Fictional Detectives - Part 3 Trivia Quiz

Answer: Magersfontein

Magersfontein Lugg, known as "Maggs", was an ex-burglar who first appeared as Albert Campion's assistant in "Mystery Mile". With the exception of Mafeking, all the battles were victories for the Boers in either the first (1880-1881) or second (1899-1902) Boer War.

Answer: The African Millionaire

The millionaire of the title is Sir Charles Vandrift, who is taken in, again and again, by Colonel Clay.

"'Who is Colonel Clay?' Sir Charles asked.
'That's just what I want to know,' the Commissary answered...'He is a colonel, because he occasionally gives himself a commission; he is called Colonel Clay, because he appears to possess an india-rubber face, and he can mould it like clay in the hands of the potter. Real name, unknown....'" ("The Episode of the Mexican Seer")

This book is long out of print, but you can read it on the Internet, it's pretty easy to find. The incorrect options are all early detective yarns, by A Conan Doyle, E A Poe, and Wilkie Collins.

Answer: Ripley Under Water

These books followed "The Talented Mr. Ripley" one of the most interesting of Patricia Highsmith's characters. She also wrote "Strangers on a Train", filmed memorably by Alfred Hitchcock in 1951.

Answer: LR Wright

Alberg first appeared in 1985's "The Suspect". There were nine Alberg mysteries altogether in the series, and two about his successor, Edwina Henderson. I highly recommend these books - not much whodunit, but tense and riveting stories nonetheless, with a nice portrait of Sunshine Coast life.

Answer: a military hospital

A military hospital was also the setting for the wonderful film of "Green for Danger" (1946) starring Alistair Sim as Inspector Cockrill. The holiday hotel was the setting for "Tour de Force" in the Cockrill series, the Grecian lodge the setting for "Suddenly at his Residence" and the house of Mr and Mrs Brown is the one at which "Nanny McPhee" arrives, based on the "Nurse Matilda" books by Christianna Brand.

Answer: Scott Young

There are two books in the series: "Murder in a Cold Climate" (1988) and "The Shaman's Knife" (1993). Young doesn't win any prizes for his prose style, but he's created an engaging character in Matteesie. The books paint a good picture of Northern life, much more realistic than most books set in the Arctic, which, somehow, never seem to have any Northerners in them....

Answer: Captain Jonathan Mansel

McDowell played Chandos to Michael Jayston's Mansel in the BBC's "She Fell Among Thieves", Mercer was Dornford's real name, H G Muskett was a solicitor and mentor to Dornford. Mansel also appeared in several non-Chandos novels.

Answer: Vancouver

Jack Willows and his partner, Claire Parker, are VPD detectives. These books have an almost American feel; both the criminals and the detectives have messy lives. The bad guys remind me of those you'd find in a James W Hall or Elmore Leonard book - eccentric, unstable, not entirely rational.

These books are quite a lot of fun to read, but they are not for everybody - if your idea of a good mystery has a cat who solves the crime and recipes in the back, you might not like these too much.

Answer: Locked rooms

John Dickson Carr, a.k.a Carter Dixon, was one of the primary exponents of the locked room mystery. He also created Sir Henry Merrivale, and wrote a great many novels in the mystery fiction genre.

Answer: photographer

Tom is running his small photography business, and living the bachelor life on his boat at Granville Island in Vancouver. These books are funny and fast, and reasonably well plotted if you don't look too close.
Michael Blair also writes the Joe Shoe mystery series.

The incorrect options are all professions of fictional detectives - Nero Wolfe is of course the orchid grower, and everyone's favourite burglar, Lawrence Block's Bernie Rhodenbarr, runs a used bookstore when he's not breaking and entering. Tim Cockey's Hitch Sewell is the crime-solving undertaker.