| Former prosecutor Penn Cage is settling back in Natchez, Mississippi, where he was raised. He is haunted by his wife's premature death and floundering in a long-distance relationship with a publisher/reporter. At the beginning of the novel, Penn is thrust immediately into the position of helping his friend Drew Elliott, who saved his life during childhood, prove his innocence in the shocking rape and murder of a seventeen year-old girl.
Despite revelations about his friend that cause Penn to question his character and innocence, Penn sets out to defend his friend, first to the town and later as a consulting lawyer (and amateur investigator.) The novel explores present-day race relations in the South, the apparent conflict between law enforcement duties and political aspirations, and loss of innocence. | ||
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Plot & Themes Tone of story - suspenseful (sophisticated fear) Time/era of story: Kid or adult book? - Adult or Young Adult Book descript. of violence and chases - 20 % Planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 50 % Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 20 % How society works & physical descript. (people, objects, places) - 10 % Crime Thriller Yes Main Character Gender - Male Profession/status: Age: - 20's-30's Ethnicity/Race Main Adversary Identity: - Male Age: - 40's-50's Profession/status: Motive of antagonist - power The antagonists are: - lawyer creatures How sensitive is this character? Intelligence - Smarter than most other characters Setting United States Yes The US: - Deep South Small town? Yes Writing Style Accounts of torture and death? - moderately detailed references to deaths Explicit sex in book? Yes What kind of sex: - rape (yeech!) Amount of dialog - roughly even amounts of descript and dialog |
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