| Kay Scarpetta has become a private forensic consultant after leaving her job of many years as the Chief Medical Examiner for Virginia. Kay meets Nic Robillard, an investigator from Louisiana, while teaching a class at the National Forensic Academy. A coroner from Nic's hometown needs Scarpetta's forensic services to help solve a murder that may be connected to the disappearances of many young woman in the area. Nic is somehow involved but Kay is not certain of her connection. Then, Kay receives a letter from death row inmate, Jean-Baptiste Chandonne. He wants to see her and reveal his secrets to her. His secrets could put many important people behind bars and on death row. But Kay struggles with her emotions. She will be facing the monster Wolfman that tried to kill her in her own home with an iron pickaxe. Her colleague Pete Marino and her neice Lucy work with her to bring the Louisiana serial killer to justice and offer her support as she faces the Wolfman. | ||
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Plot & Themes Tone of story - suspenseful (sophisticated fear) How difficult to spot villain? - Story partially from villain's perspective Time/era of story: What % of story relates directly to the mystery, not the subplot? - 70% Misc. Murder Plotlets - solving long-past murder - - Big focus on forensic evidence Kid or adult book? - Adult or Young Adult Book The crook is.... - on the run from the law descript. of violence and chases - 20 % Planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 40 % Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 30 % How society works & physical descript. (people, objects, places) - 10 % Crime Thriller Yes Crime plotlets: Is MAIN CHARACTER an EVIL criminal? Yes Murder Mystery (killer unknown) Yes General Crime (including known murderer) Yes Who's the criminal enemy here? - catching thief If story PRIMARILY about main chr. being hunted... - hunted by killer/stalker Main Character Gender - Female Profession/status: Age: - 40's-50's Ethnicity/Race Main Adversary Identity: - Male Age: - 40's-50's Profession/status: Eccentric: Yes Motive of antagonist - revenge Monster of some sort? Yes Kind of monster: - the Wolfman How sensitive is this character? Sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor Intelligence - Smarter than most other characters Setting United States Yes The US: - Northeast - Deep South Misc setting - prison Writing Style Accounts of torture and death? - very gorey references to deaths/dead bodies and torture Explicit sex in book? Yes What kind of sex: - vague references - descript. of breasts A lot of techno jargon? Yes Kind of jargon? - biology/medical Unusual forms of death - perforation--bullets - perforation--swords/knives - blunt clubbing (like seals) Unusual form of death? Yes Amount of dialog - roughly even amounts of descript and dialog |
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