Crime Writer Margot Kinberg

Some people truly enjoy being out on a boat. They love to sail (or be a passenger), and being on the water is calming to them. Some people go out on the water because they enjoy (or earn a living from) fishing, and they, too, feel a deep connection with boats and water.  Boats and water and those who love them can be very interesting crime-fictional characters, too. There are a lot of possibilities when it comes to plot threads, character development, and even murder scenes. Here are just a few; I know you’ll think of more.

In Agatha Christie’s Three Act Tragedy, for instance, we are introduced to famous actor Sir Charles Cartwright. He’s been taking some time off from the stage and is spending time at his seaside home in Cornwall. Living nearby are Lady Mary Lytton Gore and her daughter Hermione ‘Egg.’ Egg has developed feelings for Sir Charles and tries to spend time with him and attract his attention. Among other things, Sir Charles enjoys sailing and Egg thinks he’s a much better sailor than he admits. In fact, at the beginning of the novel, he’s just been out on the water with Egg, whom he says makes him look ‘like a landlubber.’ Their peaceful Cornish life is shattered one night when Sir Charles hosts a sherry party. One of the guests, Reverend Stephen Babbington, suddenly collapses and dies of what turns out to be poison. As it happens, Hercule Poirot has also been invited to the party, as has one of Christie’s recurring characters, Mr. Satterthwaite. Poirot is drawn into the investigation and starts asking questions. Then, there’s another, similar murder. It’s not an easy case, but once Poirot works out how best to look at the case, he finds out the truth.

Nicholas Blake’s The Beast Must Die introduces novelist Frank Cairnes. Six months earlier, his son Martin ‘Martie’ died as a result of a hit-and-run incident. Cairnes is determined to find and punish the person responsible. In fact, he says so in the first sentence of the novel. He moves back to the town in which the accident happens so as to find out the truth. It’s not long before he discovers that Martie’s killer was a man called George Rattery. Cairnes finds a way into Rattery’s acquaintance and ends up staying with the man. He learns that Rattery likes to go out in his boat and decides to kill him while they’re on the water. One day, he sees his chance when Rattery invites him to come along. But it turns out that Rattery found and read the journal in which Cairnes outlined his scheme. Even though the two men are alone on the water, Cairnes can’t carry out his plan. So, the two return to shore. Later that day, Rattery dies of what turns out to be poison. Cairnes is a natural suspect, but he claims that he is innocent. After all, why would he plan to poison someone he’d already intended to drown? Cairnes asks amateur sleuth Nigel Strangeways to clear his name, and Strangeways agrees. It’s not an easy case, and Strangeways has to work to get to the truth.

Sandy Curtis’ Deadly Tide is the story of the Brisbane-based Bretton family. For years, they’ve made a living from their fishing boat, Sea Mistress. Recently, though Alan ‘Tug’ Bretton broke a leg, and can’t skipper the boat. His daughter, Samantha ‘Sam,’ wants to take his place. At first, he’s not willing to allow that, but the family needs the money, so he reluctantly agrees. Sam gets the boat ready and hires Chayse Jarrett as deckhand. What she doesn’t know, though, is that he is an undercover police detective who’s looking for a connection between the Bretton family and the Brisbane drugs trade. Sam has her own secrets. Her father’s been accused of killing a man called Ewan McKay, who may be involved in the drug scene. Sam is convinced her father is innocent, and she wants to find out who really did commit the murder. There are a lot of scenes on the boat, both peaceful and… not so peaceful. Among other things, it shows what life is like for people who are deeply familiar with boats and being on the water.

In Rose Carlyle’s The Girl in the Mirror, we are introduced to twin sisters Summer and Iris. They’ve always been close, although they’re different in personality, and they have a strong bond. Then they learn that their father’s vast fortune will go to the first one who produces an heir. Iris assumes that Summer will inherit, since she’s already married, and Iris isn’t even involved with anyone. But that doesn’t mean that Iris doesn’t want the money herself. She sees her chance when Summer asks Iris to accompany her husband Adam on a two-week trip to take the family yacht to the Seychelles. At the last minute, Summer decides to go along, and this changes the trip’s dynamic. Then, Summer goes missing. The ocean is far too large to have any hope of finding her, so the search is futile. But things are not always what they seem…

There are other crime-fictional protagonists, too, who enjoy being on the water. John D. MacDonald’s Travis McGee, for instance, lives on a boat called Busted Flush, which he docks at Fort Lauderdale. He enjoys being on his boat and knows the water in the area very well. The situation works for him, because he prefers to live simply and to have few ties. He goes out on the water when he wants, or when a case requires it, and he gets the supplies he needs when he’s docked. It’s not the life everyone would choose, but it works for him.

Being on the water, whether it’s sailing or on another kind of boat, can have real appeal. It can be peaceful, rejuvenating, and more. Of course, in crime fiction, things are never really peaceful for long…

*NOTE: The title of this post is a line from Little River Band’s Cool Change.