I'm not familiar with all the characters Jim Blue named, but
Easy Rawlins describes himself as a private detective (albeit
an unlicensed one). He takes pay for his investigations. He
doesn't just stumble over them, or decide to look into them
as a hobby. The possession or lack of possession of a license
isn't really what makes one a pro. It's whether or not you
make your living that way. I understand that PI licenses are
not required in the state of Colorado, for example. (Colorado
residents on the list can confirm or deny this). Assuming
that's true, does it follow that the PI characters of Rex
Burns or Michael Allegretto, who ply their trade in Denver,
are amateurs? Of course not! They're PIs because that's how
they make their living, not because a state bureacracy says
so.
A PI like Matt Scudder, who practiced his profession "off the
books" for many years before finally succumbing and applying
for a license, would seem to meet Jim Blue's prescription for
a "character who lives on the edge of the law." But he's also
a professional investigator with professional skills who gets
paid for his professional services.
I went beyond the "Big Three" of PIs, cops, and spies,
because it struck me that there were professions whos
proactitioners would become involved in crimes because of
those professions on a regular basis. Journalists and lawyers
among them. The criteria is this: First, does the
protagonist's job one that can convincingly involve him/her
in criminal investigation on a regular basis? Second, does
the job require investigative skills? Lawyers and journalists
fit the criteria. Sports agents don't. English lords don't.
Mystery writers (unless they're also cops, PIs, or spies)
don't. This isn't to say that enjoyable novels can't be
written about anyone who happens to fall into those
categories. It's just to say they aren't pros.
I stand by my assertion. The hardboiled world is, by and
large, a professional's world. The cozy world isn't. In fact,
it could be argued that professionalism is at the root of the
HB ethic. Certainly the Op, Hammett's most frequently used
character seems to be motivated by professional pride than by
anything else.
JIM DOHERTY
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