A band of sisters

Margaret Kinsman

pp. 153-169

in: Warren Chernaik, Martin Swales, Robert Vilain (eds), The art of detective fiction, Basingstoke, Palgrave Macmillan, 2000

Abstract

Famous detecting partnerships are a recurring thematic and structural convention of the crime and mystery literary tradition. From Holmes and Watson, through Poirot and Hastings, Harriet and Lord Peter, and on to Easy Rawlins and Mouse, the detective and the sidekick constitute a distinguishing generic feature. Traditionally, the fictional superhuman detective is in need of no-one as friend or assistant; yet paradoxically, while the detective is seen and understood as isolated and apart, he is often part of a pair who sleuth together and have a rudimentary friendship. If one of the generic functions of partners such as Watson and Holmes is to "help" the detective solve the crime, another function of the sidekick is to help protect the detective's legendary stance of detachment from other people. However, modern crime and mystery fiction writers have modified this generic convention to present increasingly diverse configurations of friendship, exploring that mysterious and universal dynamic that unites people across barriers of age, race, class, distance and experience.