Mystery Characters -- Are These References Too Obvious?

Writers' Corner
1

I’ve been toying with the idea of writing a mystery story lately. It occurred to me that I would like to make references to mystery authors/characters that I like with their names. Some I am considering and what they reference:

[name_f]Ignatia[/name_f] [name_m]Clement[/name_m] (protagonist) - [name_f]Ignatia[/name_f] is taken from [name_m]Arthur[/name_m] [name_m]Conan[/name_m] [name_m]Doyle[/name_m]'s middle name, [name_m]Ignatius[/name_m]. [name_m]Clement[/name_m] means “gentle”, as in [name_m]Dirk[/name_m] Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency. I’m also looking for nicknames for [name_f]Ignatia[/name_f].

[name_m]Walter[/name_m] [name_m]Clement[/name_m] - [name_f]Ignatia[/name_f]'s brother. [name_m]Watson[/name_m] (as in [name_m]John[/name_m] [name_m]Watson[/name_m]) means “son of [name_m]Walter[/name_m]”.

Other names I’m considering but don’t have characters for yet:
[name_u]Hudson[/name_u] - Mrs [name_u]Hudson[/name_u] from the [name_m]Sherlock[/name_m] [name_m]Holmes[/name_m] books
[name_f]Scarlet[/name_f] - The first [name_m]Sherlock[/name_m] [name_m]Holmes[/name_m] book is A Study in [name_f]Scarlet[/name_f]
Ruadhán - (This one is pretty out there) [name_m]John[/name_m] [name_m]Watson[/name_m] was originally going to be named [name_m]Ormond[/name_m] Sacker, and Ruadhán is related to [name_m]Ormond[/name_m].
[name_m]Dougal[/name_m] - Related to [name_m]Doyle[/name_m], as in Sir [name_m]Arthur[/name_m] [name_m]Conan[/name_m] [name_m]Doyle[/name_m]
[name_f]Adamina[/name_f] - [name_u]Douglas[/name_u] [name_m]Adam[/name_m]s
Sherrin or [name_m]Ford[/name_m] - [name_m]Sherlock[/name_m] [name_m]Holmes[/name_m] was originally going to be name Sherrin(g)ford [name_f]Hope[/name_f]
[name_u]Ruby[/name_u] - The [name_m]Philip[/name_m] Pullman novel The [name_u]Ruby[/name_u] in the Smoke
[name_m]Dagger[/name_m] - [name_m]Dirk[/name_m] (as in [name_m]Dirk[/name_m] Gently) is another word for a dagger.

Are these names too obviously referencing other things, or are they obscure enough that people probably won’t notice?

Suggestions for how to reference [name_u]Douglas[/name_u] [name_m]Adams[/name_m], Sir [name_m]Arthur[/name_m] [name_m]Conan[/name_m] [name_m]Doyle[/name_m], [name_f]Agatha[/name_f] [name_u]Christie[/name_u] and [name_m]Philip[/name_m] Pullman books would be welcome as well.

2

I don’t think they’re too obvious. I don’t think I would have noticed any unless I was really looking for them. I think they’re a great way to subtly connect the references.

3

Wow! That’s an awesome way of naming your characters, it seems like you did a lot of research! I like everything except for [name_u]Hudson[/name_u]. That’s a bit obvious, so maybe take that one out?

4

@wintersolstice17
I agree-- I think I’m going to change it to [name_m]Hugh[/name_m] or [name_m]Hugo[/name_m] (both related to [name_u]Hudson[/name_u]).

I have another question now–
Is it common knowledge/well known that [name_m]Sherlock[/name_m] [name_m]Holmes[/name_m] was originally going to be named Sherringford [name_f]Hope[/name_f]? I think it might be better known since the use of Sherrinford in the recent finale of BBC [name_m]Sherlock[/name_m].

I’d like to use Sherringford called [name_m]Ingo[/name_m] for a character, maybe.

5

Like PPs have mentioned, I think people would only get the references if they were mystery buffs or if they were really looking for the symbolism.

I think for the masses, it wouldn’t be common knowledge that [name_m]Sherlock[/name_m] [name_m]Holmes[/name_m] was originally going to be called Sherringford [name_f]Hope[/name_f]. I certainly didn’t know that, but then again the extent of my knowledge of [name_m]Sherlock[/name_m] begins and ends at the movie with [name_m]Robert[/name_m] Downey [name_m]Jr[/name_m]. in it.

6

Good to know! I do get the feeling that most people’s association with [name_m]Sherlock[/name_m] [name_m]Holmes[/name_m] is either those movies or BBC [name_m]Sherlock[/name_m], but I’ve done school reports on Sir [name_m]Arthur[/name_m] [name_m]Conan[/name_m] [name_m]Doyle[/name_m] and been a fan of the actual books for so long I wasn’t sure what people generally knew/associated with it.