Our favourite fictional detectives and 8 of the best detective novels to investigate now

Why read this: In Detective Inspector Vera Stanhope, bestselling author Ann Cleeves has created a rare thing: a detective who is brilliant without being glamorous, compassionate withing being sentimenal, and eccentric without it feeling like a gimmick. Sometimes abrasive, intrusive and deliberately difficult, but with a powerful sensitivity and understanding of people, Vera's skill comes not from flashy deduction but patient observation and social instinct. 

If this wasn't enough, Ann Cleeves' detective book series offers complex cases set against the rugged, atmospheric beauty of Northumberland. In this first Vera Stanhope book, three very different women come together at an isolated cottage on the North Pennines, and discover a body.

If you're looking for: British detective fiction, police procedural, female detective books, atmospheric, setting-as-character, detective novels. 

Great for fans of: The Ruth Galloway series by Elly Griffiths, the DCI Banks series by Peter Robinson.

What the experts think: 'Vera is extremely intelligent and plain-spoken, and her appearance on the page is striking . . . [Cleeves'] depiction of the moody landscape creates a setting as strong a character as any individual.' – Richard Osman, author of The Thursday Murder Club series.

Why read this: Brilliant, cultured, vain, irritable, and frequently wrong, in Colin Dexter's iconic detective novels, Detective Inspector Morse can be infuriating, but he is never dull. With a carefully drawn intelligence – Morse loves language, Wagner, and real ale – he approaches murder like a crossword: he wants the solution to be elegant and psychologically satisfying. That makes his mind entertaining to follow even when his first theory turns out to be mistaken.

The opening novel in Colin Dexter’s acclaimed Inspector Morse series introduces Morse and Sergeant Lewis as they investigate the murder of Sylvia Kaye, a young woman found dead in Oxford. Intelligent, melancholy and intricately plotted, Last Bus to Woodstock established one of British detective fiction’s most enduring leads and inspired the ITV series Inspector Morse, starring John Thaw.

If you're looking for: Murder mystery, detective fiction, Oxford setting, psychological motives, intricate plotting, classic British detective.

Great for fans of: P. D. James, Ruth Rendell.

What the experts think: 'Dexter has created a giant among fictional detectives' The Times

Why read this: Of course we couldn't leave out the world's most recognisable sleuth. His creator, Arthur Conan Doyle, set out to write a detective who relied on science rather than chance, and so came Sherlock Holmes's brilliant mind and remarkable observational abilities and deductions. He's also not technically a detective, as he isn't employed by any police force, although London's Scotland Yard are frequently in need of his services.

If you're new to Holmes, start with A Study in Scarlet, which introduces all the famous elements of the character and his Baker Street world: pipes, violin playing, dressing gowns, and of course Mrs Hudson the landlady, Watson and Inspector Lestrade of the Yard.

If you're looking for: Classic British detective, Victorian London, iconic characters, classic crime.

Why read this: Peter James's Detective Superintendent Roy Grace, who features in more than twenty detective novels, combines persistence and professional competence with vulnerability. He is compassionate toward victims, fascinated by the psychology behind crime, and willing to pursue unconventional leads. He also has a complicated private life, making him feel human rather than infallible. 

In this first in James's detective book series, four friends agree to pull a prank on their soon-to-be-married mate, Michael Harrison. But what begins as a harmless joke turns into a nightmare when the friends die in a car crash, leaving Michael buried alive in a coffin with no way out. Detective Superintendent Roy Grace is tasked with solving the mystery, but with no leads and no witnesses, Michael’s time is running out.

If you're looking for: Police procedural, detective thriller, suspenseful investigation, plot twists, major TV series, Brighton setting. 

Why read this: Thoughtful, patient and deeply empathetic, Detective Jimmy Perez's strength lies in quietly understanding people rather than dominating them. Rooted in Shetland, the isolated Scottish islands where these detective novels are set, yet sometimes feeling like an outsider, Perez carries loneliness and uncertainty alongside professional determination, giving him an appealing vulnerability and emotional depth. Another brilliant detective series from crime writer Ann Cleeves.

