Though I've been a fan of Sherlock Holmes, of course, since childhood, and I teach Conan Doyle, especially The Hound of the Baskervilles, I'd have to say that for sometime now my favorite detective has come from . . . television.  Namely Christopher Foyle, created by Anthony Horowitz in his British series Foyle's War, set, at least in the beginning, against the backdrop of the Second World War.  Foyle (whose name rhymes with "Doyle," hmmm . . .) is a complexly cerebral detective who has often found himself caught between being loyal to his duty as a policeman and being patriotic to Britain's war effort (and postwar effort).  Foyle, who's been expertly brought to life by actor Michael Kitchen, tries to be extremely ethical, and he seems to believe that ethics are absolute, whereas his superiors often practice situational ethics.  He has high standards for himself and others, but he is compassionate and realizes that people are not always perfect, not even himself.  Foyle has the courage and integrity to follow the clues no matter where they take him, even if they lead to a superior's office or an old friend's sitting room.