This is probably going to bomb terribly, but I said, “What that hey? Let’s give it a try.”
List two or three fictional, literary detectives (not comic book, cartoon, TV show or movie - just book or short story) by their geographic location.
Now if the character in question is a literary creation and something else - I suppose that’s OK. Like Sherlock Holmes and London would be OK even though he has had movies and a television series or two. He was primarily a literary creation. but McMillan of McMillan and Wife and San Francisco would not qualify since he is not a literary character.
Let’s try for specific home bases - if all you have is a country, I suppose that’s acceptable, but try for city or town he or she operates from if possible.
I already put forth Sherlock Holmes and London, which I think is fitting to begin with because, “The game is afoot!”
Kinsey Millhone, Santa Barbara, CA (called Santa Teresa in the books, but that’s what it is)
Benni Harper, San Luis Obispo, CA (called San Celina in the books, but that’s what it is)
A question for the OP. Does the person have to make their living at being a detective, or can it be someone(like Jessica Fletcher on TV) who has another occupation but keeps on finding mysteries to solve?
Oh, I think it has to be another occupation for some of them. In the classical style detective story, none of them really makes a living being a detective.
Some try of course, look at London’s Terry and Tuppence Bresford, but you know, of course, they don’t make a dime.
But people like Miss Marple (mentioned above) obviously don’t do it professionally.
Ooh, who writes these ones? I’m always up for more stories set around here.
My own contributions:
Jesse Stone: Paradise, MA (but it’s really Newburyport, or some other Cape Ann town)
Bernie Rhodenbarr: NY, NY
Nancy Drew: River Heights, IL
John Silence: London
Carnacki: London (I think)
Jules de Grandin: Harrisonville, NJ
John Thunstone: New York, NY
Dee Jen-djieh: Chang-ping, Shantung, China
