|
Mysterious, Aug 2004, 22.95 ISBN: 0892968133 London based TV news producer Robin Ballantyne takes maternity leave to raise her infant twins Hannah and William while the father of the children Adam Wills flees from the three human females in his life. However, Robin quickly realizes how much she misses the news room when she watches her neighbor Labour Party MP and social arbiter to the nation Paula Carmichael fall to her death. Robin asks Maeve Tandy, Chief of the Current Affairs/Documentary Division for her old job back, but is offered a loser's position as ethics editor. Doing an end around, Robin attends a ritzy awards ceremony attended by broadcasting leaders including that ship deserting rat Adam. He demands visitation rights to see his daughters, but the next day is run over by Robin's BMW. The media goes frenzy with one of their own in the hot seat as they see her vehicle as the weapon, her meeting with the victim as the opportunity and her inheritance of his estate as the motive. No one cares that Adam was filming a documentary about Paula and sharing much more. Robin realizes her peers and the police have convicted her; she must prove otherwise. This engaging British amateur sleuth tale is kept fresh by the beleaguered heroine who finds her own community ready to devour her as a wounded piranha. Though two lovers and the media feeding turmoil are old hats, having an insider caught in the headlights provides newness as Robin struggles between motherhood, prime suspect, media hanging, and investigator. Fans will appreciate Robin FALLING OFF AIR as she tries to save herself from drowning in the media spotlighted fishbowl. 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? - 80% Special suspect? - investigator him/herself Kind of investigator Any non-mystery subplot? 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 - revenge How sensitive is this character? Sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor Intelligence - Smarter than most other characters Setting Europe Yes European country: - England/UK Writing Style Accounts of torture and death? - generic/vague references to death/punishment Amount of dialog - significantly more dialog than descript |
||