Mark,
Re your comments below:
> Perhaps it takes it [professionalism] back
into
> matters of class. In
> order to have the
> spare time to solve murders, the amateurs must be
of
> the leisure class.
> However, the pros are not even going to get
involved
> unless they are
> paid. They are doing a job. This requires
more
> practicality on the
> part of the detectives. It makes them
working
> stiffs, easier to
> identify with for most, particularly
American,
> readers, and gives them a
> real (at least real within the confines of
the
> genre) reason for
> becoming involved with a corpse. Even though it
is
> a cliche for PIs to
> finish the job, even after being fired, they
would
> not be on the job in
> thte first place if they had not been hired.
In
> addition, the
> professionalism makes it more believable that
the
> detectives would have
> the skills and knowledge needed to solve
crimes.
Good points. Further, that both the crime-solvers
(whether private or public) and the criminals are, for the
most part, pros roots the story in the real world, because
both actually have a believable reason for their
actions(however melodramatic and unbelievable the actual
story might be). And it's simply the fact that this is how
they make their living. This is not true of either the
tradtional mystery's amateur sleuth nor its amateur
criminal.
JIM DOHERTY
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