No Sex Please We’re Crime Writers
Have you ever wondered why there’s little or no sex in crime novels?
I could have been reading the wrong books, of course. But I don’t think so.
With fairly broad tastes in crime fiction, from cosy mysteries to police procedurals to thrillers, I have a good idea what’s out there. And what’s not – namely sex.
Maybe you prefer to read about murders being investigated and solved, not what the detective and femme fatale got up to after a day’s sleuthing.
It may spice up the scene, but sex should only be in a story if it’s essential to plot or character development.
This is why my novels have more in common with Agatha Christie than Martina Cole.
To me, it’s simple. You’re the reader. You can imagine a sex scene much better than I can write it. You’ll also imagine it a little differently from other readers, making the story more personal to you.
Why would I spoil such moments for you?
Romance in crime fiction seems to be another area that divides readers. If you think the investigation and solving the crime are all that matter, you might not want digressions into a character’s personal life.
Then again, if you’re interested in the characters and what makes them who they are, you’ll want to learn about their lives. And a little romance or sexual tension never hurt anyone, did it?
Like most things in life, it’s about balance.
When I created No Accident, the first Downland Murder Mystery, my main character, Kent Fisher, was secretly in love with his assistant, Gemma. Not that he was going to tell her, of course. Keeping his feelings to himself added an extra layer of tension and conflict to their relationship.
The sexual tension between them adds to the story. Will they get together, or won’t they? As the series progresses, the question is never far from readers’ minds, judging by the reviews.
Does it get in the way of the investigation?
Or does it add something to the story and characters?
As a reader, you can decide.
You may not be the reader I have in mind when I write the novels. While I don’t consider my novels to be cosy, they drift into that end of the market because I choose to avoid graphic sex, violence and excessive swearing.
When I started the series, I envisaged the stories as TV programmes.
If someone made them into a TV series – Steven Spielberg take note – they would be aimed at the Sunday evening, 8pm slot, like McDonald and Dobbs, say. It’s family viewing time. Or maybe it should be 9pm, as some of the later novels have darker themes.
Either way, my aim is to give you something exciting and entertaining, to focus your curiosity and mind on a baffling case while you relax, as if you’re in the company of a good friend.
You may prefer the grittier, more graphic dramas that reflect our current society rather than offering an escape from it.
Me, I like to settle down with a book and a cup of tea to escape into a complex murder investigation, filled with adventure, suspense and a complex whodunit.
As an author of murder mysteries, my job is to entertain and stimulate the armchair detective in you. You deserve a complex plot with plenty of twists and red herrings to throw you off the scent.
But if you’re like many of my readers, you’ll want characters to follow and root for. The relationships between these characters are just as important as the plot, which means there may be a touch of romance or sexual tension to spice up the backstory.
I think that’s enough.
How about you? What do you think?
How do you feel about sex in crime fiction?
Please let me to know.