In a good crime fiction novel, especially one in which there’s a murder, there’s a certain sense of justice when the ‘bad guy’ is caught. There’s something to be said for a novel in which we get that sense that order will be restored and the culprit will go to prison. But the fact is it’s not always that easy. As crime fiction shows us, sometimes the best outcome (or the least harmful outcome) doesn’t involve prison at all.
Another terrific post from Margot Kinberg, in which she includes Behind the Night Bazaar among crime fiction novels that raise questions about how justice might best be served. I am particularly excited to have someone pick up on this aspect of my first book, as it was a major challenge for me to write an ending that was credible and yet not entirely cynical.
Angela – Thanks so much for passing along my blog post. It’s not easy to balance credible and cynical is it? But you address effectively the deeper issues of coping with the awful problem of human trafficking and I think you strike that balance.
Thanks so much for that feedback Margot.