Penn Cage is a former prosecutor, now writer who has returned home to Natchez, Mississippi with his young daughter after the death of his wife. Once at his parents' home, he quickly becomes involved in solving the 1960s unsolved murder of Del Payton, a black factory worker working for civil rights.
As Penn reconnects with the towns people receiving vague clues and innuendo from several of them, he and his family are also threatened on several occasions. He connects with the FBI, deals with blackmail, encounters his childhood sweetheart and teams up with the lovely newspaper publisher, Caitlin Masters. Combining information and pursuing his investigation Penn reveals information and secret relationships in his quest to identify Payton's murderer. | ||
Plot & Themes Tone of story - suspenseful (sophisticated fear) How difficult to spot villain? - Difficult, but some clues given Time/era of story: What % of story relates directly to the mystery, not the subplot? - 60% Misc. Murder Plotlets - solving long-past murder 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 - 60 % Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 20 % How society works & physical descript. (people, objects, places) - 10 % Crime Thriller Yes Murder Mystery (killer unknown) Yes Main Character Gender - Male Profession/status: Age: - 20's-30's Ethnicity/Race Main Adversary Identity: - Male Age: - 60's-90's Profession/status: Motive of antagonist - money/treasure The antagonists are: - big business leader(s) How sensitive is this character? Sense of humor - Cynical sense of humor Intelligence - Smarter than most other characters Setting United States Yes The US: - Deep South Small town? Yes Small town people: - hostile, like Gomer Pyle on steroids Misc setting - fancy mansion Writing Style Accounts of torture and death? - moderately detailed references to deaths Explicit sex in book? Yes What kind of sex: - descript of kissing - touching of anatomy - actual description of sex - descript. of breasts - descript. of other female areas Amount of dialog - roughly even amounts of descript and dialog |