Any fiction based on Highly Intellectual or Bad turned good?

[MrsAmandaK]

I was wondering if anyone could point me in the direction of any books where the main character originally starts out 'bad' but ends up working for the good guys OR any books where there is a high functioning or highly intellectual character (preferably main)

Think along the lines of the BBC Version of Sherlock (and yes I have read Sir Conan Doyle) Or Psych (Psychic Detective - actually he is hyper observant and observes little details over look)

or even White Collar (yes - again a TV show lol) where the main character Neil Caffrey was an art thief and one of the best in his craft, but then he gets caught (because of a woman) and decides to help the feds solve crimes.

Does anyone have any suggestions? I really enjoy thinks that make me think, but at the same time the characters are likeable/understandable. I am afraid I am at a loss as to where I could even begin to find books like these. I hope I am clear and not too confusing.

Thank you!

[ebusinesstutor]

If you like scifi, there is the "Stainless Steel Rat" series. The lead character is the galaxy's greatest thief - when he is caught, they recruit him to go after other, more violent criminals.

For TV, there is "Dexter." A serial killer who preys on other serial killers.

[speakingtohe]

Jack Higgins Sean Dillon is one bad guy turned good.

Repairman Jack - F. Paul Wilson- is kind of bad but for good reasons.

Serge Storms - Tim Dorsey - is a psychotic protagonist who commits attrocious acts for good reasons, kind of like a much crazier Dexter.

Victor Carl - William Lashner - is a sleazy lawyer who turns goodish despite himself.

Rex Stout's Nero Wolfe is an intellectual crime solver

Helen

[fjtorres]

On the Manga/Anime side there is DEATH NOTE. (A fantasy.)
There have been several spinoff's (in narrative text, too) of the nominal "antagonist" L, a very Sherlockian (possibly autistic) young genius detective.
I rather enjoyed this one, ANOTHER NOTE:
http://www.amazon.com/Death-Note-Ano...pr_product_top

On the Fantasy side, Saberhagen's EMPIRE OF THE EAST might fit your bill.
On the pulpish side, Edgar Rice Burroughs THE MUCKER two-parter, though intellectualism is *not* this protagonist's forte.

And yes, the NERO WOLFE stories are fun but often the real protagonist is Archie Manning. Highly recommended anyway, but...

And, if you have the stomach for a very dark backstory and first volume, John Ringo's PALADIN OF SHADOWS series is about a very smart, very deadly, very twisted protagonist who beats up bad guys to keep himself from victimizing the innocent. The bad guys being terrorists and their state sponsors he doesn't have to hold back there. The series evolves into a very pulpish Doc savage-ish direction, oddly enough.

[Apache]

Infinity Hold by Barry B. Longyear.
The main protagonist, Bando Niccos, is career criminal doing hard time in prison on Earth. Earth starts dumping its unrehabitable criminals on the planet Tartaros. The Infinity Hold poses, then answers the question of what type of society would arise from a mob of violent convicts dumped on a new planet with no police or government. This book will make you look at your opinions on the law and how it works. Bando Niccos becomes this worlds first police officer. I am reading this book for the third time and also the two sequels Longyear wrote and I just found out about. You can get all three, titled Infinity Hold3, on Amazon for $7.95.
Apache

[Penforhire]

It can be ambiguous but most of Barry Eisler's books run this way, with tainted heroes (e.g. John Rain series, whose protagonist is an assassin). It isn't a complete transformation because in each case these men had some form of morality that is maintained throughout.

And the sense of who are the "good guys" is blurred. Is the CIA a 'good guy' organization?

[MrsAmandaK]

Originally Posted by Penforhire

It can be ambiguous but most of Barry Eisler's books run this way, with tainted heroes (e.g. John Rain series, whose protagonist is an assassin). It isn't a complete transformation because in each case these men had some form of morality that is maintained throughout.

And the sense of who are the "good guys" is blurred. Is the CIA a 'good guy' organization?

Yeah I would consider the CIA good guy I guess... depends on what they are doing in the context of the book

[MrsAmandaK]

Thank you for the suggestions I will definitely be checking some of these out!

[kennyc]

Originally Posted by Apache

Infinity Hold by Barry B. Longyear.
The main protagonist, Bando Niccos, is career criminal doing hard time in prison on Earth. Earth starts dumping its unrehabitable criminals on the planet Tartaros. The Infinity Hold poses, then answers the question of what type of society would arise from a mob of violent convicts dumped on a new planet with no police or government. This book will make you look at your opinions on the law and how it works. Bando Niccos becomes this worlds first police officer. I am reading this book for the third time and also the two sequels Longyear wrote and I just found out about. You can get all three, titled Infinity Hold3, on Amazon for $7.95.
Apache

Thanks for that!