Crime Writer Margot Kinberg

Humans are hard-wired to be social and to live in groups. Most of the time, that works well; everything (e.g. the security of the group, feeding everyone, raising young, etc..) is easier when done collectively. But there are certain situations when, instead of working together, people adopt what’s been called an ‘every man for himself’ approach. That can happen if people don’t feel they can trust each other, and that they’re less at risk looking out for just themselves. It can be scary in real life and often ends badly. In crime fiction, situations like that can add real suspense and tension to a novel. And it’s interesting psychologically to see how people react in those circumstances.

For instance, in Agatha Christie’s  And Then There Were None, a group of people is invited for a stay at a house on Indian Island, off the Devon coast. No-one wants to go, but everyone accepts the invitation for different reasons. Once there, everyone is told that the host has not arrived, but to settle in. That night, just after dinner, each member of the group is accused of causing the death of at least one other person. Then, one of the guests suddenly collapses and dies of what turns out to be poison. Later that night, there’s another murder. It’s soon clear that someone has lured these people to the island and is killing them one by one. Now, the survivors have to find out who the killer is, even as they try to stay alive. No-one trusts anyone else, so it’s a real case of ‘looking out for Number One.’

Antti Tuomainen’s The Healer takes place in dystopian Helsinki. Climate change and corporate greed have wreaked havoc on the world and created millions of refugees. Police service is practically non-existent, and only the wealthy have a modicum of security and stable living conditions. Against this backdrop, a poet called Tapani Lehtinen has become worried about his wife, Johanna. She’s a journalist who was researching a story about a man dubbed the Healer. This person has committed several murders of CEOs of companies believed to be responsible for the current disasters. Johanna hasn’t been in contact with her husband, and he knows that the police won’t do him any good. So, he decides to follow the leads she was following, in the hopes that this will help him find her. The world he negotiates is bleak and unforgiving, and few people are willing to be of assistance.

Octavia E. Butler’s Parable of the Sower also takes place in a dystopian context. In this case, it’s greater Los Angeles. Eighteen-year-old Lauren Oya Olamina lives with her family in a walled community in a chaotic town. Food is expensive and hard to get, security is nearly non-existent, and no-one dares leave the community because the people outside are desperately poor and have nothing to lose. So, anyone who does leave risks being robbed or worse. It’s a bleak atmosphere, but the residents try to do the best they can. One day, the wall is breached by a group of down-and-out people who then proceed to rob, kill, and burn down houses. Lauren has no choice but to flee, so she does. With her she brings her cousin. The plan is to walk (because few people have cars) as far north as possible, maybe even to Canada. Along the way, the group increases as different members with their own horror stories join. Murders, thefts, arson, and more are committed constantly as the group moves along, and while they agree to stay together for safety, nobody completely trusts anyone else. It’s a frightening journey, and a lot of that is because everyone is just trying to survive, so it’s an ‘every man for himself’ situation.

In one thread of Paul Pilkington’s Long Gone, Natalie Long is thrilled when she is chosen for a competition to win a high-status job at a prestigious company called Brand New. She heads to London, to the company’s mysterious headquarters, and gets settled. Soon enough, it’s clear that this is no ordinary job competition. Each candidate will stay the weekend, without the use of WiFi, mobile phones, or regular telephone. They’ll be assigned different activities, always with the knowledge that only one of them will win. This sets the candidates up against each other, so nobody can be trusted, and anyone might sabotage someone’s efforts. It’s highly stressful, and Natalie begins to wonder whether it’s worth it. When she doesn’t come home as expected, her roommate Amy gets worried. So, Amy asks her father, Detective Chief Inspector (DCI) Paul Cullen, to look into the matter. He reluctantly agrees and begins to ask questions. As the story goes on, we see just how cutthroat the competition is, and how difficult it can be when you can’t depend on anyone but yourself.

There’s also Anthony McCarten’s Going Zero. In it, the US government has partnered with a company called Fusion to create technology to catch terrorists. The company decides to test its technology by staging a competition. Ten participants will be given the instruction to ‘Go Zero’ at an appointed time. From that moment, they have two hours to disappear. After that, their names, photos, and other information will be given to Fusion, which will then go after them. Anyone who has not been caught by the end of the month will win three million dollars. The contestants are all desperate for the money, so they agree to the terms. That includes Boson librarian Kaitlyn Day, who has her own separate agenda. She wants to find her friend Warren who went missing and is probably in the Middle East; she’s hoping the money will bring her closer. At first, the Fusion people think that Kaitlyn will be easy prey and not savvy about ‘disappearing.’ But they’ve reckoned without her. Throughout the story, there’s a real sense that nobody can be trusted, no-one will help, and each contestant is all alone, so to speak. And while it’s not a traditional crime novel, there are plenty of crimes committed in the story.

Sometimes it’s easy to forget how important people are to each other. That is, until we’re in a situation where nobody is safe. That plot point can add a great deal of tension and suspense to a crime story.

*NOTE: The title of this post is the title of a Santana song.