Scott,
Re your defintion below:
> Much as I love the Martin Beck series, I have
to
> agree with Jim that they're
> not true blue procedurals. In my mind, the
pure
> prodecural is an exposition
> of police investigative techniques, with
little
> criticism of same.
By that definition, McBain, who often criticizes both the
bureaUcratic pettifogging of official law enforcement and the
individual brutality of certain officers, isn't writing
police procedurals, which is clearly a ludicrous, wholly
inaccurate, conclusion.
Neither is just about anyone else who's ever written a
realistic cop novel.
Even Jack Webb's DRAGNET had the occasional critical word to
say about police organziati0on and about individual
cops.
As for "commenting on society" that's more common in police
procedurals, given that they are the most
"naturalistic" of mystery sub-genres, than in any other kind
of crime story. McBain does it. Wambaugh does it. Wainwright
does it. Creasey did it. Webb did it. It's harder to think of
police writers who DON'T comment on society than those who
do. It was precisely the fact that the police procedural
provides such an excellent canvas for commenting on society
that drew the Wahloos to this sub-genre.
A police procedural is nothing more, and nothing less, than a
mystery (crime, suspense, detective, call it waht you will)
story in which the main interest is the accurate depiction
(or at least the appearance of the accurate depiction) of law
enforcement. By that definition, the Beck series,
particularly the first four entrees, more than
qualifies.
JIM DOHERTY
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