BROWN'S REQUIEM is the first novel, published in 1981, of the american writer James Ellroy.
Fritz Brown is a private detective. Until now, his life has been a mess : excluded from the Los Angeles Police Department, a former drug and alcohol addict, he works in his spare time for Cal Myers, a car seller, and tries to bring back to his boss cars that haven't been completely paid. One day, a fat golf caddy pays him to spy on his sister and her old mentor Sol Kupferman. Then begins for Fritz Brown a redemptive trip that will lead him to Mexico and deep into a corrupted Los Angeles. Recommended. | ||
Plot & Themes Tone of story - How difficult to spot villain? - Somewhat obvious Time/era of story: Spying/Terrorism Thriller Yes Cloak & Dagger Plotlets: What % of story relates directly to the mystery, not the subplot? - 60% Special suspect? - chronically deranged person Murder of certain profession? Kind of investigator Kid or adult book? - Adult or Young Adult Book Crime Thriller Yes Murder Mystery (killer unknown) Yes General Crime (including known murderer) Yes Who's the criminal enemy here? - drug dealers - finding a known killer Main Character Gender - Male Profession/status: Age: - 20's-30's Main Adversary Identity: - Male Age: - 40's-50's Profession/status: Motive of antagonist - power The antagonists are: - radical right wingers How sensitive is this character? Sense of humor - Cynical sense of humor Intelligence - Smarter than most other characters Setting United States Yes The US: - California The Americas (not US): Yes The Americas: - Mexico Desert? Yes Misc setting - resort/hotel Writing Style Accounts of torture and death? - very gorey references to deaths/dead bodies and torture Explicit sex in book? Yes What kind of sex: - actual description of sex - descript. of breasts - descript. of other female areas Unusual forms of death - perforation--bullets - perforation--swords/knives Unusual form of death? Yes Amount of dialog - significantly more descript than dialog |