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Fall, 2005
Volume 9, No. 3 In real life, crimes are solved (or not) by professionals. As readers know, the world of fiction is very different. Amateur sleuths—be they housewives or lawyers, reporters or bartenders—also investigate (and solve) crimes. How and why do authors decide which type of sleuth to write about? Read on for our take on this subject.
Valerie Wolzien I've always preferred Miss Marple to Monsieur Poirot—so both of my sleuths are amateurs. A professional is an outsider looking in—he comes to discover the killer and he leaves when the job is done. He is less involved than the amateur, who is frequently part of what is being investigated. The amateur may know the victim, the killer, or both. When the murderer is caught, the amateur lives with the consequences of the crime, while the professional goes on to yet another job. In my first mystery, Murder At The PTA Luncheon, detective Brent Fontesque comes to suburban housewife and mother Susan Henshaw for information. She explains she has no professional expertise or training in police matters. He points out that she knows the community where the murders took place. As a professional, he recognizes the importance of her knowledge when she does not. Josie Pigeon, the protagonist of my second series, is a professional contractor but an amateur when it comes to sleuthing. Her profession places her in the houses of people she doesn't know, but her mere presence on the scene gives her an advantage the police cannot duplicate. She might be hammering away on the floor joists when a husband fights with his wife. When one of them turns up dead a few days later, she will have knowledge official investigators will have to work to discover. Valerie's latest Josie Pigeon mystery, Death at a Premium, was published this month. In it, Josie copes with an uninsured employee and the client from hell while planning for a wedding that may or may not take place. E-mail Valerie at valerie@wolzien.com.
Lora Roberts Amateur sleuth or professional? My most recent book, The Affair of the Incognito Tenant, pairs an amateur sleuth with the world's first professional consulting detective. Charlotte Dodson works as a housekeeper, but has a keen eye for details and deductive powers that rival those of Sherlock Holmes, whose reluctant partner in sleuthing she becomes. So I feel uniquely qualified to discuss this question. On the one hand, Holmes can identify at a glance where a certain swatch of cloth was woven, giving him insight into who wore the garment from which it came. On the other hand, Charlotte's eye for detail allows her to penetrate Holmes' many disguises effortlessly. Together, their skills compliment each other. Many books follow this kind of format, begetting the "women who love cops too much" syndrome. It's the best of both worlds—the knowledge of the pro and the insight of the amateur are both available to the author, offering much more flexibility in plotting. Though I value the professional detective's insider information and crime scene skills, I prefer to write from the amateur's point of view. The juxtaposition of humdrum life with the shock and horror of murder provide me with more interesting fodder than if my narrator sees murders every day on the job. Lora Roberts is currently working on another book with Charlotte Dodson and Sherlock Holmes, working title The Contentious Jewel. You can reach Lora at myslora@pacbell.net.
Lee Harris Christine Bennett, the ex-nun of my first series, is an amateur in solving mysteries. Det. Jane Bauer of my second series is a professional. Although I make certain my facts are accurate in both series, writing about a police detective is more of a challenge for me and, I must admit, gives me more pleasure. Thanks to advice from active and retired members of NYPD, I am able to portray characters who think and act like cops, talk like cops, use their weapons correctly, fill out the right forms, and be aware when they are treading on dangerous territory. Chris, on the other hand, is not tied to rules, regulations and laws that apply to the police. She doesn't have to warn people before questioning them. She can conduct an investigation in whatever manner appeals to her, with only her conscience as her guide. She is answerable to no one but herself, and her "job" is perfectly secure. Still, there is a great appeal to writing about a group that every reader knows something about, but not much, while few are privy to the whole inner workings. I get a charge out of using the lingo: "They flopped him back to the bag.", meaning "He was demoted back to a uniform."; following
procedures, and presenting a glimpse of the inner workings of the police department. Jane emerges as more than a private individual but a member of Lee Harris's newest book is The Silver Anniversary Murder. Look for The Greenwich Village Murder in March. Lee can be reached at MysMurder@aol.com.
Jonnie Jacobs My books cover the spectrum when it comes to sleuths. Kate Austen is a divorced, suburban mother—clearly an amateur. But in Murder Among Strangers, her police detective significant other has viewpoint chapters and conducts his own investigation. Attorney Kali O'Brien is a professional. Her focus is typically on poking holes in the police case and raising reasonable doubt rather than solving the crime straight out, but in Cold Justice she temporarily rejoins the DA's office to hunt for a serial killer. In Intent to Harm she's faced with a murdered client and a cryptic message, and never sets foot in a courtoom. Both books present the police viewpoint as well. My newest, The Only Suspect, features police detective Hannah Montgomery as well as Sam Russell, a doctor who was tried for the murder of his first wife and is now suspect in the disappearance of his current wife. The amateur investigates a world she's part of. She knows things about the community an outside detective would not. She's in a position to observe and eavesdrop, and people are often more open than in formal interview situations. The professional has more investigational resources available but is also limited by procedural dictates and legalities. I like having my foot in both camps. But what's most important for me is that my sleuth be personally involved in the crime being investigated. Whether amateur or professional, it's not "just a case," but one that touches the character, or someone she cares about, directly. Look for The Only Suspect in October 2005. Jonnie is currently working on the next Kali O'Brien book and can be reached at jonnie@jonniejacobs.com.
Lee Harris ~ Jonnie Jacobs ~ Lora Roberts ~ Valerie Wolzien ©2005-06 by Lee Harris, Jonnie Jacobs, Lora Roberts and Valerie Wolzien. |
