| Fourteen-year old Kevin has run away from Apple Knoll, an affluent development in the suburb of Boston.
His parents, the Bartletts, call the police, then Spenser. Soon they receive a ransom note in the form of a comic-strip. They pay the ransom, but don't get their son back. After a few days, Spenser discovers with some help from Kevin's sister that the teenager might have left willingly with one of his friends and heroes, a gay body-builder named Vic Halloway. Still, Spenser just does not manage to find where he is. In the course of the inquiries, Spenser meets Susan Silverman, the school guidance counselor (his girl-friend in future Spenser episodes). When, Mrs Bartlett receives death threats, and the family lawyer gets killed in the living room, Mrs Bartlett wants Spenser to protect her, but she decides to continue with party plans for sixty-five people at her home! Spenser does not think much of the Bartletts, but does his job. He calls in a favor, finds where Halloway hangs out, and start following him. It leads him to the local doctor, and a local prostitution ring. | ||
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Plot & Themes Tone of story - Dry-cynical Time/era of story: Kid or adult book? - Adult or Young Adult Book descript. of violence and chases - 10 % Planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 40 % Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 30 % How society works & physical descript. (people, objects, places) - 20 % Crime Thriller Yes Crime plotlets: General Crime (including known murderer) Yes Main Character Gender - Male Profession/status: Age: - 20's-30'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: - Northeast Writing Style Accounts of torture and death? - moderately detailed references to deaths Explicit sex in book? Yes What kind of sex: - vague references - descript of kissing Amount of dialog - roughly even amounts of descript and dialog |
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