A Bit of Business

In the theater world, a "bit of business" is an action adopted by an actor to help define his character or to attract attention to himself so that he can steal the scene. Sometimes, a bit of business might be called schtick. Can you identify which detectives are associated with these bits of business, habits or traits?

1. This sleuth occasionally screws a monocle to his eye, especially when perusing incunabula.

2. A member of the Monocot family is a particular passion of this man.

3. In the most recent, 11th, entry in a long-running series, the author reveals that his detective has a phobia about (of all things) theaters.

4. This Detective Sergeant is legendary for a quick temper and abysmal fashion sense.

5. Sometimes people think this Scotland Yard detective is talking to himself, when he's actually conversing with his companion. An honest mistake when you consider that the detective's companion is a dead man.

6. Despite his poor eating and exercise habits, this investigative journalist is apparently irresistible to women. Women in their 20s who prefer women, married women his own age, women in their 50s who have lived contentedly celibate lives for years; all these and more can't seem to resist this man.

7. This detective finds that long walks (not on the beach) help his thinking, especially if he's accompanied by his dog, Henri.

8. On the other hand, this fan favorite is not much for walking. He firmly believes in sitting, and that sitting goes better with a glass or three of Chateau Thames Embankment.

9. A drinker after my own heart, this PI imbibes gin martinis and objects to the vodka martini on principle. Among other quirks, the PI keeps two cellphones: one for incoming calls and the other for outgoing calls.

Speaking of drinking, there are many British detectives who like a pint and a dram. Can you identify each of these?

10. This sidekick does a lot of informal detection while hanging out in the Jack and Hammer, quaffing a pint of Theakston's Old Peculier.  (Yes, that's the way it's spelled.)

11. When he's on the wagon or working off a hangover, this detective grabs a can of Irn-Bru.

12. Once he was elevated to being the senior detective partner, this detective also graduated from drinking lemon or orange squash to a pint of bitter.

13. Not even an enforced stay at a convalescent home can keep the fat man from his pint.

14. After a long day investigating crime, this detective likes nothing more than to sit by his fire drinking single-malt Scotch and listening to jazz.

15. This irascible detective is known for his love of real ale, his vintage Jaguar and cryptic crosswords.

Head to the Comments and give us your answers.  Pose some quiz questions of your own, too, if you want.