| Introducing Carson Ryder, his senior partner in a newly formed crime squad, Harry Nautilus describes him as ‘The Hundredth Man', the one who will always grope in the dark for revealing clues when the other ninety nine would prefer to search in the light! And so we immediately understand that Ryder is just a little bit different from your average homicide cop.
A serial killer is on the loose in Alabama, leaving bodies to be conveniently found - always without a head and always with strange writing on the torso. Ryder's unconventional thinking starts to bring together a reason why these murders are happening and he's given some assistance by his schizophrenic brother, Jeremy, incarcerated for a series of murders committed whilst Ryder was only a relatively young boy but whose mind is tuned into the way serial killers are thinking. Meanwhile, the autopsies also begin to cast a little light on to the situation with a new pathologist, Ava Davanelle, leading the way. Unfortunately, Ava has an alcohol problem that begins to involve Ryder on a personal basis, so much so that their jobs are on the line unless some speedy solutions are found to stop the killer. Regrettably, speedy solutions are not available and Ryder, whilst avoiding his publicity-seeking senior officers with their own agenda for coming up with the killer, slowly pieces together – with further input from his brother – just who and why the killer is doing what he does. | ||
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Plot & Themes Tone of story - suspenseful (sophisticated fear) How difficult to spot villain? - Very difficult--no foreshadowing/clues Time/era of story: What % of story relates directly to the mystery, not the subplot? - 70% Special suspect? - chronically deranged person Kind of investigator 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 - 40 % Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 40 % 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: - 40's-50's Profession/status: Motive of antagonist - insanity Setting United States Yes Writing Style Accounts of torture and death? - moderately detailed references to deaths Unusual forms of death - decapitated Unusual form of death? Yes Amount of dialog - roughly even amounts of descript and dialog |
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