on Aurora Teagarden
I’m searching for the foils of: Aurora Teagarden,
while she is searching for who dun it.
….
author of the books Charlaine Harris
…. the foils
The “real murders” club is a small town group that discuss crime as fans. They are avid readers of fiction and true crime stories. If I were there, I would adore!! that group. They discuss the theoretical crime. And when a real crime hits town, act as a sounding board and research assts for Aurora.
….
Ex beau Arthur, and his new wife Lynn, are cops.
And Aurora’s beau for a few movies, Martin (ex CIA agent)
are very law and order types. They have the conflicts of occupational pride and fear for Aurora’s safety. And a genuine interest in crimes. It is their career after all.
The men help her solve and “protect” her as they can, which Lynn isn’t thrilled by at all.
In a soft way, the cops are Aurora’s rivals. It is a matter of which gets the case solved, forensic evidence collection (the cops), or motives (Aurora’s crew). If it takes social research or understanding of people, Aurora finds the culprit. And considering the cops are also hampered by laws and protocol that bind their hands and predetermine their tactics, and Aurora isn’t as much, she can get in where they can’t. She can go as a nosy, “friendly” neighbour. Under the premise that people slip because they actually want to tell someone. That at least some are narcissistic enough to think they can get away with it.
And the cops know the crimes that have been found out. Aurora’s crew know the stories that have made it into fiction or true crime novels. That have captured the public imagination. It’s more like they have a well each of them draws from. And it is a contest to see which well covers this particular crime. Aurora is more inclined to share with the cops, than they are with her. Mostly because it would be unsafe for her to drag in the criminal.
….
Aurora’s bestie Sally, is a journalist.
They share the love of the story and adventure. Sally usually helps and supports Aurora. But every now and then she gets a cold shiver and rats Aurora out to the police or her mom. She is worried about her friend’s safety after all.
…..
Aurora’s mother Aida, is a real estate agent.
She is very intelligent, creative and scared for her daughter.
Aida broke up with one of Aurora’s closest allies in the club because he kept helping Aurora and she thought it put her daughter in danger to do so.
….
But the best foil IMO is her fellow librarian Lillian, and the way they see the world, books and people – one very OCD, everything counted and put in place, systemic (Lillian). And one loving the mess, the story, the people, the passion (Aurora). Lillian is a friend of Aurora’s mother and greatly respects and admires her. Not so much Aurora though. Funny/sad thing is, Lillian is a minor character.
…. the conflict
(besides the murders)
I see feminism and how people impact a woman’s life and personality, how much they intrude in their ideas of who she should be, and what their motives could be as a major theme. I’m not sure if that is intended, or me imposing my views on a simple story?
Aurora is a southern USA young woman who is bucking tradition. While her mother is an independent, smart, savvy, sassy woman of the world, she wants her daughter to be a southern belle it seems. Her daughter must be sedate, domesticated, married with kids, settled. And Aurora does try, she really does (Bless her heart!), but she just will not accept that mold. Much as she loves her mother, she just cannot do that and be who she is.
And the men she is attracted to? They fall for everything she values about herself. But at some point, she has to become the southern belle and their wife, the mother of their kids. And “forget this foolishness”.
But that is not what Aurora wants or needs. She wants a “partner in crime”. Not a traditional husband at all. They tend to have conflict and eventually break up. One to marry another woman, the other to acccept a new post he hadn’t really been looking for. He asked Aurora to go with him, but she has the life she wants. So why should she?
Maybe new neighbour Nick will be that for her?
….. Caveat –
I’ve never read the books. It’s very rare that I both read a book and watch a tv show or movie based on it. I like my way of thinking about things and the few times I’ve tried, it has really wrecked things for me. So it’s either one or the other.
But I do love what seems like a really simple, cute (I mean HALLMARK, right?) movie that could be really profound and timely for women.
I’ve also only seen the movies that center around her relationship with Martin so far.
Have you seen them? Or read the books? What do you think?
mspeachierocks 