GALLOWS HUMOUR -crime writing in the time of the troubles

Bryan wrote the following article for the Crime Writers Association magazine ‘Red Herrings’ about applying black comedy to serious subjects

Writing historical crime fiction can be tricky. Injecting humour into a period associated with so much pain and sorrow can be even harder. So why do it?

On a historical fiction panel at CrimeFest this year, I was asked about the level of accuracy needed to depict the past. All my fellow authors agreed that extensive research was essential so that the story sounded genuine, but our main job is to write fiction. And entertain. That means that sometimes we must bend the truth, and using humour can be an effective way to engage readers.   

My new novel An Old Tin Can, published by SpellBound Books, is the first in a new black comedy crime series based in Belfast at the time of the Troubles.

Is it possible to bring humour to a period which featured so much pain and suffering?

I have long been fascinated by the political world and wondered what would happen if I introduced a total outsider into the closed sectarian atmosphere of Northern Ireland, where identity means everything. My detective, Harry Burnard, arrives on promotion from Brighton. He is a lone wolf but has a strongly held belief about who he is: Jewish.

His new team, ‘The Squad’, a bunch of abandoned oddballs, are only allowed to work criminal cases. But there is no crime to investigate. This is because the specialist anti-terrorist unit works terrorism, while the terrorists themselves police crime in their own communities. So, does ‘The Squad’ really have nothing to do except try to find whoever is purloining pet pussy cats from their owners? Of course, this didn’t happen in real life, but by mixing the fiction with actual events, and real people, from the time I have constructed what I hope is an exciting, entertaining story which still retains authenticity.

My hero, Harry, then uncovers clues about an apparently random series of sectarian stabbings and gets caught up in an increasingly complex political landscape.

The novel does not treat the actual events depicted as comic, but the characters and their reaction to them can be. The Troubles was characterised not only by acts of violence but also by massive ambiguity, and we are only just learning the truth about what happened, including the extent of collusion between both sides with the intelligence services. This created a huge amount of paranoia, which again can be useful in ratcheting up the laughs.  

I have made several characters more comic, while others seriously navigate the historical context, and all the while Harry sets out to catch a killer like no other. He, and the killer, discover that not everyone is who they seem to be. Identity, and deluded identity, becomes an increasingly resonant theme, as well as a personal one for Harry.

The title, An Old Tin Can, refers to a question used to enquire about someone’s religious identity. Are you a Protestant or a Catholic? Or are you nothing but An Old Tin Can? And what do you do if that person is one of those? Kick them down the road, of course.

I enjoy books that are witty with memorable characters who drive the story along, and love being constantly surprised at what they say and do and where the story leads. This has meant that I have used a great deal of black, gallows humour. The series will continue with Harry and The Squad in Dead On, and then with Never A Happy Ending. I hope you enjoy the craic.