Family Snaps

Fanfiction
Title:	Family Snaps
Author(s):	Jane of Australia
Date(s):	1988 or before
Length:
Genre(s):	slash
Fandom(s):	The Professionals
Relationship(s):	Bodie/Doyle
External Links:
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Family Snaps is a 25-page Bodie/Doyle story by Jane of Australia.

It was printed in Foxhole in a Graveyard. It is possible it was previously a circuit story.

Reactions and Reviews

I have read and enjoyed quite a few stories by Jane, even though her picture of Doyle and mine are radically different. I was enjoying this one until...

Well, first, the plot:- Doyle, having just discovered his physical attraction to Bodie, is confused. He's also unsure about his future in CI5. Having just been left a legacy by an ancient Irish relative, he takes leave and goes to Ireland to collect it, and also to sort himself out. He meets some cousins who, unknown to him, are involved with the IRA. When he goes off on a short walking trip one of the cousins 'borrows' his driving licence to go north to Belfast and plant a bomb. The car crashes and he is killed. When a licence check throws up 'CI5' the RUC contact Cowley, who sends a distressed Bodie to identify the body. Naturally, he discovers it is riot Doyle, and the scene is set for a romantic ending...

So, what stopped me enjoying what is a well-written, interesting story? The answer is what can only be described as laziness on the part of the author. It is all too obvious - to an Irish reader - that not even the tiniest amount of basic research into the background was done, and I'm afraid the glaring mistakes got right up my nose.

What mistakes? Well, to name but a few: Doyle travels to Ireland on the Southampton/Dublin boat: WRONG - no such ferry link exists. His relations live in the town of Wexford, in Co. Waterford: WRONG - Wexford is in Co. Wexford. Bodie flies from Heathrow to Shannon, in order to get to Belfast: WRONG- what's wrong with the perfectly good, and much nearer, Belfast International Airport? He leaves Heathrow for Shannon in the late morning, arrives in Belfast in the early afternoon to identify the body etc., travels through south Dublin (3pm) to Wexford at 5.0.5pm: WRONG- this time- scale is physically impossible! The RUC officer he deals with is given the rank of Lieutenant: WRONG- no such rank exists in the RUC.

There are other errors, but need I go on? The trouble is, none of these mistakes are inevitable: a simple glance at a map of Ireland,a couple of questions to a travel agent - even in Australia - and almost none of them would have happened. That's what made me so angry when I read the story— angry enough to write this review.

Please, Jane, you're an excellent writer; don't let yourself down by failing to make that extra little effort to get the simple background facts right!