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Author P.J. Tracy booklist (click here)

Book Review By Kevin R. Ttipple
Monkeewrench by P.J. Tracy

People are playing a game called SKUD, which stands for Serial Killer Detective. Created by the five somewhat eccentric owners of the computer company Monkeewrench, the game has 17 murder scenarios featuring increasing difficulty. The player is to work each crime scene as a real life detective and build upon the evidence while shrinking the list of suspects until the killer is found. A test version is up on the Internet for advance orders and so far, out of the large number playing the game, no one has gotten very far in playing their creation. But the orders are pouring in and the group stands to be rich.

That is until someone in real life starts duplicating the cyber death scenes in the game down to every last detail. Not only is a serial killer using their game as a springboard to kill he begins to very personally taunt the police as well as the Monkeewrench group. While distrustful of the police for good reason as the complicated back-story explains, the group is forced into cooperating with the police in a search for the killer as their shared nightmare comes alive once again.


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? - nearly 100%
Murder of certain profession?
Kind of investigator
Kid or adult book? - Adult or Young Adult Book
Any non-mystery subplot?
descript. of violence and chases - 10 %
Planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 50 %
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 30 %
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: - Female
Age: - 20's-30's
Profession/status:
How sensitive is this character?
Sense of humor - Cynical sense of humor
Intelligence - Average intelligence

Setting
City? Yes

Writing Style
Accounts of torture and death? - moderately detailed references to deaths
Amount of dialog - significantly more dialog than descript
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