Beer with us while we solve another crime

WHAT is it about fictional cops and pubs? I’ve no idea if the real police spend as much time brooding over a thorny problem with a pint in hand, but for the detective in modern fiction, the boozer has become a staple.

- by Matt Nixson

And it’s lovely spotting a real location, especially if it’s one you know or have visited, when reading a book or enjoying the TV adaptation.

So in honour of the 2025 Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival — in full flow in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, this weekend and aptly sponsored by the local brewery’s most famous pint — here are some real-life watering holes frequented by our fictional detectives.