|
Five Star, Mar 2004, 25.95, 222 pp. ISBN: 1594140375 Computer guru Jonathan Hayes loves his wife Joan with his soul and cherishes their two children, four years old Katherine and four moth old J.J. Perhaps the only negative factor in his idyllic life is Joan's crazy ex-husband Barry who surfaces every few years with pleading for his “wife” to come home to raise their son Merle who died at birth. Jonathan's life falls apart when the police arrest him for raping and murdering a teenage girl and for having killed two federal agents a few years ago. Police Captain Johansson lets him go when she learns the FBI report was a fake. Still the police harass Jonathan and the next day re-arrest him for a second murder, but his lawyer proves that he has an air tight alibi as the cops hassled him for the past twenty-four hours. When Joan is murdered Jonathan turns to a special program that takes users beyond virtual reality into magic reality. He plans to confront Barry, who he believes is the culprit as well as a wizard trying to bring life to Merle. NIGHTMARE LOGIC is a strange tale that for two thirds of the novel is a crime thriller with a seemingly high tech methodology behind the troubles facing Jonathan, but abruptly the story line takes a left turn without a signal into urban fantasy. Though readers will need to adjust to the twist and overcome the use of wizardry to easily explain Barry's skills, both parts come together so that the audience receives an exciting different tale that stays at supersonic speed until the final skirmish between the hero and the villain. Harriet Klausner | ||
|
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% Misc. Murder Plotlets - Proving innocence of very obvious suspect Kind of investigator 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 Murder Mystery (killer unknown) Yes Main Character Gender - Male Profession/status: Age: - 40's-50's Ethnicity/Race Main Adversary Identity: - Male Age: - 40's-50's Profession/status: Motive of antagonist - revenge How sensitive is this character? Sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor Intelligence - Very much smarter than other characters Setting United States Yes Writing Style Accounts of torture and death? - generic/vague references to death/punishment Amount of dialog - significantly more dialog than descript |
||