If you want your fiction
to drive home a message, consider not making it your story's focus.
The past few weeks, I've
re-visited the mysteries in Aaron Elkins's series with forensic
anthropologist Gideon Oliver. Reflecting on them, I see several
themes.
Foremost, as with any
classic mystery, there's a quest for justice and a restoration of
shalom.
But
other chords resonate. With their use of recurring characters, I
sense of the value of friendship. I see the pleasures of exotic
travel, well-prepared food, and the comforts of home.
Must
underneath runs an even stronger testament to the worth of a great
marriage. These aren't romance novels, but they resonate with
glimpses of a married couple deeply in love. Gideon and Julie argue,
they reconcile, they share ideas and chores. But especially they
complete one another's lives – serving as models of mutuality that
surpass even the best sermon on Ephesians 5.
There's
nothing threatening for a reader whose marriage fires don't burn as
warmly. Just an invitation to enjoy the glow with your own partner.
Plus
discovering whodunnit.
