I know this is probably a common topic. For me, I’m not sure if it’s a “trope” or just totally misinformed writing, but it’s how many authors approach alcoholism. Some examples are Girl on the Train and The House Across the Lake, among HUNDREDS. If anyone else here has struggled with alcoholism, you know it’s not just "i woke up after downing an entire bottle of whiskey but was able to shower, down a cup of coffee, and solve a murder. "
In detective novels where the grizzled older detective meets a woman and finally finds the ability to open up and love again only for the serial killer he’s currently hunting to kill her; making it personal.
I read so fucking many detective novels in jail (kinda ironic) that they all bled together and I could not tell you their titles or what specifically happened in a specific book. They all do the same shit and it just gets so predictable.