| Willis Pugh is about to turn 40, and is feeling the twinges of a mid-life crisis, when during a family camping trip, he knows what he must do: climb Enchanted Rock! A month later finds Willis and his business partner Doug Kingsley, off to make the climb, but only Doug returns, once again casting Willis' wife E.J. as amateur detective. She finds his broken down VW Karman Ghia on the highway between home and Enchanted Rock, but where is Willis?
While E.J investigates Willis' disappearance, he has gotten mixed up in the murder of Calvin Hardy at Scoggin's Truck Stop & Turkey Farm. After helping truck driver 'Tater' Bascombe and his faithful rottweiler, Dumplin', stash Calvin's body in an empty deep-freezer, his only chance of getting home is clearing Rogene Scoggins Hardy (Calvin's widow, and Tater's object of affection) of the stabbing death of her abusive husband. Eventually, Willis is able to sneak a phone call to E.J., who traces the call to Scoggin's Truck Stop. She and Detective Elena Luna arrive in time to break up an illegal cock fighting ring, get reunited with Willis (posing as Tater's cousin Marvin), and to solve a case where the motives are stranger than the murder itself. | ||
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Plot & Themes Tone of story - very humorous Time/era of story: Kind of investigator Kid or adult book? - Adult or Young Adult Book descript. of violence and chases - 20 % Planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 30 % Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 30 % How society works & physical descript. (people, objects, places) - 20 % Crime Thriller Yes Murder Mystery (killer unknown) Yes Main Character Gender - Female Profession/status: Age: - 40's-50's Ethnicity/Race Main Adversary Identity: - Male Age: - 40's-50's Profession/status: Motive of antagonist - revenge The antagonists are: - rednecks How sensitive is this character? Sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor Intelligence - Average intelligence Setting United States Yes The US: - Texas Farm/Ranch? Yes Farm/Ranch: - farm Writing Style Accounts of torture and death? - generic/vague references to death/punishment Unusual forms of death - perforation--swords/knives Unusual form of death? Yes Amount of dialog - roughly even amounts of descript and dialog |
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