This particularly struck me last night watching A Certain Justice. It seems that in detective fiction, murder victims are just about always unlikeable jerks. This certainly applies to most of the Brother Cadfael mysteries as well as quite a few of Poirot's. Anyone care to elaborate?

Why Murder Victims Are Scum

I've noticed this too, especially in Agatha Christie stories. I think they write them like that so we as viewers or readers won't feel sorry for them. Any unwanted pity might take away from our pleasure, so if you want to make a mystery entertaining, make sure the murder victim is someone you find unsympathetic.

That was theory #1. This is #2:
What's the use in making nice murder victims when they're being killed off during the first part of the mystery anyway? I mean, there's no point in creating a character people can identify with when they're not going to get a chance to know that person in depth anyway.

#3: If they were more agreeable, they might not get murdered in the first place!

Anyone else?

I definately enjoy a mystery more if the victim was a scuzz-bag. I read a variety of different mystery-type books (including medieval and current mysteries) and it's always very distracting to me if the victim is a nice, decent person.

Part of the reason why I read mysteries is to see the bad guy or gal get caught at the end. To see a little justice prevail in the world.

I figure, enough decent, good people get killed in real life (and many times the murderers are not brought to justice), why would I choose to spend my free time reading about more nice, decent people getting killed (though at least, usually, in books the bad guys get it in the end). I find I like a mystery much more if I don't like the victim in the beginning, and therefore am not bothered by his or her death.

If only real life were like that.