A
recent article in WRITER’S DIGEST published an agent’s response to this
question which I read with interest. Boiled down to basics, the article
suggests the best way to write a successful book isn’t by looking to copy the
latest trend which will be over by the time you can finish your new book
anyway. The answer: write a quality book. The article got me thinking about mystery
and crime fiction in particular. Let’s do a bit of examination.
The
traditional mystery features a detective or several detectives who investigate
a crime or series of crimes. The amateur sleuths can work in any number of
unique and unusual professions which provide interesting background and setting
for the story. They can live in any place in the world. They can be nosy
spinsters who live in small English villages or gifted professors who
investigate bizarre historical crimes. From cozy to thriller, the amateur
sleuth fascinates readers.
The
private detective novel is a mystery genre unto itself. In 1887, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle created Sherlock Holmes, the most famous of
all fictional detectives. Sherlock Holmes was not the first fictional
detective. However, his name is one we think of immediately. Conan Doyle stated
that the character of Holmes was inspired by Dr.
Joseph Bell,
for whom Doyle had worked as a clerk at the
Edinburgh Royal Infirmary. Like Holmes, Bell was noted for drawing large conclusions
from small observations. The
quirky Holmes was renowned for his insights based on skillful use of observation, deduction and forensics to solve puzzling
cases. Conan Doyle wrote four novels and fifty-six
short stories featuring Holmes,
and all but four stories are narrated by Holmes's friend, assistant, and
biographer, Dr. John Watson. The
Sherlock Holmes mystique is still celebrated today in books, short stories,
films and television programs. Holmes, the “consulting detective,” still
fascinates a modern audience of devotees.
The Golden Age of
Detective Fiction, the 1920’s and 30’s, brought many writers of detective
stories to the forefront. British female authors like Agatha Christie are
particularly memorable. Of the four "Queens of Crime" of that era:
Christie, Dorothy Sayers, Ngaio Marsh and Margery Allingham, all were British except for Marsh who was a
New Zealander.
In the 1930’s, the
hard-boiled private eye novels began to evolve with American writers. Over the
years, many interesting writers have emerged in this genre. Dashiell Hammett, Raymond Chandler,
Mickey Spillane, Ross Macdonald, and Robert Parker are just a few of the
writers who still resonate with readers. P.I. detectives are tough guys dealing
with seedy characters on the mean city streets, the so-called underbelly of
society. They are professional detectives who live by a code of honor but
rarely earn much for their efforts. They generally have antagonistic
relationships with the police and, like the amateur detective, tend to be more
intelligent than professional law enforcement counterparts. The P.I. novel
was male-dominated until the late 1970’s and
early 80’s when writers such as Sara Paretsky, Marcia Miller and Sue Grafton
began creating women investigators who were as tough as men. These novels
offered more in-depth characterization and, in the case of Paretsky, a social
agenda.
The police procedural provides the reader with a different
type of detective story. In reality, most crimes are investigated by police. This
type of mystery stresses step-by-step procedures followed by professional
detectives such as processing crime scenes to collect physical evidence,
canvassing the area for witnesses or suspects, postmortem examination of bodies
in the case of murders, identifying a victim if that is not known, and
interviewing known friends, co-workers, relatives and associates. The list is
often long and tedious. Not generally so in a novel. Although it is agreed that
the police procedural should be accurate in portraying what law enforcement
officers actually do, it is not necessary to bore readers to death. Like the
P.I. novel, this is action-oriented genre fiction. While the plot may be the
backbone of a police procedural as O’Neil De Noux, a longtime police officer
and homicide detective, observed in an article written for The Writer (“How to Write the Police Procedural Novel,” October,
1992 issue), the novel won’t interest readers unless there are well-developed
central characters-- witness the great success of Ed McBain's 87th precinct series in books, film and as a
television series. Much of the appeal of
the novels rest with main character Steve Carella and his relationship with
Teddy, his deaf-mute wife, as well as his interaction with fellow police
detectives such as Meyer.
Distinctive places also add interest to the modern police
procedural. For example, moody Scandinavian settings have provided bleak backgrounds
for the investigations of Inspector Martin Beck (Sjöwall and Wahlöö in the 1960’s) or
Wallander (Henning Mankell) and more
recently Inspector Tell (Camilla Cedar).
It goes without saying
that all books should be researched for accuracy of detail. However, Eric
Wright observes (The Writer, October 1990 issue, p. 9) that writers should do
their research last. His reasoning: once a story is written the writer will
know what information is actually needed and necessary. Collecting unnecessary
facts proves to be a waste of valuable time. I am of the opinion that it also
leads to information dumping as many writers then cannot resist the temptation
to include material that should be cut and which has no purpose in the book or story.
Of course, the more
traditional view is that authors who write police procedurals must insist on total
accuracy. Margaret Maron, for instance, has explained how she used interviews
with police detectives and civil service clerks, attended “criminalistics”
classes and took notes on the trivia associated with everyday police activities
in a station house to depict realism in her police novel series (The Writer,
June, 1993 issue).
Patricia D. Cornwell’s
novels have long graced the bestseller lists.
Her Dr. Kay Scarpetta forensic pathologist crime novels are strongly
associated with her own career. Cornwell describes herself as having been a
crime reporter. The character of Dr. Scarpetta appears to have been initially
inspired by an interview she had with a female medical examiner. She went to
work for the medical examiners and eventually became their computer analyst.
Her opinion: stories that lack credibility and authenticity will be unread (The
Writer, December 1991, p. 18-20).
P. D. James is another
author of police procedurals we can describe as the real deal. James held a position as a senior employee
in the Criminal Policy Department in England. Joseph Wambaugh has
given us some memorable characters who happen to be police officers based on
his personal experience and knowledge.
Cross genre fiction combining elements of romance, the
paranormal, and suspense with mystery have become more common in today’s crime
fiction. I believe this less traditional approach is becoming a trend in modern
mystery fiction. The traditional lines are blurring, and authors are
experimenting with a greater variety of style and technique in a genre that is
now more dynamic, fluid and exciting. What does remain is the need for a
well-developed plot, well-rounded and well-defined characters, and a
distinctive setting.
My last two mystery novels, DEATH PROMISE, a romantic
suspense sequel to DEATH LEGACY, and BLOOD FAMILY, my 5th Kim
Reynolds mystery, do blur the lines. Kim, for example, is a reluctant sleuth
with paranormal abilities.
What trends will the future of fiction hold for readers and
writers alike? It remains to be seen. Your thoughts and opinions most welcome.
