Genius characters who do incredible stupid things?

[regnak]

I got a few e books from Black Coat press a few weeks ago and just finished a translated French pulp series called the Adventures of Miss Boston. The series was written in the early 20th century is about a brilliant female detective ... up to a point. The first half of the collection was pretty good but the second half got weak and in the next to last story:

Miss Boston and her police inspector sidekick discover a crazed dentist is behind 5 decapitation murders(the stories have already gone way downhill by this point) but do they immediately arrest him ? Noooo!

Miss Boston cannot figure out how the mad dentist was cutting off men's heads so cleanly so they hide and observe as a new customer arrives. When she sees the device our heroine bursts in ... and the man's head comes off!


It didn't stop her from collecting a $5000 reward from a newspaper. I have a good idea why the series was cancelled.


Anyone else read about a highly intelligent character doing something so stupid?

 

[KevanG]

Oh my god.

This happens all the time in almost any book but especially horror. "Lets split up" usually being the best line.

The best books usually have the characters lampshade the idiocy afterwards.

 

[KevanG]

Double post.