Detectives beyond families

Peter at Detectives Beyond Borders has an interesting post, Crime Families,  in which he discusses the efforts of various authors, for example Henning Mankell, at creating "alternative families" in their novels. Peter asks readers to suggest additional books in which families play a significant part in the plot. I immediately thought of Ruth Rendell's Chief Inspector Wexford (and Inspector Burden) books (see comment to Peter's post), in which Wexford's two daughters and Burden's family feature regularly, driving the plot in most outings. Another family-oriented detective series that has occurred to me since then is the one by Donna Leon, featuring Inspector Brunetti and his improbably perfect feminist, cook and literature professor wife, Paula, with their two (now) teenage children, who often provide plot-fodder. Any other ideas? Please comment either at Peter's place or here -- we can liaise.

Comments

[Peter]

Let’s hope I don't crash again as I near the end of a long post. I had written that you and I ask different though related questions. I had not, in fact, thought much about what role these non-traditional families play in plots (and I wish I could think of a term that made me sound less like a social-services bureaucrat than does non-traditional family. But I am thinking about that now.

In Bill James' case, for instance, the N.T. families have more to do with character and with the general atmosphere of the stories -- one of betrayal, tenderness and jealousy -- than with plot. Of course, such divisions are artificial to some extent: character is plot, plot is character, etc. It may be interesting that two of James' earlier Harpur Iles novels do concern direct threats to families. In one, a gangster kidnaps a rival's son. In another, a sex killer preys on young girls.

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Detectives Beyond Borders
"Because Murder Is More Fun Away From Home"
http://detectivesbeyondborders.blogspot.com/

[kimbofo]

How about Arnaldur Indriðason's series set in Iceland? The main character, Erlunder, has a drug-addicted daughter, who creates her fair share of plot developments.

[Peter]

Someone mentioned Arnaldur in that respect on my blog as well. Oddly enough, I read Jar City (Tainted Blood) some time ago and liked it, but I only vaguely recall a drug-addicted daughter.
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Detectives Beyond Borders
"Because Murder Is More Fun Away From Home"
http://detectivesbeyondborders.blogspot.com/

[Maxine]

The daughter features much more intensely in the second book, Silence of the Grave; and also comes into Voices quite a bit. I agree the relationship between her and her father, with its slow oscillation towards connection, together with how it awakens the father's memory of losing his brother as a child, definitely fall into Peter's category.

[Norm alias Uriah Robinson]

Andrea Camilleri in the Salvo Montalbano novels creates an interesting alternative family. It is that little bit different as it would be with Montalbano.
Salvo and Livia, the long distance lovers, intend to get married and adopt Francois the "Snack Thief". Of course with Salvo nothing is straight forward and Francois is entrusted to the care of the sister of his second- in-command Domenico "Mimi" Augello. Here he becomes attached to the family, and wants to stay. Salvo and Livia are broken hearted, and as yet have not married.
Then we have the unbelievable, but interesting, relationship of Guido and Paola. The Brunettis have an almost perfect life in Venice, with their incredibly well behaved teenagers. They are a lesson to everyone, in fiction you can have it all. If only real life was like the Brunettis.

[Maxine]

Speaking as a completely failed Mrs Brunetti, attempting to do all the things she does and making a right hash of most of them most of the time, I agree with your take, Norm/Uriah.

[Norm alias Uriah Robinson]

Maxine, Mrs Brunetti does not have a very successful and highly rated blog.

[Maxine]

Thanks, Norm/Uriah, but somehow I feel she would have taken that in her stride, too. If I could write jokes, I'd say something about it probably being like falling off a blog to her, but I'm not a naturally funny writer.