This is a partial list of fictional private investigators — also known as private eyes or PIs — who have appeared in various works of literature, film, television, and games.

Detective Creator Debut
Karen Andersen Louise Burfitt-Dons The Missing Activist[1] (2018)
Angel Joss Whedon Angel (TV) (1999)
Harry Angel William Hjortsberg Falling Angel (1978)
Lew Archer Ross Macdonald The Moving Target (1949)
Bilqees "Bobby" Ahmed Samar Shaikh Bobby Jasoos (2014)
Jagga Bagchi Anurag Basu Jagga Jasoos (2017)
Byomkesh Bakshi Sharadindu Bandyopadhyay Satyanweshi (1934)
Goenda Baradacharan Shirshendu Mukhopadhyay Monojder Advut Bari
Parashor Barma Premendra Mitra Nagchampa (1968)
Benoit Blanc Rian Johnson Knives Out (2019)
Kate Brannigan Val McDermid Dead Beat[2] (1992)
Nestor Burma Léo Malet 120, rue de la Gare (1943)
Joe Caneili Hayford Peirce Trouble in Tahiti: P.I. Joe Caneili, Discrétion Assurée[3] (2000)
Frank Cannon Edward Hume Cannon (TV) (1971)
Carlotta Carlyle Linda Barnes A Trouble of Fools[4] (1987)
Rex Carver Victor Canning The Whip Hand (1965)
Dipak Chatterjee Swapan Kumar Adrishya Sanket (1953)
Detective Chimp John Broome and Carmine Infantino Adventures of Rex the Wonder Dog #4 (July–August 1952)
Emerson Cod Bryan Fuller Pushing Daisies (TV) (2007)
Elvis Cole Robert Crais The Monkey's Raincoat (1987)
The Continental Op Dashiell Hammett The Tenth Clew[5] (1924)
Alexa Crowe Claire Tonkin My Life Is Murder (TV) (2019)
Clifford Dee J. Denison Reed Cliffords War: The Bluegrass Battleground[6] (2021)

Cliffords War: Without End[7] (2022)

