Mystery Couple: Alleyn & Troy

Many, many mysteries have a romance--either the detective falls in love with someone or one of the suspects falls in love with another suspect.

Some of the most famous couples in literature come from mysteries. 

On Votaries, I discuss Ngaio Marsh's Alleyn. 

Here I'll discuss Alleyn and Troy. 

An artist, Troy meets Alleyn first on-board a ship and then when he investigates a murder at her workshop for students. Alleyn falls for Troy immediately. She takes longer to come around. Marsh rather half-heartedly puts Troy's uncertainty down to a dislike of Alleyn's job (the murder committed at her workshop is rather horrific). Marsh has Alleyn continue to believe that Troy hates his profession. 

As with Alleyn the character, Marsh is a better writer with Troy than she seems aware. That is, Marsh writes Troy as a solid character whose reserve and diffidence are ingrained. When she tries to explain Troy, she doesn't appear to know what she has created. Troy is a shy woman for whom marriage is not a necessity--due to an inheritance and a vocation. However, unlike Harriet Vane, who struggles with her options, Troy isn't opposed to marriage because of her past. Troy struggles because, hey, marriage is a big leap.

That is, in many ways, Troy's reaction is more similar to that of a Japanese manga character (relationships are HARD--do I really want to go down that path?) than to a Western character suffering from trauma.

I quite like Belinda Lang as Troy in the BBC series. Lang is now the adorable and amusing Mrs. Clam on Sister Boniface.