Educating Regina: Romantic Suspense

Every month, I’ve been reading a different sub-genre of mystery/suspense. In February, with a nod of the head to ole Valentine’s Day, I spent lovely hours lolling on my sofa with books of Romantic Suspense.

The thing is, I didn’t enjoy them all equally. For that reason, I’m not going to name all the authors I read and critique them this time around. Instead, I noticed a pattern in my enjoyment or lack thereof and wanted to explore it and ask you all what you thought.

Just as there is a difference between mystery and thrillers, there are (to my mind) two types of romantic suspense. One plays on not just the mystery at hand in the story, but some secret something or somethings, usually the unspoken reason one or both of the protagonists cannot give in to the growing feelings of love and lust. It might be tied into the mystery at hand, or be something completely separate. Most often this is employed in classic gothic romantic suspense.

The other type keeps the two protagonists apart by circumstantial issues, such as one of the protagonists is an official in the investigation. I came across this in several more recent efforts that featured FBI agents and other detectives as hero or heroine. The romantic struggle usually is a threat to professional ethics or to maintaining employment. The romantic suspense is built with a lot of “He/she’s hot - I want him/her, but I can’t give in to my throbbing libido or else.”

Call me a sap, but I prefer the secret something and I found myself disappointed with the contemporary stories that predominately used the latter device.

Why is it that contemporary romantic suspense authors rely so much on this “forbidden by my professional role” approach? It’s not a bad device in itself, but, in my survey at least, it was so overused.

I think the trouble might be that, in our modern age, it’s difficult to keep secrets. I recently tracked down a friend from middle school by way of her parent’s property tax records. If extreme non-techie moi can do that, how easy is it to maintain dark secrets in this day and age?

Thinking about this led me to remembering my theories about why certain authors choose science fiction or fantasy or even historical fiction as a genre (bear with me). With no wild frontiers left, with law enforcement, forensics, rule of law, and technology, etc., it is difficult to play out dramatic tension and classic themes in some fiction given contemporary settings. So authors create their own version of reality, either going back in time, creating new worlds or producing alternate histories into which they can weave classic themes and devices.

I have a few ideas for how contemporary romantic suspense can play out more as Gothic even in this day and age, but I’m interested to see what you all can come up with. I’ll chime in with my ideas and we’ll see if we’ve struck on the potential of the same ideas.

7 Responses to “Educating Regina: Romantic Suspense”

1. Wait a minute, what was the question again?

   I’m curious as to the mix of books you selected, Regina. Was it fairly evenly divided between the old mistresses such as Stewart, Whitney, Eden, etc.? I’m trying to think who I’d grant mistress status to these days when romantic suspense seems so much less…romantic.

   by Diana Killian on March 8th, 2007 at 3:33 pm
   
   

2. If there is a specific question, Diana, it is this: why is it, do you think, that contemporary romantic suspense authors seem to use only employment/ethics issues as the \”something\” that keeps protag\’s apart? And, if you agree with me that it\’s because there isn\’t much room in this more modern world for protag\’s to keep deep, disturbing secrets from the world and each other, then where do you see possiblities for such secrets to be used still as a device, without resorting to science fiction, fantasy or past times as settings? (no slight on those fine genres intended).

   For me, I think there are still contemporary \”worlds\” where such a device as the \”deep, dark secret\” is still possible. In more remote areas of Asia, Africa and the Middle East, perhaps. In cultural \”worlds\” that might still be alien to the average American reader, like the deep, deep, rural South, the extreme wilderness of northernmost North America, the mountains of Central America, even the \”inner\” cities of some cities.

   The above sounds like I\’m walking a thin line with bigotry of some sort or another but, my point is this: Contemporary RS authors, who sell millions of books, still seem to rely on staid plot devices like, \”We can\’t screw around or it\’ll be my badge.\”

   As for who I read, it did include Stewart and Whitney and I do recognize them as Mistresses, along with Barbara Michaels and even Joan Aiken who wrote some RS along with her beloved children\’s gothics. Contemporary authors I read were those who were mentioned most by people I queried, and websites I perused. They didn\’t satisfy, so I won\’t mention them, and that was because they were like slow thrillers with too much subplot and I got so sick of the only hurdle in their relationships being work-related.

   I\’d be happy to try again if someone can point me in the direction of specific recent titles that break that mold.

   by Regina Harvey on March 8th, 2007 at 3:54 pm
   
   

3. Regina, I don’t write RS (but I have stayed at a Holiday Inn Express)–sorry, couldn’t resist. Anyway, I’ve only read classic RS writers like Stewart and Whitney, but I do think the secrets are one of the most fun things about writing mysteries. I’m always on the lookout for things that people would want to keep secret and that might make them *look* guilty—makes for great red herrings.

   by Sara on March 8th, 2007 at 4:39 pm
   
   

4. I recently read several mysteries in a series where the protagonist’s RS was which one to marry? and it got old real fast because I’ve never read a straight romance in my life. In fact I thought it seriously marred an otherwise good set of cozies and I stopped reading ‘though several more are in the series. (names omitted, but it sold a lot) But I think the trouble with most any RS is that it easily makes that character look indecisive.

   And “if I screw him, I’ll lose my badge” isn’t an ethical problem, but fear of the consequences. Writing an actual ethical struggle is serious business, and I think would disappoint many mystery readers ’cause it’s not what we read mysteries for.

   It’s an interesting idea to read a diff. genre each month. I tried reading a different epic each month for a year and that was quite interesting. It had a big impact on my storytelling right away.

   by Cynthia on March 8th, 2007 at 9:19 pm
   
   

5. The thing about books that aren\’t mysteries per se but are actually billed as Romantic Suspense (as its own genre really, though I\’m calling it a sub-genre here) is that they are supposed to have the romance just as (or even more)prominently featured than the mystery or the suspense plot line.

   Mysteries with a romantic subplot are a whole other kettle of fish and there is always lots of discussion about if romance in mysteries ever works (I definitely think it can if handled well).

   Wow, Cynthia - a different epic each month? That\’s a tall order. I bet it did affect your writing - have you read much about the theories of universal myth and legend underlying all compelling storylines? Interesting stuff.

   by Regina Harvey on March 8th, 2007 at 10:52 pm
   
   

6. The “if I screw him, I’ll lose my badge” device, as Cynthia so aptly put it, gets used because it’s safe. A female character worried about her career won’t draw howls of protest. A female character worried about more emotional issues raises fears of being stereotyped as a “typical emotional woman.”

   by J.D. Rhoades on March 8th, 2007 at 10:57 pm
   
   

7. Put isn’t that a problem? Safe can quickly and easily become BOOOORING. That’s why I prefer romantic suspense in Romantic Suspense novels to be based on something other than circumstantial, investigational (is that a word?) or situational obstacles.

   Give me a cultural clash, a Romeo and Juliet conflict, a secret that will make the desired one run away fast and screaming (or so the protag. expects). Give me something with some drama and imagination, please.

   It’s fiction, people. Make it better than safe.

   by Regina Harvey on March 8th, 2007 at 11:05 pm
   
   

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