This post actually came about when I saw that someone had visited The Dorset Book Detective by searching for the phrase ‘detectives with odd professions’. This got me thinking: a lot of fictional detectives did actually have pretty weird jobs.
Whilst many detectives were simply policemen, private eyes or even rich, bored peers, many of them had real jobs, some of which were pretty unusual. After all, they do have to pay the bills even if they are secretly detecting on the side. So I’ve rounded up five of the detectives with the weirdest jobs for anyone who’s interested.
5. Corinna Chapman, Baker: Created by Kerry Greenwood, the phenomenal Australian writer who also created the amazing Phryne Fisher, Corinna Chapman is a baker who reluctantly turns detective to solve a range of mysteries. She earns her crust (sorry not sorry, all my puns are exceedingly good!) by creating scrumptious treats, but her skills as a detective are used to uncover a range of mysteries including fraud, theft and much more.
4. Dr. Lancelot Priestley, Mathematician: John Rhode’s detective becomes a leading forensic officer, but in the earlier books he features in he is a mathematician, and he works with the police to share his scientific skills and knowledge, later becoming a detective and assisting the police in their work.
3. Thorpe Hazell, Train Enthusiast: Ok, so technically his role is detective, but it’s his fascination with railways that sets this quirky crime solver apart. He’s obsessed with railways, and as such he’s able to solve seemingly impossibly crimes, making him something a bit out of the ordinary in the world of detection.
2. Father Brown, Priest: Whilst some of G. K. Chesterton’s stories about his methodical catholic priest are a little far-fetched, you still have to admire his tenacity, intellect and understanding of human nature. Well-read and cerebral, this unique priest is
1. Monsieur Pamplemousse, Food Critic: Michael Bond’s ingenious food critic and his cute bloodhound sidekick, Pommes Frites travel across France sampling the tastiest cuisine and solving the most complicated and ingenious mysteries.
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