Wednesday, 17 July 2013

Death comes again

The rain beats steadily against the window like an uninvited guest.
The room is dark save for a lone light in the centre where a figure is crouched alone.
The knife, with its sharp glint, inches up slowly and stealthily.
The killer strikes the unsuspecting victim. Again and again.
Till the page of the book is turned.

Sounds familiar?
Sounds like you? Not the killer, I mean, the reader…
Let me guess –
  •  Sherlock Holmes, Byomkesh Bakshi, Feluda, Hercule Poirot, Miss Marple – been there, read that?
  • Your idea of a perfect day – an unread Agatha Christie where you could guess the murderer?
  • Does everyone else in the family thinks you must have gone nuts as you sit and watch back-to-back Criminal Minds and/or Law and Order episodes to relax at the end of a long day?
  •  You wonder who let CID be launched on Indian Television as a crime show rather than a comedy one?
Well if the answer to majority of the above questions is yes, then, like me, by now you would have finished all the classic murder mysteries and wondered, now what?

Where are the real psychological crime thrillers now?

That book which you can’t put down, which keeps you awake at night, which sends shivers down your spine and which unravels the dark corners of a criminal mind?
The stories that do not just read like fast paced action drama or like gruesome accounts of blood and gore with DNA analysis thrown in for good measure but which challenge you to unravel a puzzle and match wits with a ruthless and highly intelligent killer?
The good old-fashioned "whodunit" which reflects the changes in society and the dangers of the human mind?
Well, the good news for all crime-starved souls like us is that there do exist crime authors in this genre. The bad news is not many of them are based out of India.

My top picks for a few interesting crime authors and the unforgettable characters they have created:

1. PD JAMES
    About the author: She's 90 and still quite a presence! Worked in the Home Office
    Backdrop of the stories: London
    Detective: Adam Dalgilesh; celebral and private, fond of writing poetry
    What's unique: precise prose and sharp insights into human mind
2. RUTH RENDELL
    About the author: A journalist; believes in exercise of the body and mind even at 82!
    Backdrop of the stories: London
    Detective: Inspector Wexford; well-read, witty, solid, calm, women love him
    What's unique: often tackles issues of social injustice
3. HENNING MANKELL
    About the author: Been a seaman and dabbled in theatre. Lives half the year in Africa
    Backdrop of the stories: Sweden
    Detective: Kurt Wallander; loves opera, grumpy but upright, battles diabetes and more
    What's unique: beautifully incorporates changes in Swedish society
4. JO NESBO
    About the author: Been a financial analyst and a rockstar; also played footfall
    Backdrop of the stories: Norway
    Detective: Inspector Harry Hole; a rebel battling the bottle and his own demons
    What's unique: absolutely chilling crime descriptions; often about women in danger
5IAN RANKIN
    About the author: Has been writing since his graduation in 1982
    Backdrop of the stories: Scotland
    Detective: Inspector Rebus; lonely, troubled, tries hard to stay sober
    What's unique: music plays an important part as a backdrop in his books
6. PETER TEMPLE
    About the author: Former journalist and lecturer
    Backdrop of the stories: Australia
    Detective: Jack Irish; former lawyer turned investigator and others
    What's unique: rich detailing of atmosphere including Australia's urban and rural       
    landscape

There are a few of my current favourite picks. There are many more.
The detectives of these books are not paragons of virtue but believable and flawed characters with their own insecurities and fears. They are at times disillusioned, at times rebellious, they battle alcoholism and/or diabetes. The darkness they see around them affects them deeply; their personal lives are often in shambles. But they are characters one can root for and characters which develop further with each novel rather than remaining static with a few stock and trademark characteristics like some detectives of the earlier days.

Well, naysayers will keep saying crime fiction is all about formula. It will never win the Booker Prize or be called literary fiction. Could be true in many cases. But the best of crime fiction do not just aim to thrill, they feature good language and gripping stories apart from brilliant characterization and a chance to understand the frailties of human mind and the changes in society that we never stop to think about.

I will return later this month with a few new Indian names that can be added to this list. And yes, if you are part of the crime-starved community, please also do share your new favourite authors.

And now returning to the crime scene we left. Did you just guess who the murderer is? 

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