History Main / TheExoticDetective

** For that matter, there's a whole sub-genre of VampireDetectiveSeries. Probably the best known is ''ForeverKnight''.

* Detectives in SinCity are [[UnderStatement never normal]].

The Exotic Detective is a detective who has some unusual quality that is important to his personality. While being a private detective is an unusual profession to most people, an Exotic Detective is one that has some very exotic trait that almost defines him. This will often take the form of a [[DefectiveDetective major character flaw]] of some kind

# The detective is seen as ordinary by other characters; his "exotic" trait is that he exists in a setting that is unfamiliar to readers or regarded as an unusual setting for a detective story. (For example, Literature/BrotherCadfael, a medieval monk who solves crimes, or Yashim in Jason Goodwin's ''The Janisary Tree'', who is a Court Eunuch in the last days of the Ottoman Empire.)

** Likewise for Glen Cook's Garrett, whose name is almost certainly a ShoutOut to LordDarcy author Randall Garrett.

* LordDarcy, an investigator in a world of magic.

# The detective is seen as ordinary by other characters; his "exotic" trait is that he exists in a setting that is unfamiliar to readers or regarded as an unusual setting for a detective story. (For example, Brother {{Cadfael}}, a medieval monk who solves crimes, or Yashim in Jason Goodwin's ''The Janisary Tree'', who is a Court Eunuch in the last days of the Ottoman Empire.)

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* Lord Meren is the Eyes of Pharaoh, a nobleman and royal spymaster in the court of Tutanhkamum.

* Thomas Carnacki of ''Carnacki the Ghost-Finder''.

Common types include: KidDetective, MagicianDetective, VampireDetective, OccultDetective

* Alan Gordon's "Fools Guild" mysteries, beginning with "The Thirteenth Night", feature Theopolis, a jester during the 12th century. Theopolis was in fact Feste, the fool from [[WilliamShakespeare Shakespeare's]] "TheTwelfthNight".

** Also within the books, Ariadne Oliver's Finnish detective. She then loudly complains to Hercule that she wishes she had never invented him, because she knows nothing about Finland and people are constantly writing to her to tell her that Finns don't do that.

The Exotic Detective is a detective who has some unusual quality that is important to his personality. While being a private detective is an unusual profession to most people, an Exotic Detective is one that has some very exotic trait that almost defines him.

* The main character of ''PushingDaisies'' is an AmateurSleuth who can [[{{Necromancy raise the dead}}.

* ''TheMentalist'''s Patrick Jane, while technically merely a 'consultant', probably qualifies as a 'consulting detective' in real terms. And is more than a slight bit odd. At least when you consider he's a little bit soceopathic and has apparently decided that being nice to other people unnecessarily (by his standards) is a waste of his time.

* "The Howling Detective" written by [[GateDragon this troper]] for 2008's [=NaNoWriMo=]. A werewolf private investigator operating in a FantasyKitchenSink version of Detroit, MI and taking jobs from both {{Muggles}} and other "mythical" folk.
* Eric Garcia's "Anonymous Rex" series of novels, mysteries based in a world on the premise that the dinosaurs didn't die out and are living among us in secret. Starring Velociraptor sleuth Vincent Rubio.

* [[TheMentalist]]'s Patrick Jane, while technically merely a 'consultant', probably qualifies as a 'consulting detective' in real terms. And is more than a slight bit odd. At least when you consider he's a little bit soceopathic and has apparently decided that being nice to other people unnecessarily (by his standards) is a waste of his time.

# The detective is seen as ordinary by other characters; his "exotic" trait is that he exists in a setting that is unfamiliar to readers or regarded as an unusual setting for a detective story. (For example, Brother Cadfael, a medieval monk who solves crimes, or Yashim in Jason Goodwin's ''The Janisary Tree'', who is a Court Eunuch in the last days of the Ottoman Empire.)

*** In TheSeventies, "ethnic" types were still considered slightly "exotic," as they were not yet considered "white" by many Americans, not least for being Catholic (the Poles), "swarthy" (Greeks), or both (Italians). (And of course, the Greeks were Orthodox: even weirder than Catholics! Priests with beards! Run!) Note that just thirteen years before ''{{Kojak}}'' first aired, enough voters feared that JohnFKennedy would be more loyal to the Pope than America that it seriously threatened his election campaign.

*** In TheSeventies, "ethnic" types were still considered slightly "exotic," as they were not yet considered "white" by many Americans, not least for being Catholic (the Poles), "swarthy" (Greeks), or both (Italians). (And of course, the Greeks were Orthodox: even weirder than Catholics! Priests with beards! Run!) Note that a mere eleven years before ''{{Kojak}}'' first aired, enough voters feared that JohnFKennedy would be more loyal to the Pope than America that it seriously threatened his election campaign.

# The detective has an odd trait (such as a strange sickness or an unusual profession or background) that is "exotic" both to readers and to other characters. (For example, TV's {{Monk}}, who has OCD and multiple phobias.)