blank).
•Novels: 1034‑1955.

Sexton Blake → Portrayed by Laurence Stanley Payne
A bargain basement Sherlock Holmes solving mysteries of all manner. Sexton Blake (Written by Harry Blyth (using the pseudonym Hal Meredeth)).
•Comic strips: 1939‑1979 •Silent movies: 1909‑1928  •Movies: 1935‑1945  •TV series 1967‑1971.

Dr Gideon Fell (image cropped from the book cover) → No screen presence
A lexicographer and drinker in a series of novels such as The Man Who Could Not Shudder (Created by John Dickson Carr).
•Novels: 1933‑1967.

Simon Templar (known as The Saint) → Portrayed by Roger Moore in the TV series
A British amateur detective portrayed in books, radio, movies and TV by various actors over many years; for example, in the TV series The Saint (Originally created by Leslie Charteris).
•Books: 1928‑1963 •Movies: 1938‑1943  •Radio: 1944‑1951  •Comics: 1948‑1961.

Tommy and Tuppence Beresford → TV portrayal of Tommy by David Walliams, of Tuppence by Jessica
A typical upper middle class couple in novels, short stories and in the TV series Partners in Crime (Created by Agatha Christie).
•Novels: 1922‑1973 •TV series: 2015.

Hercule Poirot → Portrayed in the British TV series by David Suchet
A dignified and meticulous Belgian detective in novels, short stories, movies and TV including Agatha Christie's Poirot (Created by Agatha Christie).
•Novels: 1926‑1975 •Movies: 1931‑1986  •TV series: 1989‑2013.

Jack Casey → Portrayed by Richard Carlye
A photographer who helps the police solve crimes in books, movies, radio, and the TV series Casey, Crime Photographer (Created by George Harmon Coxe).
•Books: 1942‑1964 •Movies: 1936, 1938  •TV series: 1951‑1952.

Sherlock Holmes-1 → Portrayed in the 1983 movie by Ian Richardson
A renowned detective in four novels, 56 short stories, and many movies including The Hound of the Baskervilles (Created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle).
•Novels: 1887‑1915 •Short stories: 1891‑1927  •Movies: many  •TV series: many.

Sister Fidelma → No screen presence
A Celtic nun in the middle of the 7th century who solves mysteries in the book series Sister Fidelma Mysteries (Created by Berresford Ellis, aka Peter Tremayne).
•Books: 1994‑2015.

Agaton Sax → No screen presence
Owner of a detective agency in an animated movie and animated TV series, based on several Swedish novels including Agaton Sax and the London Computer Plot (Created by Nils Olof Franzén).
•Novels: 1955‑1978 •Movie: 1976  •TV series: 1976.

Paul Drake → Portrayed by William Hopper
The private detective working for Parry Mason Perry Mason (Created by Erle Stanley Gardner).
•Novels: 1933‑1973 •Movies: 1934‑1940  •TV series: 1985‑1995, 2020.

Phryne Fisher → Portrayed by Essie Davis
A wealthy aristocrat in a series of novels the TV series Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries (Created by Kerry Greenwood and others).
•Novels: 1989‑2008 •TV series: 2012‑.

Nick and Nora Charles → Movie portrayal of Nick by William Powell
An alcoholic former private detective and a wealthy heiress in the novel and several movie adaptations such as The Thin Man (Created by Dashiell Hammett).
•Novel: 1934 •Movies: 1934‑1947  •TV series: 1957‑1959.

Sam Spade → Portrayed in the 1941 movie by Humphrey Bogart
A hard and shifty P.I. in a novel, short stories, and movies, including The Maltese Falcon (Created by Dashiell Hammett).
•Novel: 1930 •Short stories: 1932  •Movies: 1931‑1978.

Nancy Drew → Portrayed by various actors over the years including Sophia Lillis in the 2019 film as seen in image.
A young high school graduate in many books, a TV series and several movies including the 2019 movie Nancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase (Many writers under the ghost name Carolyn Keene ).
•Novels: 1930‑2003 •TV series: 1997, 1995, 2019  •Movies: 1938‑1939, 2002.

Francesca Victoria (image from a comic book cover) → No screen presence
A young, attractive and adventurous female private investigator in the popular Dutch comic book series Franka (Created by Henk Kuijpers).
•Comics: 1972‑now.

