The Mystery, Crime, and Thriller Group discussion

Every mystery, crime, and thriller novel has a protagonist who seeks justice. The same is true for movie, cartoon, and real-life characters. Provide clues to the identity of the protagonist you have in mind.

First clue: I live in England and solve mysteries by noticing the most minute details.

Miss Marple

Good guess, Charlotte, but keep on.

I'm a male detective.

Scout wrote: "Good guess, Charlotte, but keep on.

I'm a male detective."

What about Hercule Poirot?

Close, Missy.

Another clue:

My weakness is that I use cocaine.

I'll be out for a while. The solve is

Sherlock Holmes.

If you have a crime solver/protagonist in mind, give us a clue.

1. I'm a millionaire.

Nero Wolfe?

nope, but good guess Vince.

1. I'm a millionaire.
2. I love driving fast cars.

Thomas Lynley?

Oohh! Another fun game. Thanks Scout. Can't play now, will check back later!

Ha! Another good guess Lobstergirl, but.... no.

1. I'm a millionaire.
2. I love driving fast cars.
3. I don’t mind bending the rules or beating up on a perp.

Nice to have a new fun quiz going on. I'm not close to solving this one yet, the millionaire part confuses me..

How long should I wait before I post another clue, anybody?

I would like another one, I'm not getting any further as it is - tough one! Don't know if there are any rules, I suppose you make them Carol. :)

Will be off soon and hope to come back with some fresh new thoughts tomorrow.

Okay, Laura, a few more small clues before I launch the giveaways!


1. I'm a millionaire.
2. I love driving fast cars.
3. I don’t mind bending the rules or beating up on a perp.
4. I used to be a police detective; now I get called in on high profile cases.

Oh, this is that guy from that TV show, right? I can't think of the name of it....not Columbo.....the other one....

Lobstergirl wrote: "Oh, this is that guy from that TV show, right? I can't think of the name of it....not Columbo.....the other one...."

No, I don't think his stories have been made into a series... but thanks for guessing, Lobstergirl!

1. I'm a millionaire.
2. I love driving fast cars.
3. I don’t mind bending the rules or beating up on a perp.
4. I used to be a police detective; now I get called in on high profile cases.
5. My wife saved my life and I’ve got a scar to prove it.

Thought for a second it might be Will Trent from Slaughter's Grand County series. But he's no millionaire and still in the force...

Laura wrote: "Thought for a second it might be Will Trent from Slaughter's Grand County series. But he's no millionaire and still in the force..."

Hmm, I need to clarify that my protagonist is still on the force.... but as you point out he's not Will Trent! Boy, I thought clue 5 would give it away. I'm sure 6 will....

1. I'm a millionaire.
2. I love driving fast cars.
3. I don’t mind bending the rules or beating up on a perp.
4. I used to be a police detective; {edit} I'm still a cop but now I get called in on high profile cases.
5. My wife saved my life and I’ve got a scar to prove it.
6. My best friend outside the force is a nun.

I was going to cheat by looking at your shelved books but your profile is private. I have no idea. It's obviously not a series I've read.

Lobstergirl wrote: "I was going to cheat by looking at your shelved books but your profile is private. I have no idea. It's obviously not a series I've read."

Cheating, why Loberstergirl!! I'm not sure if I meant to set my profile private, I'll check it out. But it definitely would have given it away.....

1. I'm a millionaire.
2. I love driving fast cars.
3. I don’t mind bending the rules or beating up on a perp.
4. I used to be a police detective; {edit} I'm still a cop but now I get called in on high profile cases.
5. My wife saved my life and I’ve got a scar to prove it.
6. My best friend outside the force is a nun.
7. My adopted daughter is a handful.

You're keeping us in suspense, Carol! Don't think I've read this either, can't bring the scar, the nun and the daughter together.

Laura, clue ten is sure to click for anyone who reads this series, but we're not there yet!

