Re: Re[2]: RARA-AVIS: Broadly speaking
Mark Sullivan (ANONYMEINC@webtv.net)
Tue, 25 Aug 1998 20:29:17 -0400 (EDT)
While I agree with what James has to say about serial killer
novels in
general and Block and Schutz in partticular, I want to clarify
my view
on "institutonal" detectives. While the Continental Op and the
Kearny
Agency (I haven't read Nebel, although as often as his name
comes up, I
guess I should) do work for organizations, I would hardly say
their
behavior is as constrained as that of a rule-following FBI
agent as
Clarice was (now all of the renegade cops and Feds of Leonard
and others
is a whole 'nother thing). While admittedly a company man, the
Op was
able to accomplish what he did in Red Harvest because he was
on
outsider. And Kearny's men act as outsiders also, being car
thieves for
good. I would argue that in these cases the organizations
themselves
act as outsiders, not always bound by legal tactics. Their
goals may be
noble, but their means are sometimes questionable.
Mark
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