Jim Doherty argues,
> >
> Now an amateur who gets involved in one single case,
because he's
> wrongfully accused, because he's in the wrong place
at the wrong time,
or
> because of some other odd circumstance, may be
credible for a single book,
> but not for a series.
>
> Cozies, whatever their merits or faults, are
generally the province of
> amateurs like Lord Peter, Ellery Queen, or Jessica
Fletcher. Hard-boiled
> characters, or at least hard-boiled *series*
characters, are pros, and, in
> consequence, have an automatic level of
believability that their amateur
> brethren lack.
>
Jim, When you enlarge your definition of a pro to a lawyer or
reporter this is certainly true most of the time, but ofhand
I can think of a couple of exceptions: Coben's Myron Bolitar
is a sports agent, and Von Elsner's Jake Winkman is a bridge
pro. Technically, Block's early Scudder and Coe's Mitch Tobin
are not pi's, though they are policemen who lost their job.
Mark
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