India, Dec. 13 -- On a cosy winter night, you're invited to a secluded mansion for a party. Several other guests are there, but none of you know one another. Suddenly, the lights go out, and someone is murdered. Which of the movie detectives, ranked among the best in cinema history, would you call to solve the case: Sherlock Holmes, Benoit Blanc, Miss Marple or someone else?

All of them are quintessential detectives, yet they differ in disposition and talent. When the best movie detectives are ranked according to skill, Sherlock Holmes usually comes out far ahead, as he is widely regarded as the finest of them all. However, it is not only their abilities that make these movie detectives such distinctive and memorable characters.

These d...