|
Simon & Schuster, June 2004, 24.00, 288 ISBN 0684845288 Harvard University Economics Afro-American professor Nikki Chase is presently at Princeton to give a paper at the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs. She isn't looking forward to doing it but if she wants tenure, this is one of the prices she has to pay. While there she visits her brother Eric and his new girlfriend Kayla as well as her mentor Professor Earl Stokes, head of the African-America studies and the economics department of the New Jersey school. Internationally renowned Earl has written a best seller, Color Counts, which is one of the reasons Harvard wants him to chair the Economics Department. Nikki would love that since she doesn't get along with the current acting head of Economics. Earl isn't sure what he wants to do especially since Princeton is building an African-American study center. All plans go up in smoke when the building burns to the ground and Earl's body is found, the victim of murder. Unable to leave well enough alone, Nikki investigates and if she is not more cautious could become another murder victim. The Broncos and Syracuse U are not part of this tale. Instead academic politics can get ugly even leading to murders as demonstrated in ORANGE CRUSHED. The heroine plunges head long into the investigation in order to forget her break up with a man she cares about and in the process finds herself attracted to Earl's son. The protagonist has solved homicide cases before (see A DARKER SHADE OF CRIMSON) but this investigation is her toughest because the suspects all wear masks pretending to be something they are not. Pamela Thomas-Graham has written a fantastic academic mystery. 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? - 60% Murder of certain profession? 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 - 40 % How society works & physical descript. (people, objects, places) - 10 % Crime Thriller Yes Murder Mystery (killer unknown) Yes Main Character Gender - Female Profession/status: Age: - 20's-30's Ethnicity/Race Main Adversary Identity: - Male Age: - 40's-50's Profession/status: Motive of antagonist - power 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 Writing Style Accounts of torture and death? - generic/vague references to death/punishment Amount of dialog - significantly more dialog than descript |
||