I think the cliche with detectives (if it qualifies as a cliche) is the 'something about their lives that makes them more of a tortured soul than you first think' sub-plot/minor character.
Whether it's a physically handicapped wife 'Taggart', addiction to opiates 'Holmes', ADD 'Monk', alcaholic relative and/or alcoholism (plenty of those) etc.
Personally, I don't think it helps me appreciate a character unless the 'something about their lives' provides a noticable problem throughout the story. That is, the problem affects how they work as well as how they think eg: if someone has a mentally handicapped daughter (disclaimer here, I have two), it has a physical impact as well as a mental one, so making the MC a little sad, or over-sensitive about 'retard' jokes isn't enough.
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Whether it's a physically handicapped wife 'Taggart', addiction to opiates 'Holmes', ADD 'Monk', alcaholic relative and/or alcoholism (plenty of those) etc.
Personally, I don't think it helps me appreciate a character unless the 'something about their lives' provides a noticable problem throughout the story. That is, the problem affects how they work as well as how they think eg: if someone has a mentally handicapped daughter (disclaimer here, I have two), it has a physical impact as well as a mental one, so making the MC a little sad, or over-sensitive about 'retard' jokes isn't enough.
Just my opinion :)