Plenty of people dream of things they’d like to do – passions they’d like to pursue. But the fact is, we all have to make a living. Of course, it’s best if one can make one’s living doing what one loves, but that’s not always possible. So, very often, people have to choose between what they’d really love to be doing, and the job they go to every day. The conflict can be a challenge in real life; in crime fiction, though, it can make for interesting layers of character development. It can even add a plot line to a story.
For instance, in Agatha Christie’s The Mysterious Affair at Styles, we are introduced to Lawrence Cavendish. He trained as a doctor; however, his health has never been very good, so he wasn’t able to follow that dream. Now, he lives at home, at Styles Court, Essex. He’s tried to do some writing, but with little real success. His background and interest in medicine comes into play when his stepmother, Emily Inglethorp, suddenly dies of what turns out to be poison. As it happens, Captain Hastings is visiting the family, so he’s on hand when she is murdered. When Hastings discovers that his old friend Hercule Poirot is living in the nearby village, he asks for Poirot’s hep in catching the killer. And Lawrence Cavendish’s background makes him a person of interest.
Mark Haddon’s The Mysterious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time is the story of fifteen-year-old Christopher Boone. He has autism, so he has a different perspective on life to the one his father and others have. Anyone else might say that Christopher should content himself with learning as much as he can, and perhaps having some sort of supervised job. But Christopher has other dreams. He wants to be a detective just like Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes. He gets his chance when the dog belonging to the people next door is killed, and he is blamed. Christopher knows he’s not guilty, so he determines to clear his name. He doesn’t go about it in the typical way, but in the end, his dream of being a detective serves him well.
In Angela Makholwa’s Red Ink, we meet Lucy Kamboule and Patricia Moebelo, who co-own a Johannesburg publicity company. Lucy has dreamed of becoming a writer, but although she’s done a little journalism, she’s never been able to really pursue writing. That changes one day when she gets a call from Napoleon Dingiswayo. He’s in a maximum-security prison for multiple murders. Lucy tried to get an interview with him once, but he declined. Now, he wants to meet her and have her write his story. Lucy can’t believe her good luck, and although she is a little nervous about working with Dingiswayo, she agrees to at least meet with him. Not long after the two begin their collaboration, some strange and disturbing things begin to happen. Dingiswayo is in a super-secure prison, so it’s just about impossible for him to be responsible for what’s going on. But if it’s not him, then who is it? As time goes on, Lucy finds that following her dream could be much more dangerous than she imagined.
Max Kinnings’ Baptism features London train driver George Wakeham. When he was younger, he wanted more than anything to be a musician. He’s got some talent, but never really broke through to the ‘big time.’ He’s married and has two children, so working here and there isn’t an option for him. He doesn’t hate his job, but it’s certainly not inspiring. Then one day, three people invade his home, taking his wife and children hostage. They hand him a phone and tell him to follow their exact instructions, beginning with going to his daily job as usual. Once he’s in his train and driving, they follow along, boarding the train and continuing to issue instructions. And it’s soon clear that the hostage-takers are planning the deaths of over 400 people who are on the train. Now, George has to find a way to keep himself, his family, and the other passengers alive.
There are also several ‘regular’ characters and protagonists who’ve chosen between their dreams and the reality of making a living. One of them is Kerry Greenwood’s Melbourne-based Corinna Chapman. She has a background in accountancy and did well enough with it. But she grew to dislike it. Her heart lies in baking, especially in baking bread. It was a real gamble, but she opened her own bakery and lives above it. As the series goes on, Corinna’s bakery does well, and there are plenty of people who come in every day. She’s happier than she ever was as an accountant, and when she does look back, she has no regrets about following her dream. Of course, living her dream has meant that she gets mixed up in murder and other crimes…
Gail Bowen’s Joanne Kilbourn Shreve is a (now retired) academician and political scientist. She is also a wife and mother. Like most parents, she wants the best for her children, including her daughter Mieka. Early in the series, Mieka is a university student, but she has other dreams. She wants to open a bakery/catering service. At first, Joanne isn’t at all happy that her daughter has dropped out of university and is pursuing this dream. But Mieka is smart and hard-working. She has a sensible business plan, and she is well aware of the risks involved. So, despite her misgivings, Joanne supports her daughter. Mieka’s business plays a role in a few of the novels in which she appears.
The realities of life mean that we don’t always get to have things we want, and we have to find feasible ways to earn a living and have a life. That doesn’t mean we don’t have dreams, though, and it’s interesting how we balance those with practical concerns.
*NOTE: The title of this post is a line from Billy Joel’s Money or Love.
Crime Writer Margot Kinberg 