Chock-full of really cool characters–my books
Just about the most annoying books you can read are those in which the hero is obviously a stand-in for the writer himself, and the other characters are only there to make him look good. Oh, fap!
If you’re going to do that, you might as well go into politics, where it’s expected. Capitol Hill always has room for one more fat-head.
Highly recommended: the Inspector Ghote novels, by H.R.F. Keating. You can learn a lot from these–or just kick back and enjoy them.