A very interesting post from Moira at Clothes in Books has got me thinking about how places can change over time. Sometimes, gentrification means that former slums and decrepit areas are transformed into fashionable places to live and work. Other times, places that were once considered upmarket end up falling into disrepair. There are a number of reasons this happens, but whatever the reason, it means change. That change can add to a sense of place and history in a novel, and we certainly see that in crime fiction.
For instance (and this is the place Moira mentioned in her post), part of the focus of Agatha Christie’s The Seven Dials Mystery is the section of London called Seven Dials. In the novel, Lady Ellen ‘Bundle’ Brent gets drawn into an international conspiracy and a secret group of people. The group’s meeting place is the Seven Dials Club, which is a disreputable nightclub. But, as Bundle mentions in the novels, the place – Seven Dials – has changed. During the Victorian Era, it was a slum, featuring seedy brothels, street gangs, and plenty of crime. Since that time, it’s become an upmarket, trendy place that features boutiques, ‘niche’ restaurants and shopping, and so on. Even during the time that Christie was writing, the area had improved its reputation and was making changes. It’s an interesting place with a rich past.
Peter Temple’s Bad Debts takes place in Melbourne, where sometimes-lawyer/sometimes-PI Jack Irish gets involved in the murders of Anne Jeppeson and later, Danny McKillop. And it all relates to the planned gentrification of Yarra, just outside Melbourne. At one point, Yarra was an industrial place, with substandard housing and worse. But, during the mid-to-late 20th Century, the area began to change. Today it’s a very upmarket area, with fashionable shops and restaurants, an art movement, and expensive housing. The novel, published in 1996, reflects some of the changes. Its focus is a planned improvement of the area, to be called Yarra Cove. Some people are very excited about the new building, believing it will bring greater safety and more resources to the area. Others, though, resist the change, claiming it will mean the destruction of people’s homes and other property. Anne was one of the leaders of that movement when she was killed in a hit-and-run auto accident. Danny McKillop was convicted of the crime, but when he’s released from prison, he’s murdered, too. Since Jack was his lawyer, he feels a responsibility to find out the truth about both murders, and it all ends up having to do with Yarra Cove.
That conflict between those who want to change an area and those who don’t can also be seen in a few of Gail Bowen’s books (e.g. Kaleidoscope, The Gifted, 12 Rose Street, What’s Left Behind). The flashpoint for these tensions is the North Central section of Regina, which is a disproportionally poor, run-down part of the city. Attorney Zack Shreve is spearheading a plan for community improvement for the area, the flagship of which will be the Racette-Hunter Community Centre. His wife (and Bowen’s protagonist), Joanne Kilbourn Shreve, is involved in the project, too. The idea is to bring resources, jobs, and better living conditions to North Central. Not everyone endorses the project. For various reasons, there is opposition to it, and the simmering tension flares up more than once and is related to more than one murder as this story arc goes on.
Stephen Booth’s Dying to Sin is in part about the decline of Pity Wood Farm, near the town of Rakesdale. Once, it was a thriving farm and a part of the local economy. But it’s fallen into disrepair and the owners, brothers Raymond and Derek Sutton, sold the place to a Manchester attorney called Aaron Goodwin. He bought the property for development purposes and has no interest in living there or refurbishing the farm. When human remains are found on Pity Wood Farm, Detective Sergeant (DS) Diane Fry and Detective Constable (DC) Ben Cooper of the Derbyshire Police investigate. As you can imagine, both the Sutton brothers and Goodwin are people of interest. But the case turns out to be more complicated than that, and Fry and Cooper have to untangle several proverbial threads to get to the truth of the matter.
There’s also M.C. Beaton’s Love, Lies, and Liquor. Private Investigator Agatha Raisin is surprised when her ex-husband, James Lacey, invites her to take a holiday at the Paradise Hotel, Snoth-on-Sea. He has very fond memories of childhood times spent there and wants Agatha to join him on a nostalgia trip. Against her better judgement, Agatha agrees. Trouble begins the moment they arrive. Snoth-on-Sea is no longer the family-oriented, lovely seaside place James remembers. It’s fallen on hard times and is now run-down. The hotel itself is dilapidated and in need of repair. In fact, Agatha wants to leave. But then, she’s drawn into a murder case when the body of fellow hotel guest, Geraldine Jankers, is discovered on the beach near the hotel. She and Agatha had a quarrel the night before, and Agatha’s scarf has been found on the beach. So, she is a person of interest. Agatha is determined to clear her name, and she stays in Snoth-on-Sea to do just that.
Most places do change over time. Some of those changes are gradual, and some are more sudden. Either way, they tell the story of a place, and they can provide interesting background for a story. Thanks, Moira, for the inspiration. Now, treat yourself to a visit to Moira’s great blog. Thoughtful and fun reviews and commentary await you.
*NOTE: The title of this post is a line from the Beatles’ In My Life.
Crime Writer Margot Kinberg 