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Book Review By Yvonne
Not Necessarily Murder by F. Eugene Barber

The former Navy officer,medically discharged, has closed a million dollar real estate deal in California and is flying home to New York. He opens the door of his flat and finds his wife and friend in bed--he is furious--almost insane. He wakes up on the bedroom floor. He gets up and sees his wife and friend impaled on the bed--a World War II M-1 Garand with bayonet has been thrust through both--he can tell they are dead-no pulse and cold. He had no idea how long he had been blacked out and on the floor.

He panics. He opens the safe, takes out all the money and a map to his grandfather's ranch in AZ. He looks at his watch--there is time to draw all of his money from the joint bank account. He packs a few things and withdraws the M-1 and bayonet. He might need the weapon.

He loads the car, swaps license plates with an abandoned car in the stall at the end of the parking garage and after going to the bank--heads west. He is fearful of being followed and plans a route to ellude police.

He finds the isolated ranch and prepares to stay hidden for a long time.

A youg girl is hiking in the area and falls and is moaning. He hears her and nurses her back to health. The cops are slowly finding there way west also. He finally decides to tell the young girl that he killed someone. She has fallen in love with him and he likewise in her. She is silent. Finally she packs and leaves for Los Angeles.

The cops finally find him--she has relented and comes back to get him to turn himself in--she changes her mind and helps him to escape on the condition that he drive to NY and surrender--he does.

He is scheduled for a long jury trial.


Plot & Themes
Tone of story - suspenseful (sophisticated fear)
Time/era of story:
Kid or adult book? - Adult or Young Adult Book
Legal Thriller Yes
Legal Plotlets
descript. of violence and chases - 30 %
Planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 10 %
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 40 %
How society works & physical descript. (people, objects, places) - 20 %
Is Romance a MAJOR (25%+) part of story? Yes

Main Character
Gender - Male
Profession/status:
Age: - 20's-30's

Main Adversary
Identity: - Male
Age: - 40's-50's
Motive of antagonist - power
The antagonists are: - government bureaucracy
How sensitive is this character?
Intelligence - Average intelligence

Setting
United States Yes
Mountains/Cliffs Yes
Mountains: - falling off
Desert? Yes

Writing Style
Accounts of torture and death? - generic/vague references to death/punishment
Unusual forms of death - impaled
Unusual form of death? Yes
Amount of dialog - roughly even amounts of descript and dialog
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