The Role of the Sidekick in Detective Fiction
Look at some of the most famous detectives in fiction, and you will find a sidekick or two with them.
Sherlock Holmes, of course, has Dr. John Watson. Hercule Poirot has–depending on the story–Captain Hastings, Colonel Race, Miss Lemon, or George the valet. Miss Marple has her companion Cherry and her long-suffering nephew Raymond West, who probably wishes that his dear old aunt would stop meddling in criminal cases for once (keep dreaming, Raymond). Precious Ramotswe, star of Alexander McCall Smith’s No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency series, has her secretary-turned-detecting partner Grace Makutsi. The eccentric Nero Wolfe has the equally eccentric-in-his-own-way Archie Goodwin. And so on and so forth.
In your average cozy mystery, your small-business-owner-turned-sleuth will inevitably have a host of supporting sidekicks, including the eager young assistant(s), the wise older person, the smart-alecky best friend, at least one pet, and the spouse/partner who conveniently works in law enforcement.
Every detective needs a sidekick: someone who works with them on a case, who discusses evidence and theories, and occasionally reminds the detective that they are human. As much as popular culture plays up the idea of the hard-edged, lone-wolf, “I work in groups of one” private eye, the truth is, detectives work best when they have a support team.
In addition, the presence of a sidekick benefits the reader as well as the detective. The mind can be a very lonely place, and if the detective is constantly alone with their thoughts, it can be a very alienating experience for the reader. The presence of a sidekick allows for dialogue, action, companionship, and a chance to understand the characters a little better.
The exact role of a sleuthing sidekick depends on the story.
In some novels, the sidekick may be the narrator. When this happens, the sidekick is often a stand-in for the reader, introducing the reader to the world of the story and to the detective. Very often, the narrator-sidekick functions as a bridge between the reader and the story–someone who asks the questions the reader may have on their minds: Wait, why are we ferreting through the trash outside the home of the murder victim’s boss’s chauffeur’s second cousin? Why did we just spend three hours visiting every perfume shop in the city and checking out every book ever known on stamp collecting?
Watson is the most well known of the amanuensis sidekicks, from the time he meets Holmes in A Study in Scarlet. An army doctor just returned from Afghanistan, he encounters Holmes when he is searching for a flatmate in London. It is through Watson that the reader first meets this detective with the frighteningly encyclopedic knowledge of crime and the strangest habits and hobbies.
Hastings fills a similar role for Poirot. Like Watson, Hastings is an army officer just arrived back in England, to recover from injuries incurred in France during World War I. He served as the narrator for a lot of short Poirot stories and the first two novels. However, Agatha Christie scaled back Hastings’s involvement–by marrying him off and sending him to Argentina–and switched the Poirot stories to the third person, bringing back Hastings from time to time.
Very often, the sidekick functions as a foil to the detective, either in personality or in methods: If the detective is someone who is outlandish and eccentric, the sidekick may be more “normal” (or at least not as eccentric). If the detective is cheerful and outgoing, the sidekick may be more introverted, and vice versa.
Sometimes the sidekick’s roles are purely functional; after all, someone needs to maintain the files, take the phone calls, and occasionally fend off a hostile client, and it’s hard for a sleuth to do all that by themselves. Grace Makutsi, in her initial role as secretary, does this work while Mma Ramotswe is working on a case. However, Mma Makutsi sometimes goes to interview witnesses and clients at Mma Ramotswe’s request, which leads to her becoming Mma Ramotswe’s associate detective and agency partner.
We’ve talked a lot about what role the sidekick fills for the detective. And in return, what does the sidekick get out of all that sidekicking? A chance to see the world. Lots of training and experience in solving crimes. Honors and credit for helping to solve a notorious case (sometimes). An exciting life (perhaps a little too exciting at times).
The presence of a sidekick makes a detective story much more interesting and engaging, and it heightens the reader’s enjoyment of the story. At the end of the day, everybody wins: detective, sidekick, and reader.
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Erin Roll is a freelance writer, editor, and proofreader. Her favorite genres to read are mystery, science fiction, and fantasy, and her TBR pile is likely to be visible on Google Maps. Before becoming an editor, Erin worked as a journalist and photographer, and she has won far too many awards from the New Jersey Press Association. Erin lives at the top floor of a haunted house in Montclair, NJ. She enjoys reading (of course), writing, hiking, kayaking, music, and video games.