| The Civil War has just begun. The Southern states are seceding, and Maryland is torn between North and South. In Baltimore, a wealthy and influential shipping magnate named Elias Liberty is financing and assembling a military force to invade Washington, D.C. and depose the "tyrannical" Lincoln administration. A congressman who stands in Liberty's way is murdered, prompting a government investigation.
The investigator is John Benedict Carver, a private detective and veteran of the Mexican War. He is recruited by an old friend to work for a secret organization within the War Department to infiltrate Confederate espionage. Carver is despondent following the recent deaths of his wife and daughter, and he accepts the assignment as a way to escape from his grief. The trail takes Carver to Baltimore, where he meets a boardinghouse widow named Lucille Winters. As widows they share their pain and grow affectionate. Meanwhile, Carver learns that there is more to the Liberty investigation than just a simple murder. What begins as a routine investigation becomes a race against time as Carver must uncover the sinister plot and expose Liberty before he launches his troops on the defenseless U.S. capital. | ||
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Plot & Themes Tone of story - suspenseful (sophisticated fear) Time/era of story: Spying/Terrorism Thriller Yes Cloak & Dagger Plotlets: Kid or adult book? - Adult or Young Adult Book descript. of violence and chases - 20 % Planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 40 % Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 20 % How society works & physical descript. (people, objects, places) - 20 % War-time military intelligence mission? Yes Who's the terrorist enemy here? Main Character Gender - Male Profession/status: Age: - 20's-30's Ethnicity/Race Main Adversary Identity: - Male Age: - 40's-50's Profession/status: Eccentric: Yes Motive of antagonist - power The antagonists are: - big business leader(s) How sensitive is this character? Sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor Intelligence - Smarter than most other characters Setting United States Yes The US: - Mid-Atlantic states City? Yes City: - Washington D.C. Writing Style Accounts of torture and death? - moderately detailed references to deaths Amount of dialog - roughly even amounts of descript and dialog |
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