Sheriff Joe Bain
Encyclopedia
Sheriff Joe Bain is the protagonist of a short series, prematurely abandoned, of crime-investigation mysteries by the American author Jack Vance
, better known for his science fiction
novels. The series as published comprises The Fox Valley Murders (1966) and The Pleasant Grove Murders (1967). An unfinished third novel exists. The milieu for the books is San Rodrigo County, a fictitious precinct in rural California
, the state Vance has lived in for most of his life.
, the minute and affectionate observation of rural and small-town California, and the interaction of a rich gallery of characters. The central character is the policeman Joe Bain, who must run for sheriff
to succeed his corrupt and lackadaisical boss, Sheriff "Cooch" Cuchinello throughout The Fox River Murders and keep an eye toward his reelection in the subsequent
novel(s). Bain's wife ran off shortly after the birth of their daughter Miranda, who's in high school at the time of these novels, and who he's raised with the help of his mother Miriam. Typically for a Vance protagonist he is good at his job, sparing of speech, generally amiable and not very impressible. He's a graduate of the Chapman Institute
of Criminology
in North Hollywood and often puts what he learned there to good use. He is surrounded by characters more flamboyant, ambitious, egotistical and (in their own estimation) much cleverer than he. Though the narrative approach is generally ‘realistic’, lacking the fantastic invention of Vance’s SF, he occasionally teases the boundaries of the ‘detective novel’ genre, as with the character of Luna with whom Bain has a mild flirtation in The Pleasant Grove Murders: a New Age
real estate agent who claims to be really a visitor from the planet Arthemisia, with which she communicates by means of a number of bowls of water filled to various levels.
region in which Vance spent most of his childhood. Moreover the county is given cartographical reality by several maps which appear in the books, from a general view of San Rodrigo County within its borders to street-plans of some of its townships. The chief of these include San Rodrigo, Pleasant Grove, Aurora and Marblestone; the high ground is generally on the west of the county; the principal waterway is Genesee Creek, which debouches into Genesee Slough in the north-east quarter. Roads leave the county boundaries in the direction of real places -- Monterey
, Carmel
, Salinas
, San José
-- and we are informed that from the western border it is only 13 miles to the Pacific Ocean
. All of this circumstantial evidence places Joe Bain’s precinct rather precisely on the western edge of the central San Joaquin Valley.
Jack Vance
John Holbrook Vance is an American mystery, fantasy and science fiction author. Most of his work has been published under the name Jack Vance. Vance has published 11 mysteries as John Holbrook Vance and 3 as Ellery Queen...
, better known for his science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
novels. The series as published comprises The Fox Valley Murders (1966) and The Pleasant Grove Murders (1967). An unfinished third novel exists. The milieu for the books is San Rodrigo County, a fictitious precinct in rural California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, the state Vance has lived in for most of his life.
Style and characters
Though the murder mystery in each novel is plotted with Vance’s customary ingenuity, the real pleasure in these books is the spare, unembellished style (compared to the Baroque prose of his SF fantasies, Vance’s earth-bound thrillers cultivate a deadpan narrative idiom), the light touch of Vance's habitually pervasive ironyIrony
Irony is a rhetorical device, literary technique, or situation in which there is a sharp incongruity or discordance that goes beyond the simple and evident intention of words or actions...
, the minute and affectionate observation of rural and small-town California, and the interaction of a rich gallery of characters. The central character is the policeman Joe Bain, who must run for sheriff
Sheriff
A sheriff is in principle a legal official with responsibility for a county. In practice, the specific combination of legal, political, and ceremonial duties of a sheriff varies greatly from country to country....
to succeed his corrupt and lackadaisical boss, Sheriff "Cooch" Cuchinello throughout The Fox River Murders and keep an eye toward his reelection in the subsequent
novel(s). Bain's wife ran off shortly after the birth of their daughter Miranda, who's in high school at the time of these novels, and who he's raised with the help of his mother Miriam. Typically for a Vance protagonist he is good at his job, sparing of speech, generally amiable and not very impressible. He's a graduate of the Chapman Institute
Chapman University
Chapman University is a private, non-profit university located in Orange, California affiliated with the Christian Church . Known for its blend of liberal arts and professional programs, Chapman University encompasses seven schools and colleges: Lawrence and Kristina Dodge College of Film and Media...
of Criminology
Criminology
Criminology is the scientific study of the nature, extent, causes, and control of criminal behavior in both the individual and in society...
in North Hollywood and often puts what he learned there to good use. He is surrounded by characters more flamboyant, ambitious, egotistical and (in their own estimation) much cleverer than he. Though the narrative approach is generally ‘realistic’, lacking the fantastic invention of Vance’s SF, he occasionally teases the boundaries of the ‘detective novel’ genre, as with the character of Luna with whom Bain has a mild flirtation in The Pleasant Grove Murders: a New Age
New Age
The New Age movement is a Western spiritual movement that developed in the second half of the 20th century. Its central precepts have been described as "drawing on both Eastern and Western spiritual and metaphysical traditions and then infusing them with influences from self-help and motivational...
real estate agent who claims to be really a visitor from the planet Arthemisia, with which she communicates by means of a number of bowls of water filled to various levels.
San Rodrigo County
As in many Vance novels, the milieu virtually has character status. He has said that San Rodrigo county is a blend of elements of several actual Californian counties, and there are general resemblances to the San Joaquin ValleySan Joaquin Valley
The San Joaquin Valley is the area of the Central Valley of California that lies south of the Sacramento – San Joaquin River Delta in Stockton...
region in which Vance spent most of his childhood. Moreover the county is given cartographical reality by several maps which appear in the books, from a general view of San Rodrigo County within its borders to street-plans of some of its townships. The chief of these include San Rodrigo, Pleasant Grove, Aurora and Marblestone; the high ground is generally on the west of the county; the principal waterway is Genesee Creek, which debouches into Genesee Slough in the north-east quarter. Roads leave the county boundaries in the direction of real places -- Monterey
Monterey, California
The City of Monterey in Monterey County is located on Monterey Bay along the Pacific coast in Central California. Monterey lies at an elevation of 26 feet above sea level. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 27,810. Monterey is of historical importance because it was the capital of...
, Carmel
Carmel-by-the-Sea, California
Carmel-by-the-Sea, often called simply Carmel, is a small city in Monterey County, California, United States, founded in 1902 and incorporated in 1916. Situated on the Monterey Peninsula, the town is known for its natural scenery and rich artistic history...
, Salinas
Salinas, California
Salinas is the county seat and the largest municipality of Monterey County, California. Salinas is located east-southeast of the mouth of the Salinas River, at an elevation of about 52 feet above sea level. The population was 150,441 at the 2010 census...
, San José
San Jose, California
San Jose is the third-largest city in California, the tenth-largest in the U.S., and the county seat of Santa Clara County which is located at the southern end of San Francisco Bay...
-- and we are informed that from the western border it is only 13 miles to the Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
. All of this circumstantial evidence places Joe Bain’s precinct rather precisely on the western edge of the central San Joaquin Valley.