The first of Ann Cleeves' Shetland detective books begins on a cold January morning, with Shetland buried beneath a deep layer of snow. Trudging home, Fran Hunter's eye is drawn to a vivid splash of colour on the white ground, ravens circling above. It is the strangled body of her teenage neighbour Catherine Ross. . . This book won the Duncan Lawrie Dagger (CWA Gold Dagger) for best crime novel.

If you're looking for: An award-winning detective novel, police procedural, small town rural setting, Tartan noir, books with a strong sense of place, British detective fiction, detective series.

Great for fans of: Val McDermid, Peter May's Lewis Trilogy.

What the experts think: 'Jimmy Perez is a fine creation' – Peter Robinson, author of the DCI Banks series. 'Expertly plotted and mesmerizing' – Mick Herron, author of Slow Horses. 'Bold and dramatic, with a restless love of landscape' – Val McDermid, author of Past Lying.

Why read this: As bestselling author Stuart MacBride says of his detective: 'DI Logan McRae is a normal man doing a difficult job in horrible circumstances, assisted – and frequently hindered – by what might best be described as a cavalcade of weirdos, misfits, and idiots.' Resilient, decent and darkly funny despite working amid relentless violence and chaos, Detective McRae's persistence and sardonic humour sharpen his appeal.

In this, the most recent novel in the series, Detective Inspector McRae is forced to manage a major murder investigation with a skeleton crew of misfits as the city of Aberdeen descends into chaos. A firebombing, a huge protest, and a hostile media mogul are all adding to the pressure, but things are about to get much, much worse . . . 

If you're looking for: Police procedural, Scottish crime fiction, detective series.

Great for fans of: Ian Rankin, Val McDermid.

What the experts think: 'Stuart MacBride is an automatic must-read for me . . . always fast, hard, authentic – and different' – Lee Child, author of the Jack Reacher series. 'MacBride is a damned fine writer' – Peter James, author of the Roy Grace Series.

Why read this: Matthew Venn is another stellar Ann Cleeves detective, and the ultimate insider-outsider. In the Two Rivers detective novels, Venn has returned to work in the area of North Devon where he grew up, but has left the strict religious community his family was part of behind and no longer speaks to them. However, he is still influenced by the faith of his younger years, and questions of guilt, duty, judgement and belonging give him a seriousness that distinguishes him from more flamboyant fictional detectives.

His first big case, in this opening novel of the series, features a man with an albatross tattoo on his neck who has been stabbed to death on a beach near Matthew's home. The Two Rivers region isn’t as idyllic as tourists might think, and Venn's investigations will lead him back into the strict evangelical community he left behind. 

If you're looking for: Detective fiction, rural mystery, atmospheric crime novel, small-town secrets, detective series, LGBTQI+ detective, police procedural.

Great for fans of: Vera Stanhope and the Shetland series by Ann Cleeves, Elly Griffiths.

What the experts think: 'I had high expectations for Cleeves’ latest. She easily exceeded those expectations with The Long Call. Matthew Venn is a keeper.' – David Baldacci, author of The 6:20 Man. 

Why read this: Inspector Salvo Montalbano is as honest as he is streetwise and as scathing to fools and villains as he is compassionate to their victims. With a strong sense of justice and little patience for bureaucracy, his love of food, Sicily (where this detective series is set) and solitude gives him a warmth and a melancholy that make him a joy to read.

When two employees of the Splendour Refuse Collection Company discover the body of engineer Silvio Luparello, one of the local movers and shakers, apparently deceased in flagrante at the Pasture, the coroner's verdict is death from natural causes. But Inspector Salvo Montalbano is not ready to close the case – even though he's being pressured by Vigàta's police chief, judge, and bishop.

If you're looking for: Translated detective fiction, Italian setting, TV adaptations

What the experts think: 'Montalbano’s colleagues, chance encounters, Sicilian mores, even the contents of his fridge are described with the wit and gusto that make this narrator the best company in crime fiction today.’ The Guardian