Crime Solving Heroes Trivia Quiz

Answer: G.K. Chesterton

Intuition and close observation help Catholic priest Father Brown in solving murder cases even before the police have narrowed down the suspects. He moves easily through crime scenes and blends in seamlessly because no one suspects the real reason he is there.

British author G.K Chesterton published over 50 short stories featuring the crime-solving priest between 1910 and 1936. The author, a devout Christian, converted to Catholicism in 1922 after being inspired by a parish priest on whom Chesterton loosely based the character of Father Brown.

Answer: Colin Dexter

The character of Inspector Morse was an interesting study of a man who enjoyed the finer things in life such as driving classic cars and drinking cask ale. Yet he has an uncanny ability to solve crimes using intuition and a sharp memory. Detective Chief Inspector Endeavor Morse was introduced in the 1975 novel "Last Bus to Woodstock."

British author Colin Dexter was born in Stamford Lincolnshire and taught school at the Wyggeston Grammar School for Boys in Leicester. After he began to lose his hearing he was forced to quit teaching. He began writing mysteries in 1972 and introduced the world to Inspector Morse in 1975.

His Morse novels were adapted for TV with British actor John Thaw playing the role of D.C.I. Morse.

Answer: Nevada Barr

Anna Pigeon is a park ranger for the U.S. National Park Service. She takes her job seriously. After all, the wilderness should be peaceful, not a dumping ground for dead bodies.

Anna first appears in the novel "Track of the Cat", which won the Agatha and Anthony awards for 'Best First Mystery'. A fellow park ranger is killed by a mountain lion, or that is the initial theory. On closer inspection, clues point to a predator of the human species.

Barr held a variety of jobs before becoming a writer. Her love of the outdoors, especially the mountains, features heavily in her crime novels.

Answer: Jonathan Kellerman

Delaware holds a PhD in forensic psychology. The character first appeared in the 1985 novel "When the Bough Breaks" which was later adapted into a film starring Ted Danson as Alex Delaware.

Kellerman created a caring, thoughtful character in his portrayal of Delaware. As a former child psychologist, Alex is especially fond of working with children. "When the Bough Breaks" involves child molestation and a child who witnessed a crime.

The author himself holds a PhD in psychology with a specialty in treating children. His background has served him well as a writer of crime fiction.

Answer: James Patterson

I am a huge fan of James Patterson and the character of Lindsay Boxer is my favorite of all his main characters. The series is co-authored by Maxine Paetro.

As a member of the Women's Murder Club, a group of professional women including a lawyer, forensic pathologist, reporter and Lindsay herself, a cop, they collectively help to solve crimes. Lindsay struggles to balance her career as Chief of Homicide with her personal life as wife and mother.

James Patterson has written numerous #1 best-selling books from fiction to non-fiction. He often uses co-authors in his works. He has also written novels for young adults.

Answer: Walter Mosley

It is the 1940s and Easy Rawlins is a private investigator from Los Angeles who takes on the task of solving crime without having a background in law enforcement or even being licensed.

Easy is African American and that gives him a unique perspective when investigating crimes committed in predominantly black areas of L.A. such as Watts. Since Easy lives there himself, he can easily blend in with the population.

Easy Rawlins was introduced in the 1990 novel "Devil in a Blue Dress" which was made into a movie starring Denzel Washington.

Mosley, an only child, was born to an African American father and Russian-Jewish mother. Both parents instilled in their son a love of reading which more than likely encouraged him to write. Mosley claims his detective novels were inspired by crime novelists Raymond Chandler and Dashiell Hammett.

Answer: Michael Connelly

Dealing with cold cases and hard-to-solve murders is difficult. Just ask Harry Bosch, the tenacious LAPD detective who works hard to solve crimes. Known for working several cases at one time Bosch, with his colleague Renée Ballard, strives to bring justice to victims and their families. The character of Heironymous (Harry) Bosch was first introduced in the 1992 crime novel "The Black Echo".

Connolly began his writing career after graduating from college. He became a crime writer for a newspaper in Daytona Beach, Florida. As a fan of Raymond Chandler and his detective Philip Marlowe, he was inspired to write detective fiction.

The author is well-known for another best-selling series, "The Lincoln Lawyer" featuring Mickey Haller, a criminal defense attorney who conducts business from the back seat of his Lincoln Town car.

Answer: Tess Gerritsen

Jane Rizzoli is a tough Boston homicide detective who works closely with her friend Maura Isles, Chief Medical Examiner. Rizzoli's first case involves the search for a serial killer named Charles Hoyt, a former medical student. The name of the novel is "The Surgeon"; it was followed by "The Apprentice" which introduced Dr. Isles.

Tess Gerritsen is a retired physician who began her career as a writer penning romance novels. Her first medical thriller was "Harvest", published in 1996. Her first crime novel was "The Surgeon", published in 2001.

Answer: Janet Evanovich

If you enjoy reading crime novels with a healthy dose of humor added in, then you might enjoy reading the crime cases of former lingerie buyer turned bounty hunter Stephanie Plum. She first appeared in the 1993 novel "One For the Money".

Evanovich infuses her Plum novels with a variety of characters. There is Vinnie Plum, Stephanie's cousin and employer. Grandma Mazur is her maternal grandmother, every bit as feisty as her granddaughter. Then there's Joe Morelli, Plum's on again off again love interest who happens to be a cop.

Evanovich, a fellow New Jerseyite, began writing novels while in her thirties. Her first choice of romance novels turned into writing mystery novels featuring her bounty hunting heroine.

Answer: Lisa Gardner

D.D. Warren is a tough-talking Boston homicide detective. The cases she takes on are complex. Her dogged pursuit of criminals leaves her little time for a personal life until she meets her husband Alex and becomes a mother. Detective Warren is first introduced in "Alone".

Lisa Gardner is a prolific novelist and one of my favorites. Her novel "The Neighbor" won Best Hardcover Novel from the International Thriller Writers. Not only is Gardner a busy author, she finds time to work with at-risk children.