|
Bedside, 2004, 18.00, 272 pp. ISBN: 1589821092 In Chicago in the 1980s, Joe Clark had been a member of the Black Kings gang, but by 1996 he is an honest police detective though the murder of his brother six years ago still burns deep in his mind. At Romeos, another former gang member Chuck Thornton sees Joe for the first time in several years. Later Chuck mentions that to his partner Benny Schroeder, another member of the Black Kings. Benny and Chuck kidnap black women for a living. When Chuck becomes greedy Benny kills him. Unaware that Joe is a cop Benny offers him an opportunity to make easy money. Joe notifies his superior and receives sanctioning to go undercover in an attempt to break the ring and save fifteen abducted women. Though working from the inside, Joe gets an ally when Chinese reporter Wu Chong tracks the death of his cousin to an organ harvesting gang tied to the Chicago mob. Though organ harvesting has been used a lot lately and medical records are in the news via new laws on portability and government intrusion, readers will appreciate this powerful police procedural. The story line is fast-paced as Joe becomes involved with the gang kidnapping black women. Joe is a terrific hero, who is a converted believer in the law. Readers will enjoy his take on Chicago from a vastly different perspective than say Bueller. Harriet Klausner | ||
|
Plot & Themes Tone of story - suspenseful (sophisticated fear) 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 - 40 % How society works & physical descript. (people, objects, places) - 10 % Crime Thriller Yes Crime plotlets: General Crime (including known murderer) Yes Who's the criminal enemy here? - breaking up gang Main Character Gender - Male Profession/status: Age: - 20's-30's Ethnicity/Race Main Adversary Identity: - Male Age: - 20's-30's Profession/status: Motive of antagonist - money/treasure 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: - Midwest Writing Style Accounts of torture and death? - generic/vague references to death/punishment Amount of dialog - significantly more dialog than descript |
||