Three Kinds of Sleuths in Mystery Fiction
There are not two but three kinds of sleuths in mysteries, whether in print or in film and television: professional, amateur, and accidental. Sherlock Holmes, Hercule Poirot, Nick Charles, and the officers with detective ranks in police procedurals, are professionals. They are in the business of solving mysteries; they earn their living by doing that, or at least, by enforcing the law. Albert Campion, Lord Peter Wimsey, and Nancy Drew are amateurs. They call themselves detectives but they are not licensed. For them, sleuthing is like a "calling." They have considerable, even formidable skill in the craft, but they do not charge a fee, and are not compensated. They are perceived -- and put themselves forward -- as experienced solvers of mysteries, worthy of being consulted or taking charge. The sleuths in popular "cozy" mysteries, however, are neither professionals nor amateurs. They are otherwise ordinary people who do not consider or present themselves as det...