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Viking, Aug 2004, 23.95 ISBN: 0670033197 In 1988 in Austin, Texas, homicide detective Dan Reles feels his world is collapsing with the death of his partner Joey Velez in the line of duty which makes him feel angry and all alone. The transplanted New York Jew also recently lost his spouse who left him. The Austin PD brass becomes concerned with Dan's violent behavior that could be a chip off the old block amplified by his recent losses; they place him under departmental evaluation. Reles sees an opportunity to atone for his overly zealous performance when he is assigned to investigate the torso of a prostitute found in a nearby ravine. A macabre twist occurs as her other body parts have been forwarded to prominent men in Austin. As he begins his inquiries into the sleazier side of the state capital, a bus hits a U of T student which only Reles believes might be connected to the homicide he already is investigating. Harriet Klausner | ||
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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? - 80% 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 - 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 Murder Mystery (killer unknown) Yes 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 - insanity 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: - Texas Writing Style Accounts of torture and death? - generic/vague references to death/punishment Amount of dialog - significantly more dialog than descript |
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