Who is the greatest fictional detective? A new book reminds us why it’s Poirot Mark Aldridge's 'Agatha Christie's Poirot' offers clues - and evidence - to prove the case. By Michael DirdaSpecial to The Washington Post Share In the recent Washington Post poll to choose the greatest fictional detectives of all time, the top four vote-getters, tallied in descending order, were Armand Gamache, Sherlock Holmes, Harry Bosch and Hercule Poirot. Pfui, as Rex Stout’s Nero Wolfe would say. Faced with a mind-boggling murder, would anyone turn to Louise Penny’s Gamache instead of Sherlock Holmes or to Michael Connelly’s Bosch over Hercule Poirot? I certainly wouldn’t. What the poll actually reveals is the tyranny of the contemporary. The results reflect the influence of a devoted social media fan base, an ongoing TV series and two best-selling authors still regularly bringing out new work.