This book is a collection of great essays which discuss four brilliant and impressive investigators and detectives in literary masterpieces by Arthur Conan Doyle, Agatha Christie, and Dorothy Bowers. The focus of this book is on Sherlock Holmes, Hercule Poirot, Jane Marple, and Dan Pardoe. These highly intelligent, perceptive, problem-solving, resilient, and resourceful investigators are committed to examining the evidence in any situation carefully, fairly, and honestly and devoted to searching for and discovering the truth in various criminal cases, even though such heroic endeavors frequently threaten their own lives. In Chapter Seven of Agatha Christies The Murder of Roger Ackroyd Hercule Poirot agrees to accept the case which is presented to him only if he may "go through with it to the end" and search for "all the truth." In numerous investigations Sherlock Holmes, Hercule Poirot, Jane Marple, and Dan Pardoe demonstrate not only an extraordinary commitment to searching meticulously and valiantly for the whole truth but also the absolute genius to discover it.

Hugo G. Walter has a B.A. from Princeton University, an M.A. from Old Dominion University, a Ph.D. in literature from Yale University, and a Ph.D. in humanities from Drew University. Dr. Walter teaches literature and humanities courses in the Division of Continuing Studies at Rutgers University. His publications include Magnificent Houses in Twentieth Century European Literature (Lang, 2012) and Saving Endangered Heirs and Estates (Lang, 2020).