| Wiley's been getting by in Portland, Oregon by playing poker and occasionally ripping off a drug dealer to make ends meet. Still, it's a shock when the daughter he hasn't seen in a year, Lizzie, turns up dead in a motel room with her throat cut. He's sure she was corrupted by his old school buddy and best friend Leon, who runs an escort business and dated Lizzie for a time. Wiley goes gunning for Leon through Portland's sex industry with the grudging assistance of the black Portland detective they both knew in school, Lt. Sam Adams, but more bodies keep turning up (some even laid out by Wiley), and it looks like something much bigger -- something federal -- may be involved. This 2004 debut novel is tough, profane, and accomplished; it doesn't tell the reader too much and keeps you guessing. | ||
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Plot & Themes Tone of story - Dry-cynical Time/era of story: What % of story relates directly to the mystery, not the subplot? - 40% Special suspect? - best friend Misc. Murder Plotlets - character killed during/after sexing Kind of investigator Kid or adult book? - Adult or Young Adult Book Any non-mystery subplot? 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 - Male Profession/status: Age: - 40's-50's Ethnicity/Race Main Adversary Identity: - Female Age: - 20's-30's Profession/status: Motive of antagonist - power How sensitive is this character? Intelligence - Smarter than most other characters Setting United States Yes The US: - Pacific NW City? Yes City: - dangerous Writing Style Accounts of torture and death? - moderately detailed references to deaths Explicit sex in book? Yes What kind of sex: - descript of kissing - touching of anatomy - actual description of sex Unusual forms of death - perforation--bullets - perforation--swords/knives Unusual form of death? Yes Amount of dialog - significantly more descript than dialog |
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