| Protagonist Barry Clayton has returned home from several years of police work to help with the family funeral business. His father has Alzheimer's and decisions have to be made. While attending business at the graveyard with a local minister, grave diggers unearth a murdered corpse on top of the burial vault they had come to move. The corpse is at least eight years old, but a wallet in the murdered man's pocket reveals a photo that shocks Barry--it is of his girlfriend, Susan.
Susan immediately becomes a suspect in the murder, and Barry is drawn into an "unofficial" investigation to protect her and her family from scandal. As he develops clues from Susan's father (a retired accountant) and her aunt (a news executive at a nearby city TV station), Barry suspects a political sex scandal in his home town. This makes him wary of several members of the local police force. Throughout this, Barry gets shot at and beat up, and must continue his mortician work. He also must decide if selling the business to a national funeral home chain is in the best interest of his family. | ||
|
Plot & Themes How difficult to spot villain? - Difficult, but some clues given Time/era of story: What % of story relates directly to the mystery, not the subplot? - 70% Kind of investigator Kid or adult book? - Adult or Young Adult Book Any non-mystery subplot? descript. of violence and chases - 20 % Planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 40 % Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 30 % How society works & physical descript. (people, objects, places) - 10 % Crime Thriller Yes Murder Mystery (killer unknown) Yes Main Character Gender - Male Profession/status: Age: - 20's-30's Main Adversary Identity: - Male Age: - 40's-50's Setting United States Yes The US: - Southeast Small town? Yes Writing Style Accounts of torture and death? - moderately detailed references to deaths |
||