detection methods of famed investigators

I gave Alex a Tintin book for his birthday - and hence, read through a Tintin book for the first time in years.

It's... kind of like Nancy Drew.



What I mean is, in ordinary mysteries, the protagonist will discover a set of intriguing and baffling clues, that will slowly lead them to the culprit.

Whereas, in Tintin, what happens is that Tintin finds something purely innocuous. Say... a man has dropped his handkerchief. And Tintin, being a good citizen, picks up the handkerchief and gives it back. Upon which, the man will recognise Tintin, think "Good Lord! Tintin is on my trail!", kidnap him, reveal his part in the evil scheme, and then somehow fail to kill Tintin in his giant death laser.
After this, Tintin will get away from the death laser, get intrigued by this entrancing new mystery, do the smallest of follow-ups - and thus stumble upon the next member of the gang, who will think "Mon Dieu! C'est Tintin!", kidnap him, and reveal a bit more of the evil scheme...

Every. Single. Time. It's uncanny.