Since we are topic wise moving away from the Sherlock-movies-topic, I've taken my answer away from that thread and moved it here instead.
Yes, Conan Doyle thought that the Sherlock Holmes stories where taking to much time from what he considered to be his more “serious work”. He tried to kill of Holmes in The Final Problem, so he wouldn't have to write more Sherlock Holmes stories, but the fans of the time wouldn't let him get away with that.
I've not read much by Lee Child (the Reacher books). What I have read was not great in my opinion ... but possible to read, if you got nothing better to do.
I'm afraid I'm not much familiar with Japanese detective stories. But I do like the Hayao Miyazaki's movies. And I've seen some old Arsène Lupin III anime that I thought had an interesting concept.
Authors in the detective/criminal genre I could recommend are:
Agatha Christie (specially the ones about Hercule Poirot, who in some ways is similar to Sherlock – and I have a special liking for the much less known Tommy & Tuppence stories)
Donald E Westlake (possibly my all time favorite author)
Robert B Parker
Harlan Coben
The three later are more in the American style (Dashiell Hammett), but they do it much better than Lee Child.
other possibilities for all time favorites of mine (none detective) would be
P.G. Wodehouse, and