| Jerry Wilson, a private detective from Ft. Worth, Texas, certainly has a lot on his plate. Besides his normal coaching and family obligations, he is asked to investigate a case involving a cheating husband, a murdered wife, and a ditzy girlfriend-on-the-side. Not only that, but Dr. Bodie Kohler, a longtime friend and confrere for many of Jerry's cases, asks Jerry to investigate what happened to his son James during the Vietnam War. James' death is explained as a devastating yet commonplace event occurring in combat, but Bodie suspects there is something more to the story.
Jerry's plans to investigate the events surrounding James' death are halted when chaos erupts, and the lives of his family are threatened. Warren Duchtin, the previously mentioned cheating husband, is Jerry's primary suspect in the case of Warren's murdered wife, Joanne. It seems that Warren—or someone—knows Jerry is working hard to crack the case and is fighting back. The novel comprises two unique subplots in which Jerry is the central figure: the plot involving Warren and the murder mystery, and the one involving the quest to uncover the truth of James' death. Eric Luck tells these stories brilliantly, constructing many unforgettable characters: the likeable Jerry, intelligent Bodie with the Southern drawl, the complicated war veteran Captain Billy, and Clayton, Bodie's other son who has harbored feelings of resentment for so long that it results in the unraveling of his moral fiber. | ||
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Plot & Themes Tone of story - very humorous How difficult to spot villain? - Somewhat obvious Time/era of story: What % of story relates directly to the mystery, not the subplot? - 50% Special suspect? - investigator him/herself Murder of certain profession? Misc. Murder Plotlets - "All in the family" murder Kind of investigator Kid or adult book? - Adult or Young Adult Book Any non-mystery subplot? descript. of violence and chases - 30 % Planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 20 % 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 - Male Profession/status: Age: - 40's-50's Ethnicity/Race Main Adversary Identity: - natural phenomena Setting United States Yes The US: - Texas Writing Style Accounts of torture and death? - generic/vague references to death/punishment Amount of dialog - roughly even amounts of descript and dialog |
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