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Book Review By Tanya
Prior Bad Acts by Tami Hoag

The outskirts of Minneapolis is struck by a tornado but that isn't the greatest horror it is also struck on the same night by a brutal crime of 2 children and a mother. Handyman Karl Dahl is picked up for the crime and charged. The community at large has already tried him in their mind and he is guilty.

Judge Carey Moore will set into motion a series of events when she rules that Dahl's prior criminal record cannot be used in court on this case. When Judge Moore is attacked and beaten in the parking garage after this ruling, the police department handles it as if it was a homicide and not a mugging. Detectives Liska and Kovac are assigned to the case. As the 2 detectives are coming up to speed in the case Karl Dahl escapes from custody after being beaten in a prison riot.

The story continues as the 2 detectives must navigate through a maze of suspects that includes the stepson of a murder victim, the Judge's husband who seems to have a secret life, and the cop who was first on the scene of the Haas murders who is now looking for revenge where the justice system failed.


Plot & Themes
Tone of story - suspenseful (sophisticated fear)
Time/era of story:
What % of story relates directly to the mystery, not the subplot? - 60%
Kind of investigator
Kid or adult book? - Adult or Young Adult Book
descript. of violence and chases - 30 %
Planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 30 %
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 - Female
Profession/status:
Age: - 40's-50's
Ethnicity/Race

Main Adversary
Identity: - Male
Age: - 20's-30's
Profession/status:
How sensitive is this character?
Sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence - Average intelligence

Setting
United States Yes
The US: - Midwest

Writing Style
Accounts of torture and death? - very gorey references to torture
Unusual form of death? Yes
Amount of dialog - roughly even amounts of descript and dialog
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