1. I'm a millionaire.
2. I love driving fast cars.
3. I don’t mind bending the rules or beating up on a perp.
4. I used to be a police detective; {edit} I'm still a cop but now I get called in on high profile cases.
5. My wife saved my life and I’ve got a scar to prove it.
6. My best friend outside the force is a nun.
7. My adopted daughter is a handful.
8. You wouldn’t know it to look at me, but I made my millions by developing a computer simulation program for law enforcement training.

D'oh!

Lucas Davenport?

Jan wrote: "D'oh!

Lucas Davenport?"

YAY!!!!!!! Thank goodness, Jan, I was beginning to think I was the only one in this group who reads the Prey series by John Sandford. Either that or I was VERY bad at creating clues. My last clue was going to be "my home beat is the Twin Cities."

Your turn!

Your clues are great Carol, loud and clear! For sure I would have guessed it, if only I had heard of either Sandford or the Prey series. Did some searching right now here on GR and have added the first to the top of my TBR. Nice to get some good new series!

I was rather surprised to learn that I knew this one. Usually I have no idea who you people are talking about. But I listened to Broken Prey on my way back from North Carolina earlier this month. It had a good reader. But some of the Prey books I read years and years ago.

While each clue should have given it to me, I think it was the totality of the clues that shouted out his name.

1. My mother changed my name when I was about eight years old.

Thinking on the new chalange, doesn't ring a bell yet..

@Carol: is the Prey series best read in order? We have a new translation of Wicked Prey available here next week and the first one is hard to come by. Must admit I'm a sucker for starting any serie at the beginning though! :)

1 My mother changed my name when i war 8. 2 My girlfriend is a lawyer 3 My roommate is a cat

1. my mother changed my name when i was 8. 2. my girlfriend is a lawyer 3. my roommaute is a cat. 4. I use a mickey mouse phone.

1. my mother changed my name when i was 8.
2. my girlfriend is a lawyer
3. my roommate is a cat.
4. I use a Mickey Mouse phone
5. My partner is a former Marine and a former mercenary.

1. my mother changed my name when i was 8.
2. my girlfriend is a lawyer
3. my roommate is a cat.
4. I use a Mickey Mouse phone
5. My partner is a former Marine and a former mercenary
6. I drive a yellow 1966 corvette
7. I can't resist a woman in trouble

1. my mother changed my name when i was 8.
2. my girlfriend is a lawyer
3. my roommate is a cat.
4. I use a Mickey Mouse phone
5. My partner is a former Marine and a former mercenary
6. I drive a yellow 1966 corvette
7. I can't resist a woman in trouble
8. A former Demolition Angel saved my life.

Elvis Cole?

If I guessed correctly, it's open to anyone, as I'll be away the next couple of days.

If I'm wrong, well, keep on . . .

no, you are correct. i was getthng perilously close to 'the world's greatest clue.

make that 'world's greatest detective' clue!

Laura wrote: "
@Carol: is the Prey series best read in order? We have a new translation of Wicked Prey available here next week and the first one is hard..."

Laura, I'm a big RIO (read in order) fan, so my automatic response is yes. In the case of the Prey series, the reason to read in order is to follow along with Lucas' development as a cop and in his personal life. Sandford doesn't do much telegraphing of old crimes in later books. It's a long series, and things change slowly, especially in the beginning, so if you miss the first one or two, he's still at a particular stage in his life.

I already gave away some of his development in my clues, so if it doesn't bother you to read later books and then go back and read about stuff even though you know how it turned out, have at it.

Okay, if no one else will bite I'll give it another try.

1. I can look out my office window and see the life of the city.

Philip Marlowe?

Lobstergirl wrote: "Philip Marlowe?"

You beat me by mere seconds! (I'm reading )

Lobstergirl wrote: "Philip Marlowe?"

Uh......no!

1. I can look out my office window and see the life of the city.
2. My best friend is one bad mother-shut-your-mouth.

Rober B. Parker's Spenser?

Easy Rawlins?

Oh, I can see either being the solution! Just read Mosley's Little Scarlet, and it was a good one.

So, Carol . . .?

Scout wrote: "Rober B. Parker's Spenser?"

Excellent, Scout!!! You've got it!

Your turn.

I'm smiling.

OK, I'm an adolescent female crime solver.