A Curious Beginning

In the early chapters of the novel, Veronica and Stoker occupy the “reluctant detective” role—they are drawn into the pursuit of the truth not due to any intrinsic desire for answers, but rather because they cannot avoid it. This is because Veronica is being actively pursued and Stoker is a suspect in Max’s death. When they shift from being reluctant detectives to avid investigators, however, this shift is underscored by Veronica’s assertion that solving mysteries is not antithetical to their normal work. In Chapter 10, she argues, “Murder is an act of chaos. It lies with us to bring order and method to the solution of the deed. We are scientists” (100). Stoker dismisses Veronica’s status as a scientist and rejects this assessment, calling her a “dilettante” instead. Nonetheless, he comes to act in a manner that constitutes tacit acceptance of the comparison over the remainder of the novel.

As they pursue answers to the mystery of Max’s murderer and Veronica’s birth, Stoker and Veronica discover both the utility and the limitations of using scientific practices to solve a murder mystery. When faced with taking evidence and turning it into inference, Veronica and Stoker excel. When Veronica smells caraway at Max’s house, for example, she can connect this to the other instance she smelled caraway during the investigation: on de Clare’s breath at the train station.