Line #56 Fanfic/TheCuriousCaseOfMrPamuk


1	''[[https://archiveofourown.org/works/24316333/chapters/58621849 The Curious Case of Mr. Pamuk]]'' is a ''Series/DowntonAbbey'' fanfic written by [[https://archiveofourown.org/users/Anise/pseuds/Anise Anise]] where Anna Smith, head housemaid at Downton Abbey, starts her own investigation into the death of Kemal Pamuk after he dies in Lady Mary's bed.
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3	Completed, can also be read [[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13525548/1/The-Curious-Case-of-Mr-Pamuk here]].
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5	!!Tropes that appear in this fanfic:
6	* AbsurdlyElderlyMother: Implied with Viscount Branksome and his offscreen wife, considering that Branksome is mentioned to have been close to Violet's age (he is mentioned as a contemporary of her husband the previous Earl) and his son Evelyn and unnamed daughter are only a few years older than Mary.
7	* AdaptationalAngstUpgrade: The story shows that Mary is wracked with guilt because Pamuk died while having sex with her, thinking it was her fault or that she was cursed.
8	* AdaptationExpansion:
9	** Bates' backstory. Between his work with Molesley and serving in the Beor Wars, he'd served [[spoiler:the Napiers, where he'd been friends with the young Evelyn.]] Furthermore, [[spoiler:the theft of the regimental silver Bates was imprisoned for was an even messier affair than in canon because Vera's accomplice attacked and wounded one of the guards. It was because of Evelyn's father that Bates only served a couple years for the theft and the rest of the details omitted, a debt that Bates pays by helping Napier get rid of Pamuk.]]
10	** The story also fleshes out the first few days after Pamuk died, particularly Mary's interactions with Matthew.
11	* AdaptationalExplanation: The story is essentially a long one detailing how Kemal Pamuk could have died barring natural causes.
12	* AmateurSleuth: Anna, taking things further than in the original series.
13	* AssholeVictim: [[spoiler:Both Bates and Napier agree that poison was too good for someone like Pamuk.]]
14	* BaitAndSwitch: Mary and Anna are in the Crawley mausoleum when a shadowy figure enters and Anna at first thinks it's Patrick Crawley, back from the sea to claim his bride. Then the light reveals it to be Matthew.
15	* BigBad: [[spoiler:Evelyn Napier masterminded Kemal Pamuk's death on behalf of the British government, which also makes him responsible for Pamuk haunting Mary.]]
16	* BittersweetEnding: [[spoiler:Anna solves Kemal Pamuk's murder and saves Lady Mary, but nobody can reveal how he died and the British government's plan to kill Pamuk went off without a hitch.]]
17	* CallForward:
18	** Sybil suggests she might like working in a hospital.
19	** Violet alludes to her past as part of the court of the Duke of Edinburgh when he married Grand Duchess Marie, which is how she met Prince Kuragin in canon.
20	** Edith is already making writings on current events.
21	** The story suggests why there's a cat in the Downton kitchen during Series 1 Episode 5 when O'Brien is startled by a mouse and she suggests raising a cat to catch them.
22	* ChristmasEpisode: Chapter 24 depicts Patrick Crawley's last Christmas at Downton in 1911.
23	* CollidingCriminalConspiracies: [[spoiler:Napier had intended for Pamuk to die in his bed of a heart attack, but Pamuk's visit to Mary's room drastically complicated things because he died ''there''. He still manages to cover it up with Bates' help.]]
24	* ADayInTheLimelight: Chapter 19 temporarily deviates from the mystery plot to focus on Edith's unrequited feelings for Patrick.
25	* DeadlyPrank: Subverted. Bates believes that [[spoiler:Napier confused aconite for laudanum in an attempt to make Pamuk fall asleep, instead giving him a fatal overdose. However, it turns out that Napier deceived Bates into believing he only meant to prank Pamuk; he had planned to kill him all along.]]
26	* DramaticIrony: When Mary appears at Anna's bedside for help moving Pamuk's corpse, Anna originally thinks it's thieves after the silver helped by Thomas. Funnily enough Thomas is indirectly responsible for this particular escapade after he was forced to help Pamuk find Mary's room.
27	* DrivenToSuicide: Mary nearly jumps out a window due to her guilt about Pamuk.
28	* DrivingQuestion: Who killed Kemal Pamuk?
29	* EekAMouse: O'Brien is startled by a mouse while talking with Thomas. This being O'Brien she's more angry than scared.
30	* EmergingFromTheShadows: Inverted when a figure enters the Crawley crypt amid a beam of light and is initially thought to be Patrick Crawley BackFromTheDead, but then the beam dies down and is revealed to be Matthew.
31	* EveryoneHasStandards: It's implied that [[spoiler:Melville argued against killing Pamuk, if at least because he didn't think the outcome was a desirable one.]]
