Derek Franklin is a steeplechase jockey nearing the end of his career. He broke his left ankle in a fall from a horse during a steeplechase at Cheltenham a few days before and talked his doctor into putting him in a soft cast so his muscles would not atrophy. After returning from the doctors, he received a telephone call in which he was told that his brother Greville was in intensive care at St. Catherine's Hospital at Ipswich close to 2 hours away. Not being able to drive himself, he gets his neighbor Brad to drive him. His brother has been in a horrible accident in which scaffolding fell on him as he was walking down the sidewalk. Hours after Derek's arrival his brother passes away leaving Derek all his possessions: his house, his horses (Dozen Roses & Gemstones) and his business (Greville is a gem merchant).
Derek is in for a wild ride; not only must he learn his brother's business, he must acquaint himself with his brother's employees, Greville's girlfriend Clarissa, and a certain jeweler named Prospero Jenks. Then there is the case of the missing diamonds that his brother took a 1.5 million-dollar loan out to buy and his brother's ransacked office and house. Moreover, to make matters worse there is a racing scandal dealing with Greville's horse Dozen Roses, a trainer named Nicholas Loder and a drug kingpin named Rollway. | ||
Plot & Themes Tone of story - depressing/sad Time/era of story: Kid or adult book? - Adult or Young Adult Book descript. of violence and chases - 20 % Planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 60 % Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 10 % How society works & physical descript. (people, objects, places) - 10 % Crime Thriller Yes Crime plotlets: General Crime (including known murderer) Yes Who's the criminal enemy here? - drug dealers If story PRIMARILY about main chr. being hunted... - hunted by killer/stalker Main Character Gender - Male Profession/status: Age: - 20's-30's Ethnicity/Race Main Adversary Identity: - Male Age: - 40's-50's Profession/status: Motive of antagonist - revenge The antagonists are: - Drug kingpins How sensitive is this character? Sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor Intelligence - Dumb Setting Europe Yes European country: - England/UK City? Yes City: - London Farm/Ranch? Yes Farm/Ranch: - farm Writing Style Accounts of torture and death? - generic/vague references to death/punishment Explicit sex in book? Yes What kind of sex: - vague references Amount of dialog - roughly even amounts of descript and dialog |