Frankie Drake Carol Hay and Michelle Ricci Frankie Drake Mysteries (TV) (2018)
Harry Dresden Jim Butcher Storm Front (2000)
The Dresden Files (TV) (2007)
Nancy Drew Carolyn Keene The Secret of the Old Clock (1930)
Feluda, or Prodosh Chandra Mitra Satyajit Ray Feludar Goendagiri (1965)
Phryne Fisher Kerry Greenwood Cocaine Blues (1989)
Jessica Fletcher Peter S. Fischer, Richard Levinson and William Link Murder, She Wrote (TV) (1984)
Dan Fortune Michael Collins Act of Fear[8] (1967)
Josephine Fuller Lynne Murray Larger Than Death[9] (1997)
Ganesh Sujatha Nylon Kayiru (1968)
Dirk Gently Douglas Adams Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency (1987)
J.J. 'Jake' Gittes Robert Towne Chinatown (Film) (1974)
Lindsay Gordon Val McDermid Report for Murder[10] (1987)
Bernhard "Bernie" Gunther Philip Kerr March Violets (1989)
Mike Hammer Mickey Spillane I, the Jury[11] (1947)
Cliff Hardy Peter Corris The Dying Trade[12] (1980)
Frank and Joe Hardy Franklin Dixon The Tower Treasure (1930)
Sherlock Holmes Sir Arthur Conan Doyle A Study in Scarlet (1887)
Jack Irish Peter Temple Bad Debts (1996)
Jessica Jones Brian Michael Bendis and Michael Gaydos Alias (Comic Book) (2001)
Jessica Jones (TV) (2015)
Kemal Kayankaya Jakob Arjouni Happy Birthday, Türke! (1985); English translation: Happy Birthday, Turk! (1994)
Arthur Lemming Monty Python Monty Python's Flying Circus - "Owl Stretching Time" (TV) (1969)
Miss Madelyn Mack Hugh C. Weir "The Problem of the Eliminated Bridegroom" (1909)[13]
Trent Malloy
Carlos Sandoval		 Albert S. Ruddy & Leslie Greif and Paul Haggis and Christopher Canaan Walker, Texas Ranger (TV) (1997)
Thomas Magnum Donald P. Bellisario and Glen A. Larson Magnum, P.I. (TV) (1980)
Joe Mannix Richard Levinson and William Link Mannix (TV) (1967)
Philip Marlowe Raymond Chandler The Big Sleep (1939)
Murder, My Sweet (Film) (1944)
Miss Jane Marple Agatha Christie "The Tuesday Night Club" (1927)
Hemlock Marreau Robert Farrow Marreau and the Chocolate Policeman[14] (1991)
Veronica Mars
Keith Mars		 Rob Thomas Veronica Mars (TV) (2004)
Mitin Masi Suchitra Bhattacharya Pālābāra Patha Nē'i
Travis McGee John D. MacDonald The Deep Blue Good-by[15] (1964)
Kinsey Millhone Sue Grafton "A" Is for Alibi[16] (1982)
Tess Monaghan Laura Lippman Baltimore Blues[17] (1997)
Adrian Monk Andy Breckman Monk (TV) (2002)
Bhaduri Moshai Nirendranath Chakravarty
Tex Murphy Chris Jones Mean Streets (Video Game) (2004)
Mr. Nadgett Charles Dickens Martin Chuzzlewit. He was the first fictional private investigator[18]
Nameless Detective Bill Pronzini The Snatch[19] (1971)
Harry Orwell Howard Rodman Harry O (TV) (1974)
Hercule Poirot Agatha Christie The Mysterious Affair at Styles (1920)
Ellery Queen Frederic Dannay and Manfred Bennington Lee The Roman Hat Mystery (1929)
Agatha Raisin M.C. Beaton Agatha Raisin and the Quiche of Death (1992)
Precious Ramotswe Alexander McCall Smith The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency[20] (1998)
Jeff Randall Dennis Spooner Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased) (TV) (1969)
Sunny Randall Robert B. Parker Family Honor[21] (1999)
Ezekiel "Easy" Rawlins Walter Mosley Devil in a Blue Dress (1990)
Jim Rockford Richard T. Heffron The Rockford Files (TV) (1974)
Kiriti Roy Nihar Ranjan Gupta Kalo Bhramar (1930s)
Matthew Scudder Lawrence Block The Sins of the Fathers (1976)
John Shaft Ernest Tidyman Shaft (1970)
Eddie Shoestring Robert Banks Stewart and Richard Harris Shoestring (TV) (1979)
Sam Spade Dashiell Hammett The Maltese Falcon[22] (1930)
The Maltese Falcon (Film) (1931)
Shawn Spencer Steve Franks and Andy Berman Psych (TV) (2006)
Spenser Robert B. Parker The Godwulf Manuscript (1973)
Larry "Doc" Sportello Thomas Pynchon Inherent Vice (2009)
Johnny Staccato Everett Chambers, producer Johnny Staccato (TV) (1959)
Juno Steel Harley Takagi Kaner and Kevin Vibert The Penumbra Podcast (2016)
Cormoran Strike Robert Galbraith "The Cuckoo's Calling" (2013)
"Strike" (TV) (2017)
Three Investigators Robert Arthur Jr. The Secret of Terror Castle (1964)
Tommy and Tuppence Agatha Christie The Secret Adversary (1922)
Amos Walker Loren D. Estleman Motor City Blue[23] (1980)
V. I. Warshawski Sara Paretsky Indemnity Only[24] (1982)
Nero Wolfe Rex Stout Fer-de-Lance (1934)

References

  1. ^ "The Missing Activist".
  2. ^ Dead Beat
  3. ^ P. I. Joe Caneili, Discretion Assuree
  4. ^ "A Trouble of Fools (A Carlotta Carlyle Mystery #1)".
  5. ^ The Tenth Clew
  6. ^ "Best Selling Author Talks About His Book".
  7. ^ "Cliffords War Without End".
  8. ^ "Act of Fear". Archived from the original on October 1, 2007. Retrieved July 18, 2006.
  9. ^ "Larger Than Death (Josephine Fuller, #1)".
  10. ^ Report for Murder
  11. ^ I, the Jury
  12. ^ The Dying Trade
  13. ^ Great Mystery Stories in Illustrated Sunday Magazine, The Gazette Times (Pittsburgh), December 12, 1909 (first story is on previous page)
  14. ^ Marreau and the Chocolate Policeman
  15. ^ The Deep Blue Good-by
  16. ^ A is for Alibi
  17. ^ "Baltimore Blues (Tess Monaghan #1)".
  18. ^ Mitzi Brunsdale, Gumshoes: A Dictionary of Fictional Detectives, Introduction, p.3. Also, LeRoy Lad PanekBefore Sherlock Holmes: How Magazines and Newspapers Invented the Detective. p.97
  19. ^ The Snatch
  20. ^ The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency[permanent dead link]
  21. ^ Family Honor
  22. ^ The Maltese Falcon
  23. ^ Motor City Blue
  24. ^ "Indemnity Only". Archived from the original on October 3, 2008. Retrieved October 15, 2008.
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