While rereading Benjamin Schutz, I realized just how much
contemporary PI novels, from Parker on, have revolved around
protecting or saving kids. Several of the early Parker novels
deal with kids, finding kidnap victims or keeping them out of
the way of adults who might harm them, physically or
psychologically. Jerry's Blunt Darts dealt with a kid as have
some of his other books. Everything Vachss writes deals with
this issue. I could go on to list a bunch more, but I
won't.
I'm tying to figure out how new this trend is. Of course,
Ross Macdonald addressed it, the inheritance of sins being
his major theme, but I'm having trouble thinking of any
before him. I mean, there were kidnappings and ransoms, but
the kids were just MacGuffins to set the plot in motion. The
focus was on the detective or parent while tracking down the
criminal, but how often was the kid developed as a character
and not just a plot device?
There are many others here who are far more knowledgeable
about vintage hardboiled. Is my impression anywhere near
accurate?
Mark
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