The Mystery, Crime, and Thriller Group discussion

I'm writing an article about the prevalence of mystery novels featuring a detective who is addicted to something.

The ones I've identified so far:

Matthew Scudder (Lawrence Block) - alcoholic
Meyer Landsman (Michael Chabon) – alcoholic
Endeavour Morse? (Colin Dexter) – alcoholic
Sherlock Holmes (AC Doyle) - cocaine & morphine
Harry Hole (Jo Nesbø) - alcoholic
John Rebus (Ian Rankin) - alcoholic
Temperance Brennan (Kathy Reich) – former alcoholic
Alan Banks (Peter Robinson) - binge drinker
Hayden Glass (Stephen Jay Schwartz) - sex addict
Kurt Wallander (Henning Mankell) - borderline alcoholic

Question for you: Can you nominate any other fictional detectives for this list? I'm only interested in literary characters; movies and TV are a whole 'nother thing. I'm especially interested in non-alcoholic addictions, since I have a bumper crop of boozers so far.

Thanks.

I would call Jesse Stone an alcoholic. If not, he certainly does drink quite a bit.

Archie in the Gretchen Lowell series is/has been (depending on which book you are reading) addicted to pain killers.

Terry McCaleb, the former FBI agent, in Michael Connelly's Blood Work, A Darkness More than Night, and The Narrows was addicted to pain killers as a result of organ transplant surgery.

Amelia Peabody & Company. Very addicting & fun. Have had a lot wonder snickers from that series.

Claire DeWitt

cocaine with nose bleeds and prescription drugs stolen from clients and victims

Many of the detectives and police personnel in the novels of Joseph Wambaugh are addicted.

'The Black Marble' (vodka)
'The Choirboys' (all sorts of drugs, gambling, and sex)
'The Secrets of Harry Bright' (drugs, I think)
'The Onion Field' --I believe the cop who mourns his partner develops addictions.
'Lines and Shadows' (drugs, weed, and booze)

James Bond is addicted to everything: sex, drugs, gambling, cigarettes, adrenalin, violence, booze.

Phillip Marlowe seems to be a chain-smoker, as does Sam Spade. Both keep booze in their desk drawers.

Popeye Doyle (French Connection) is addicted to rage. Rage-aholic.

Nero Wolfe is clearly addicted to food.

Mycroft Holmes is addicted to sloth.

(Moses Wine) in 'The Big Fix' is a steady weed-head.

Jane Tennyson from The Prime suspect series is an Alcoholic.

Hitchcock Brown is addicted to coffee.

Lance, I would classify Lawrence Block's Matthew Scudder as a reformed alcoholic. In many of the books, he attends an AA meeting and I don't ever recall him getting blackout drunk in any of them (although my memory may be faulty on this).

Dave wrote: "Lance, I would classify Lawrence Block's Matthew Scudder as a reformed alcoholic. In many of the books, he attends an AA meeting and I don't ever recall him getting blackout drunk in any of them (..."

Dave: Reading the series now and so far as I know, you're right...so your memory is in tact.

Love J. A. Janice's series with J.P. Beaumont is great. He wasn't always my favorite detective, but after he got sober I learned to have a new respect for.

Don't remember what book in which he married Mel and gave her a brand new Porsche. But at the end of book Mel got a speeding ticket and J.P. after years of sobriety just kept quiet. I got the best laugh out that. I too am 17 years sober, and I understood that reaction completely.

Thanks. I completely forgot about this thread after I wrote the article, which came out in May. Carry on, though; this discussion may be useful to another person later on.

In case you're interested, it's at http://www.criminalelement.com/blogs/....

Lance wrote: "Thanks. I completely forgot about this thread after I wrote the article, which came out in May. Carry on, though; this discussion may be useful to another person later on.

In case you're intereste..."

Great article Lance, I understood everything. Can't say the same for the Mary Sue article. A bit off putting since the writer assumes the reader knows intimately about the subject, "Mary Sue, Gary Sue."

Unless, of course, the reader of his(?) site are writers as well with him(?) writing for writers. Not sure. First lesson in writing and/or speaking is know your audience. May glance at it again to see if my first impression remains.

Will leave comment on your blog later (leaving house now.) Thoughtful entry on your blog and I enjoyed reading it...a lot! And made sense...very readable entry.

I'm no critic at all, just know what I like. And I liked your entry.

Thanks for leaving the link.

Best to you, Cathy

Philip Marlowe is alcoholic, or at least nearly.

Robert K. Lewis' character Mark Mallen is a former cop turned private detective who is addicted to Heroin.

Untold Damage

temprence Brennan was stated as recovering alcoholic in the series but she was never an alcoholic in the books

Afsana wrote: "Temprence Brennan was stated as recovering alcoholic in the series but she was never an alcoholic in the books"

She certainly isn't in the TV series, but I seem to remember she mentioned it in Deja Dead. I may be misremembering things. In any event, alcohol seemed to call to her.

Lance wrote: "Afsana wrote: "Temprence Brennan was stated as recovering alcoholic in the series but she was never an alcoholic in the books"

She certainly isn't in the TV series, but I seem to remember she ment..."

From what I remember, Brennan is not an alcoholic

follow this link. recovering alcoholic. but didn't drink in books

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temper...