32	* FamilyBusiness: [[spoiler:Viscount Branksome, his son Evelyn, and their cousin William Melville have all held posts in the foreign office or secret service.]]
33	* ForgottenFirstMeeting: Matthew mentions he actually met Patrick Crawley a few months before his death while Patrick was working in the Intelligence Office.
34	* GenreShift: ''Downton Abbey'' was primarily a historical drama, but moves into a whodunit and GhostStory. The last chapter shifts the story ''again'' into [[spoiler:Stale Beer SpyFiction, albeit in a much older setting.]]
35	* TheGhost: Sophie, a junior maid at Downton who has a tendency to be lazy.
36	* GracefulLoser: [[spoiler:Evelyn Napier silently acknowledges that he's lost his chance for Mary.]]
37	-->"Take your chance, Matthew Crawley. Love her, and she may love you."
38	* HauntedHouse: Downton's north tower is said to be haunted by Jane Boleyn, while Mary is personally haunted by [[spoiler:the ghost of Kemal Pamuk.]]
39	* TheHeavy: Anna's efforts to solve Kemal Pamuk's murder are driven by his ghost, which nearly causes Lady Mary to kill herself at least once.
40	* HistoricalDomainCharacter: [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Melville William Melville]], head of Scotland Yard's Special Branch and later the British Secret Service. The Napiers are [[HistoricalCharactersFictionalRelative cousins]] of his.
41	* HistoricalVillainUpgrade: Discussed when Isobel talks about Jane Boleyn over dinner and suggests she's been misunderstood, demonized for betraying Anne Boleyn when she only wanted to keep her family home.
42	* ItRunsInTheFamily: Kemal Pamuk suffered from heart problems inherited from his grandfather and was taking aconite as a tonic.
43	* JerkassHasAPoint: Mary often belittles Edith, but even Anna, who rarely has a bad word to say about anyone, has to privately criticize Edith's fashion choices and is tempted to steal and bury a dress so Edith won't find it.
44	* MakeItLookLikeAnAccident: [[spoiler:Evelyn Napier told Bates to give Pamuk some laudanum to make him fall asleep, but actually gave him an overdose of his heart medication, letting Bates believe Napier mixed the vials up in a fit of jealousy.]]
45	* TheManBehindTheMan: [[spoiler:William Melville to Evelyn Napier. And behind ''him'' is an unknown political figure who ordered Pamuk's murder and handed the job to Melville, who contracted Napier.]]
46	* MedicationTampering: It turns out that [[spoiler:Kemal Pamuk was poisoned via an overdose of his aconite heart medication.]]
47	* TheMole: [[spoiler:Bates keeps Napier informed of events at Downton.]]
48	* NamedByTheAdaptation: Viscount Branksome's wife is named Callandra Grace here.
49	* NeverMessWithGranny: Anna's grandmother Kerensa always protected her from her lecherous stepfather. Unfortunately she died and his behavior became worse now that there was nobody to stop him.
50	* TheNondescript: Evelyn Napier's valet... Alan? Adam? Alec? His appearance and even his name are easily forgotten, which makes him a convenient RedHerring.
51	* NoPartyGiven: Averted here where Kemal Pamuk is explicitly mentioned as a member of the Young Turks political movement. This also serves as a plot point explaining why someone wants him dead.
52	* ObfuscatingStupidity: [[spoiler:Viscount Branksome (Evelyn Napier's father) pretended to be an oaf only interested in hunting and horse-racing. In reality, he was an agent in the British foreign office who's heavily implied to have killed for the British government. This also applies to Evelyn himself.]]
53	* OriginalCharacter: Paul Smithson, an assistant to Dr. Clarkson who's attracted to Anna. Anna uses him to get some information about Pamuk's death.
54	* PerspectiveFlip: The first couple chapters take place from Anna's point of view when she's awoken in the middle of the night by Lady Mary to move Pamuk's corpse.
55	* PlotTriggeringDeath: Kemal Pamuk's sudden death kicks off the plot.
56	* PunchClockVillain: [[spoiler:Evelyn. Despite masterminding Pamuk's murder, he considers it a one-time contract for the government.]]
57	* SpannerInTheWorks: [[spoiler:Thomas Barrow's unwanted advances towards Kemal Pamuk complicates the British government's plot to kill Pamuk when the Turkish man uses Barrow to sneak into a bedroom where he dies.]]
58	* TheSpymaster: [[spoiler:William Melville, head of the British Secret Service.]]
59	* TookALevelInJerkass: Thomas is noted to have become even more unpleasant after the Duke of Crowborough's visit, implying he was deeply hurt by the rejection.
60	* TraumaButton: Kemal Pamuk, and Turkey in a more general manner, has turned into one for Mary, as a few mentions of him or the country nearly cause her to have a fainting fit during dinner.

Context Fanfic / TheCuriousCaseOfMrPamuk