Mystery Lovers! discussion

Nero Wolf has Archie Goodwin to do the legwork. Spenser keeps company with Hawk, and Elvis Cole counts on Joe Pike for back-up. Sidekicks can make or break a detective series.

Who is your favorite crime-fiction sidekick?
L.J.

The Sex Club
Secrets to Die For
Thrilled to Death

Joe Wolf Mantooth, the sidekick of Faye Longchamp in Mary Anna Evans' archaeological mysteries. It's not every archaeologist detective who has a sidekick than can flint knap.

Myron Bolitar's sidekick, Win, in the Harlan Coben books. He cracks me up.

I've only read two of Janet Evanovich, but Lulu is pretty funny.

Charlotte in Charlotte's Web

Really like Alex Cross' partner Milo

Sorry y'all, I don't know why I missed that we were talking about mystery books. Just thought it was books in general and your favorite character.

I really like Dr. Watson, Sherlock Holmes sidekick.

What a great topic! Sidekicks never get their due. I like Humph the cab driver in Jim Kelly's books, and Edgar Wield in Reginald Hill's Dalziel and Pascoe series.

Terri wrote: "Really like Alex Cross' partner Milo"
I thought his sidekick was (John) Sampson? Isn't Alex Delaware's sidekick named Milo in the books by Jonathon Kellerman?

Alright - I got confused and yes I meant Milo -- delaware series.

It's a tie between Inspector Lewis (Morse) and Sgt. Havers (Lynley)-

My nomination for cozy mysteries is Ruby of the China Bayles mystery series by Susan Whittig Albert,and Aunt Daisy of J. Dosses' Charlie Moon Series.

In the Crais books where Joe Pike is the protagonist (The Watchman, etc.), Elvis Cole is hilarious as a sidekick.

I like Anne Snappane (Annika's friend) in Liza Marklund's books.

Part of what I look forward to in Ellen Hart's "Jane Lawless" series is her sidekick Cordelia Thorne, who's so flamboyant in comparison to Jane's down-to-earth practicality.

Toss-up: Spenser's sidekick Hawk, or Dave Robicheaux's sidekick Clete.

I can't help it. I have to go with my original classic favorite Agatha Christie sidekick, Hastings, Poirot's ever-faithful, and almost always wrong but loves the challenge anyway, friend and confidante.

Clete Purcell in the Dave Robicheaux series by James Lee Burke.

Archie Goodwin. When I was a little girl, I wanted to marry him.

Hi, my name is Linda and I am new to the group, I agree with Dia, I love Win from Harlan Coben, he is always so calm, you never know what he is going to do! He always have Myron's back!!

I love Lula, Stephanie Plum's sidekick.

Marie wrote: "I love Lula, Stephanie Plum's sidekick."

ditto....

I have such a hard time deciding. Its between Lula,Watson,Havers and Clete for me. I think it depends on which book I am reading at the time.

Lewis, Watson, Havers, Lord Ardrey-

Jim Chee in Tony Hillerman's mysteries, and Hugh de Berengar in Ellis Peters's mysteries.

Suzanne Adair

I know it's sci-fi, but I'm going with Chewbacca!

Cato from the Pink Panther

Gotta be Hawk from the Spenser series by Robert B. Parker

I like all of these (amazingly I knew them all). Mostly it made me realize how much I like sidekicks. They add a lot to a story, usually by being quite different from the protagonist.

Not sure if he qualifies as a sidekick - but I'd say Richard Jury's friend Melrose Plant would be mine. Ruby (China Bayles' best friend) is another.

Love Ruby also. She is, of course, rather new-agey and slightly silly,but Albert refrains from making her a laughing stock characterer and even futher develops her character by having her deal with real-life tradegedies.

Linda wrote: "Hi, my name is Linda and I am new to the group, I agree with Dia, I love Win from Harlan Coben, he is always so calm, you never know what he is going to do! He always have Myron's back!!"

Win is the absolute best!

For me there is something that just works when in comes to Karpo in Stuart Kaminsky's Rostinkov series. Karpo is so single minded in his pursuit of what is best for the state that the conflict between the state and justice doesn't enter his mind until he is asked to act as an informant on Rostinkov when they are sent away from Moscow on a case. Karpo is also ODD to the max. He keeps notebooks on all his cases, and works cold cases in his off time. He even sets up his apartment with tell tales so he can tell if someone has been in there while he was gone.