Which author created the detective Adam Dalgliesh?

P. D. James created the detective Adam Dalgliesh.

Adam Dalgliesh first appeared in James's 1962 debut novel, *Cover Her Face*. He is a British police detective whose career eventually takes him to the rank of Commander at New Scotland Yard. Dalgliesh is also a published poet, a detail that distinguishes him from many fictional investigators and gives the character a reflective, literary dimension.

The character appears in 14 mystery novels by P. D. James, as well as in two novels featuring her other detective, Cordelia Gray. Dalgliesh's cases often combine conventional police investigation with detailed attention to social class, professional institutions, moral responsibility, and the psychology of suspects and victims.

A common source of confusion is the title “Inspector Dalgliesh,” which can refer to screen adaptations rather than a separate character. Roy Marsden played Dalgliesh in an earlier television adaptation, while Bertie Carvel portrayed him in the later series *Dalgliesh*. The character himself remains James's creation, beginning with the 1962 novel.