Crime Writer Margot Kinberg

Humans need a certain amount of security. In fact, if theorists such as Abraham Maslow are right, then safety and security are among our most important needs. If we don’t feel secure, we can’t really function, certainly not well enough to meet our higher-level needs like curiosity or self fulfilment. As important as security is, it’s no surprise that we see that need crop up a lot in crime fiction. Characters might commit crime in order to be safe. They may stay in a dangerous relationship because a partner provides a luxurious lifestyle. Or they might lie to the police or at least refuse to help because they feel their safety depends on it. There are a lot of such characters in the genre; space only permits mention of a few.

In Agatha Christie’s Ordeal by Innocence, Rachel Argyle is murdered with a fireplace poker. Her adopted son Jacko is tried and convicted of the crime and dies in prison. Two years later, Dr. Arthur Calgary visits the Argyle family home. He brings news that he thinks will delight the family: he has conclusive proof that Jacko Argyle was not guilty of his mother’s murder. Instead of being happy, though, the family is upset and distressed. If Jacko didn’t commit the murder, then who did? Every one of the family members has gotten accustomed to a well-heeled, contented life, and this revelation turns everything upside down. With the family’s sense of safety threatened, the members aren’t really happy about helping Calgary find out who killed the victim.

Patricia Abbott’s Concrete Angel is the story of Eve Moran. She’s always had a deep need to acquire things, and she’s not particularly choosy about how she gets them. Stealing, swindling, and even murder are not beneath her. The child of a poor family, Eve is very attractive, so when she got the attention of wealthy Hank Moran, she thought she’d be able to have the life and things she wants. It wasn’t enough, though, and she continued to shoplift, among other things. Even a ‘rest cure’ wasn’t helpful. Eve’s daughter Christine has been brought up in this toxic atmosphere, and after her parents’ divorce, has become even more dependent on her mother. With a strong need for the safety and security of a parent, Christine is caught in her mother’s web. Then, she sees that her three-year-old brother Ryan is at risk of being trapped in the same way. Now, Christine will have to leave behind the only security she’s ever had if she’s to save herself and Ryan.

The need for safety and security comes up in Anthony Bidulka’s Flight of Aquavit, too. Saskatoon PI Russell Quant is approached by successful accountant Daniel Guest. He’s been married for a number of years to a woman but has also had relationships with men. Now, one of those men is blackmailing him. Quant suggests that Guest come out publicly, but Guest refuses to do that, fearing it will threaten his social place and his status in the business community. Instead, he wants Quant to find the blackmailer and stop that person. Quant agrees and gets to work on the case. The trail leads to New York – and a murder victim. In this novel, we meet more than one character for whom a safe, secure life is more important than just about anything.

We also see this in Susan Walter’s As Good as Dead. Holly Kendrick witnessed the hit-and-run crash that killed her husband Gabriel. Wealthy and powerful Hollywood mogul Jack Kimball owns the car involved in the incident, and he doesn’t want anything about the case to get out. So, he and his attorney offer an agreement to Holly and her daughter Savannah. Kimball will pay for Holly and Savannah to live a luxurious lifestyle, complete with a multi-million-dollar home in an exclusive area. Savannah’s education will be paid for, as will all of their medical expenses. The Kendricks are far from wealthy, and this offer will provide them a lifestyle they could only dream about before. The only thing they have to do in return is say nothing to anyone about the car crash. In exchange for their silence, they’ll get the safety and security they’ve never had. That’s enough for them to eventually agree. All starts out well enough, but it’s not easy. Holly isn’t really comfortable with the arrangements, and the people in their community are curious about the new arrivals. Questions begin to be asked, and it’s going to be hard for Holly to mix with people while still guarding her secret.

In Brannavan Gnanalingham’s Sprigs, we meet the First XV rugby players at St. Luke’s College, an exclusive New Zealand secondary school for boys. For many of the boys at the school (and for their families), their social position, and the security that wealth represents, are of paramount importance. The school’s standing is just as important, as that will guarantee more pupils, more tuition, and so on. So, everything is done (including playing a hard, competitive rugby match) to keep up the school’s reputation. Everything changes one Saturday night after a particularly challenging rugby match. Several of the St. Luke’s players gather at the home of one of their members for a party. They’ve invited a lot of other people, too. Among the guests is Priya Gaianan, a Year Eleven student at another school. During the party, four of the rugby players gang-rape Priya, and it’s recorded. Worse, the video is uploaded and starts to be circulated. Priya, of course, has to face the trauma of what’s happened to her, and that causes her to question her own safety. When the school authorities find out what’s happened, things get even harder for Priya. School leaders know what will happen if a school gets a bad reputation, so they want the incident dealt with as quietly and quickly as possible. Priya’s school, too, wants the whole thing over with, as it’s got its reputation to consider. The novel shows how the need for safety and security can sometimes overwhelm even consideration for victims and survivors of crime.

But that’s the thing about safety. It’s that important. People will do just about anything to make sure they’re safe and secure. These are only a few examples. I’m sure you can think of others.

*NOTE: The title of this post is a line from Harry Chapin’s Taxi.