  Mystery
This week: Amateur Detectives Edited by: Jeff  
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"Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known."
- Carl Sagan
Random Mystery Trivia of the Week: In 1994, the multi-talented Michael Crichton achieved the unique distinction of having a No. 1 movie (Jurassic Park), No. 1 television series (ER) and No. 1 book (Disclosure) all at the same time. |
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AMATEUR DETECTIVES
Hieronymus "Harry" Bosch is an LAPD detective by Michael Connelly. Spenser is a private eye by Robert B. Parker. Alex Cross is an FBI profiler and psychologist by James Patterson. And George Gideon is a policeman at Scotland Yard given to us by John Creasey (writing as J.J. Marric). What do all of these mystery series protagonists have in common? They're all professional crime-solvers. It's their job to dive into a mystery, root around, and come up with the answers. In most cases, they're paid and trained to handle the rigors of uncovering a mystery, and the oftentimes ugly truth that comes along with them.
But what I want to talk about today are amateur detectives; those characters with various stages of training and preparedness, who are not, by trade, professional crime-solvers. These are characters that do something else for a living, and are drawn into the roller coaster ride of a good mystery.
What makes these characters so compelling?
It has to be, at least in part, the fact that many of them are "normal" people, like you and me. They're not cops, walking around with guns and badges; they're not federal agents with the government to back them up; they're not even private investigators who know the way the system works and how to get information. Some of these characters from popular book series include:
 Myron Bolitar (by Harlan Coben): A sports agent who often finds himself drawn into his clients' sordid lives.
Bernie Rhodenbarr (by Lawrence Block): A cat-burglar who often happens upon another crime during a theft, and has to investigate the crime to clear his name.
Jane Marple (by Agatha Christie): An elderly spinster who often investigates crimes of interest.
Perry Mason (by Erle Stanley Gardner): A defense attorney who solves mysteries surrounding the crimes for which his clients are accused.
Robert Langdon (by Dan Brown): Academic symbologist whose expertise usually draws him into a complicated and dangerous mystery.
In addition to series, many authors write individual books about the "everyman" in extraordinary situations. In addition to his Myron Bolitar novels, Harlan Coben writes books like Just One Look, about a wife who picks up a roll of pictures, only to find a mysterious one that doesn't belong. Pretty soon, her husband disappears, and a ruthless killer is looking for her. Robin Cook writes medical thrillers and mysteries; Shock is the story of two college co-eds who participate in an egg donor program for money, then get wrapped up in the lab's dark secrets when they try to solve some unanswered questions about their procedures. Ken Follett's story Code to Zero begins with an amnesiac trying to put together the pieces of his wife. In these stories, and countless others, the audience empathizes with the protagonist because, as with most "everyman" stories, the protagonist could be anyone, and they're drawn into harrowing, dangerous, even deadly situations that most of us will never in our lives have to face. But it's that "what if" that keeps us riveted. What if we were the spouse that found that strange photograph and was now on the run? What if something sinister happened to me while I was unconscious during a medical procedure? The fact that these things could happen to anyone (even ourselves) is a big part of what makes them so compelling.
Sometimes, enjoyment of a story is based on how well we, as readers, can comprehend or understand a story. A lot of people are more frightened by horror stories of serial killers and kidnappings than they are of ghosts and demons, because from their perspective, serial killers and kidnappings are very real occurrences while ghosts and demons, at least for the most part, aren't demonstrated, objectively-occurring phenomena. Similarly, not everyone enjoys spy novels, police procedurals, and global conspiracy stories, because they don't come from a place that's easy for them to identify with or understand. A stolen child, or a mysterious package in the mail, however, is something just about everyone could imagine happening to themselves.
The next time you're writing a mystery story, consider having your protagonist be an "everyman" (or woman). Giving the story a feel like it could happen to anyone is likely to make your writing that much more compelling and engaging for the everyman and everywoman who's reading. 
Until next time,
- Jeff
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This week, I would encourage you to check out the following mystery items:
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#1695148 by Not Available. |
In my line of study, I have never seen a case quite like this. It seems to be a delusion, bordering on schizophrenia, but with a perception and lucidity that does not become the disease. I feel I must look into this further before I can state the reason for this woman’s suicide.
Hmm--Maybe I shouldn’t have told him I was alone. Alice shrugged her shoulders. It’s not like he knows where I live.
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#1694503 by Not Available. |
He crouched behind the young maple anxiously. Those steadfastly staring eyes, that enormous shrub quivering with life...they were robbing him of his calmness. He had just been planning on waiting behind the baby tree until his friend came back from his errand, then jump out, preying on Albert's fear of mountain lions. But he hadn't counted on that extra pair of eyes, locked onto his own.
A rose upon the sill / A rose holds such a thrill / Receive the gift, there comes a rift / A rose upon the sill
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#1582857 by Not Available. |
He didn’t speak – he seemed incapable of it. I saw the envelope shake in his fist, grip so tight that his knuckles flashed red and white. I slid it gingerly from his fingers. There was no address, no label. A torn corner of the envelope floated to the floor, catching on some invisible breeze to land past my feet. Tim watched as I looked inside.
Nothing hurt, however, so he must be okay. How could he be, when last night, or was it the night before, how long had he been out? Was it only last night that he had left his house with the cat? Where was the cat? Oh, yeah, locked in the trunk, he was safe.
He rushed to follow her, struck by an immediate musty odor that seemed to hang in the air. Cracked pieces of old, stained wood furniture littered the shop. His daughter pranced through the cluttered aisles, running her fingers over the unusual items. If only Natalia’s mother were still alive! Peter frowned at his daughter’s behavior, but said nothing. No one came out to greet them, but he spied a small light peering out from a crack in a door to the rear.
Write for me the type of story I love to read--a tale with a plot twist or surprise ending. I'm an expert at figuring out the twist before it happens. See if you can fool me!
Welcome to “Crack Kraken’s Code”! For each round, I will disguise a quote—which could have been sung, spoken, or scrawled—and your task is to be one of the first five people to decipher it.
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In response to my last newsletter on female crime-solvers:
Budroe  writes: "Loved this week's NL! Thanks for the Novel Writing Workshop plug! We're having a blast! As to female crime solvers, Nancy Drew et al comes to mind. She gave me many hours of pleasurable reading in my youth, and even today (when I can find the works!) from time to time. Thank you for a well-delivered product!"
Thanks for the kind words! Nancy Drew was one of the best! |
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Mystery: August 04, 2010 Issue [#3889]
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