Which author created the character of Inspector Wexford?

Ruth Rendell created the character of Inspector Wexford.

Chief Inspector Reginald Wexford first appeared in Rendell’s debut crime novel, From Doon with Death, published in 1964. He serves as the senior police investigator in the fictional Sussex town of Kingsmarkham, a setting Rendell used across much of the series. Wexford is known for combining careful police work with psychological insight into suspects and victims.

Wexford became the central figure in 24 novels, as well as several short stories and a novella. His final novel appearance was in No Man’s Nightingale, published in 2013. The character also reached television audiences in The Ruth Rendell Mysteries, which aired on ITV from 1987 to 2000. George Baker played Wexford in the television adaptation.

A common mix-up is confusing the character with the television series: the show was sometimes retitled The Inspector Wexford Mysteries, but Wexford himself originated in Rendell’s novels. Elizabeth George, Colin Dexter, and P. D. James created other notable detectives, not Wexford.