Created by Rick Mofina JACK GANNON is a reporter for the Buffalo-based World Press Alliance who's never been quite able to escape his blue collar roots--or the disappearance of his sister Cora decades ago. His first recorded case, Vengeance Road (2009), was all toughness and grit; as terse and hard-boiled as they come, as Gannon … Continue reading Jack Gannon
The Latest Posts
Ray Wyatt
Created by Rick Mofina A new thriller by Mofina is always good news, but a new trilogy? Sign me up. RAY WYATT is a seasoned reporter, one of the go-to guys for the First Press Alliance, a wire service based in Manhattan that covers the world, which is why Ray seems to always have his … Continue reading Ray Wyatt
Frankie Quinn (Francesca Quinn, P.I.)
Created by John Christian Plummer Even by Hallmark Movies & Mysteries standards, the first TV movie/episode of Francesca Quinn, P.I., which the Girl Detective and I watched the other sunday night, was disappointing. We certainly weren’t expecting anything particularly hard-boiled, noir or even “gritty"—that’s not what Hallmark does. But they have managed to put out … Continue reading Frankie Quinn (Francesca Quinn, P.I.)
Peter Proctor
Created by John H. Knox (1905-83) The son of a preacher man, and probably the most successful pulp writer to ever come out of Abilene, Texas, John H. Knox specialized in both weird menace and crime & detective stories… and sometimes a combination of both. Like “Dead Man’s Shadow,” which appeared in the December 1934 issue … Continue reading Peter Proctor
The 14 Best Private Eye Novels Of All Time
The April 2012 P.I. Poll Results To mark this site's fourteenth anniversary, I asked readers to compile a list of their fourteen favourite private eyes. The results, as of 12:01 AM, PST, April 1st, 2012, when we closed the poll, are: THE FOURTEEN In descending order... The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett (Sam … Continue reading The 14 Best Private Eye Novels Of All Time
The Casting Couch
How About... About a zillion years ago—1998, when I first started this site--I came up with the bright idea of asking people who should play various private eyes in television or film. I tossed out a few ideas: Robert DeNiro as Mike Hammer? Harrison Ford as Travis McGee? Bill Murray as Shell Scott? Tom Selleck … Continue reading The Casting Couch
Jack Dwyer
Created by Ed Gorman (1941-2016) Midwestern private eye JACK DWYER is a former cop who decides it’s the actor’s life for him, after appearing in a public service ad. And so he quits the force, figuring being a part-time gumshoe gig would give him more time to pursue his new passion, taking acting lessons, going … Continue reading Jack Dwyer
Julie Collins
Created by Lori G. Armstrong JULIE COLLINS is stuck in a dead-end secretarial job with the Bear Butte County Sheriff's office in western South Dakota, working part-time as a P.I. with her childhood friend Kevin Wells. Still grieving over the unsolved murder of her Lakota half-brother, Julie counters her bone-deep cynicism with tequila, cigarettes, and dangerous men. She's usually … Continue reading Julie Collins
Cicero
Created by Marcus Tullius Cicero (106-43 BC) In Defense of Sextus Roscius of Ameria (aka "Pro Roscio Amerino") by Marcus Tullius Cicero, aka “Cicero,” written about 80 BC, may just be one of my favourite private eye novels. Yep, it's a speech, not a novel, but young Cicero's first major defense speech reads like a short … Continue reading Cicero
Fletch
Created by Gregory McDonald (1937-2008) Hot shot investigative reporter IRWIN MAURICE FLETCHER hates his given name. He prefers to go simply by “FLETCH.” Can you blame him? And he isn't technically a P.I. by avocation. So what's he doing here? Well, when the writing's this fast, sharp and funny (and it is), we're too busy laughing to bother … Continue reading Fletch