A HOST OF CHARACTERS

I have written on this subject before but it comes up time and time again in discussions with authors. In response to an author who asked if a scenario was appropriate for her FBI agent protagonist, I pointed out the fiction market is oversaturated with FBI characters. Our discussion took place on a Yahoo discussion board and a couple of FBI agents chimed in. They agree, noting that most of the those characters are not working cases that fall within the responsibility of the FBI. The FBI does not work murder cases, except in very limited circumstances such as on federal property. They do not take over cases from the locals. 99.9% of all murders are investigated by local police and sheriff's departments. I like to see characters outside the same old, same old big city detectives and FBI agents--game wardens, park rangers, the retired cop who becomes the sole detective in what he thought was a 'sleepy' sheriff's office, Border Patrol, etc. There are so many law enforcement agencies to choose from, even Navajo Livestock Rangers!