| This story takes place in 1968 in Memphis, Tennessee. Smokey Dalton is an unlicensed private investigator . When Laura Hathaway, a young, Chicago heiress comes to his office he is drawn into a case that involves him personally. The woman's deceased mother has left him $10,000 in her will. Smokey has never seen nor heard of the woman's parents, but he wants to know why this is the second time he has received the same amount from an unknown source. While investigating the connection between Ms. Hathaway and him, he discovers that Laura's parents were living a lie based on the stolen identities of a dead mother and child and that he was investigated by her mother!
With flashbacks to 1939,Smokey remembers the Atlanta premiere of Gone With The Wind.This event preceded the destruction of his childhood. When he was 10 yrs. old, his parents were killed and he was sent away to live with foster parents. For almost 30 years, he's never returned, but now he must to find the answers to questions he's never allowed himself to ask. He's also caught up in the life of a little boy named Jimmy who has been abandoned by his family. During the heightened tensions of the Civil Rights campaigns in Memphis, Jimmy witnesses something he shouldn't have. Now, Smokey and Jimmy must leave the South in order to save both their lives. | ||
|
Plot & Themes Tone of story - suspenseful (sophisticated fear) Time/era of story: Kind of investigator Kid or adult book? - Adult or Young Adult Book Any non-mystery subplot? descript. of violence and chases - 10 % Planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 50 % Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 20 % How society works & physical descript. (people, objects, places) - 20 % Crime Thriller Yes Murder Mystery (killer unknown) Yes Main Character Gender - Male Profession/status: Age: - 40's-50's Ethnicity/Race Main Adversary Identity: - none The antagonists are: - racists/KKK Setting United States Yes The US: - Deep South Writing Style Accounts of torture and death? - generic/vague references to death/punishment Unusual forms of death - hanging Unusual form of death? Yes Amount of dialog - significantly more dialog than descript |
||