Crime writers choose their favorite characters by other crime writers

Does that title make my meaning clear? I don't know if it does, but it's better than the headline on the original article, "Partners in crime fiction," which has nothing to do with the article's intriguing subject: Who are crime writers' favorites among characters created by other writers?

The article appeared last month in the Guardian, and I've just found out about it now, courtesy of the Violent World of Parker blog. Benjamin Black/John Banville picks Richard Stark's Parker, and Lee Child, adding some commercial sheen to Black's literary oomph, proves himself a bit of a wanker before making the excellent choice of Maj Sjöwall and Per Wahlöö's Martin Beck.

Arnaldur Indriðason likes John Le Carré's George Smiley, especially as played on television by Sir Alec Guinness: "Watching him play the detective/policeman/spy by doing as little as humanly possible in the form of acting is pure joy."

Derek Raymond's unnamed protagonist of the Factory novels gets a thumbs-up from David Peace and from one or two readers who commented on the article.  Read the complete list here.

© Peter Rozovsky 2011