Joseph Rouletabille → Portrayed in the 1949 French movie by Serge Reggiani
A journalist in several movies and a novel series starting with The Mystery of th Yellow Room (Created by Gaston Leroux).
•Novels: 1907‑1923 •Movies: 1913‑2005  •TV series: 1965‑1966.

Nestor Burma → Portrayed by Guy Marchand
French private detective in a series of books and the TV series Nestor Burma (Created by Léo Malet).
•Books: 1943‑1983 •TV series: 1991.

Beatrice Adela Bradley → Portrayed by Diana Rigg
A widowed socialite in the novel series and British TV series The Mrs. Bradley Mysteries (Created by Gladys Mitchell).
•Novels: 1929‑1975 •TV series: 1999‑2000.

Hildegarde Withers → Portrayed by Edna May Oliver and later others.
Spinster school teacher and amateur detective who collaborates, and frequently butts heads, with Inspector Oscar Piper in a series of novels and movies such as Murder on the Blackboard (Created by Stuart Palmer).
•Novels: 1932‑1969 •Movies: 1932‑1972.

Spenser → Portrayed by in the TV series Robert Urich
A smart-mouthed tough P.I. in novels, movies and the TV series Spenser: For Hire (Created by Robert B. Parker).
•Novels: 1973‑2014 •TV series: 1985‑1988  •Movies: 1999, 2000, 2001.

Alex Cross → Portrayed by Morgan Freeman
Even tempered psychologist and former FBI agent in several books and movies such as Along Came a Spider (Created by James Patterson).
•Books: 1993‑2014 •Movies: 1997, 2001.

Amelia Peabody → No screen presence
A rich Egyptologist in the novels series including The Curse of the Pharaohs (Created by Elizabeth Peters).
•Novels: 1975‑2006.

C. Auguste Dupin → No screen presence
An upper class gentleman appearing in stories by such as The Murders in the Rue Morgue (Created by Edgar Allan Poe).
•Novels: 1841,1842, 1844.

Sally Lockhart → Portrayed by Billie Piper
A teen-age girl in the novel series and TV shows such as The Shadow in the North (Created by Philip Pullman).
•Novels: 1872‑1882 •Movie: 2006, 2007.

Bernie Little (image from 2015 book cover of Bernie's canine companion) → No screen presence
A down-on-his-luck P.I. in the series of novels beginning with Dog on It (Created by Spencer Quinn, aka Peter Abrahams).
•Novels: 2009‑2020.

Cormoran Strike → Portrayed by Tom Burke
An ex-SIB investigator, and a veteran of the war in Afghanistan in the books and the TV series Strike (Created by J. K. Rowling).
•Novels: 2013‑2020 •TV series: 2017‑2020.

Encyclopedia Brown (Leroy) → Portrayed in the TV series by Scott Bremner
A boy detective in the book series, a comic strip, and the TV HBO series beginning with The Case of the Missing Time Capsule (Books written by Donald J. Sobol).
•Books: 1963‑2012 •TV series: 1989‑1990.

Elona Holmes → Portrayed by Millie "Bobby" Brown
The sister of Sherlock Holmes in the book series The Enola Holmes Mysteries and the movie Enola Holmes (Created by Nancy Springer).
•Book series: 2006‑2010 •Movie: 2020.

Nero Wolfe → Portrayed in the 2001 TV series by Maury Chaykin
An armchair detective in novels, short stories, movies, radio, and several TV series including A Nero Wolfe Mystery (Created by Rex Stout).
•Novels: 1934‑1985 •Movies: 1936, 1937  •TV series: 1981, 2001‑2003.

Frank and Joe Hardy (The Hardy Boys) → Portrayed by Parker Stevenson and Shaun Cassidy
Teenage brothers and amateur detectives in a series of books and a TV series The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries (Created by Edward Stratemeyer).
•Books: 1929‑present •TV series: 1974‑1977.

Gil Jourdan along with partners Libellule and Crouton → No screen presence
A Belgian dectective handles various cases which sometimes took them to many countries in comics titled Tout Gil Jourdan (Created by Maurice Tillieux).
•Comics: 1956‑1989.

James Hazell → Portrayed by Nicholas Ball.
A cockney private detective in the British TV drama Hazell (Created by Gordon Williams and Terry Venables).
•TV drama: 1978‑1979.