For this week’s Thursday Thirteen, I was going to list my favorite fictional detectives. But TV detectives would have captured a majority of the list. So, those will wait for another week.

13 of My Favorite Literary Detectives:

1. Sherlock Holmes – Of course, the most famous and wonderful professional detective, created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

2. Hercule Poirot – Maybe the next most famous and beloved detective, created by the immortal Agatha Christie.

3. Miss Marple – Christie’s loveable murder-solving old spinster.

4. Batman – Have to include the greatest comic book detective!

5. Nancy Drew – Everyone’s favorite teenage detective. (Though some may argue the Hardy Boys.)

6. Mandie – A favorite series as a child, written by Lois Gladys Leppard. I had quite a few, but unfortunately my mother or I must have sold them in a garage sale years ago. I’m almost as sad about that as my lost Nancy Drew collection.

7. V.I. Warshawski – Written by Sara Paretsky, this tough but feminine detective is must-read. (And made a great movie starring Cathlene Turner as well!)

8. Fletch - Written by Gregory Mcdonald, is a sarcastically witty reporter and amatuer detective. (And also made it into a couple very funny movies starring Chevy Chase.)

9. Annja Creed – Archeologists have to be detectives of a sort. And mysteries always seem to surround her, written by a couple authors under the name Alex Archer.

10. John Taylor – This dark, mysterious and funny detective scours the Nightside, created by Simon R. Green.

11. Magdalena Yoder – A hilarious Mennonite, innkeeper and amateur sleuth created by Tamar Myers.

12. Amelia Peabody – Mysteries and Egyptology… two of my favorite things, written by Elizabeth Peters.

13. Harry Dresden – I’ve just about finished the first book in the series; and I’m already loving this character, penned by Jim Butcher.