Political Views in a Mystery or Thriller?

[Richard Goutal]

Please share your opinion in my blog poll - DO MYSTERY STORIES AND POLITICAL BIAS MIX? WHAT IS CLOSEST TO YOUR VIEW?

[Richard Goutal]

Thanks for voting! Yes, I can see your point DR about predictable plot. In some ways I believe that enters into books fairly frequently where the lead character has political positions that are intentional. Think VI Warshawski (author, Sara Paretksy) where most likely her nemesis is some evil capitalist and Mitch Rapp (Vince Flynn) where the nemesis is (or involves) some leftist politician who has no moral scruples. On the other hand, the politics of Kinsey Millhone (Sue Grafton) or Spenser (Robert Parker) are less intrusive.

Jon, my motivation is to test a hypothesis. I am just curious to get reader reactions to these kinds of lead characters.

Among my own views: Readers (not talking "reviewers" and certainly not authors) probably shy away from lead characters who too strongly espouse a political position that grates against their own. [I admit that I do myself, and wonder to what extent this is true of others.]

[Jon Loomis]

It's kind of a loaded question, no? I guess I'm curious about your motivation for asking it.

[D.R. MacMaster]

I voted. I only really complain when political bias makes the plot predictable. I had to give watching Law & Order when I found I could spot the killer and lay out the plot of the rest of the episode the first second I saw someone with anything denoting religious beliefs, or conservative politics.