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Author Phillip Margolin booklist (click here)

Book Review By BethG
Heartstone by Phillip Margolin

Elaine Murray and Richie Walters, two high school students, are killed at the local teen hangout. There are two very obvious suspects, but the local police can't make a case. Cop Roy Schindler just can't let the case die. Even after being officially removed from the case, he keeps trying to find a way to prove the Coolidge boys guilty. He finally finds a hole when he discovers that Esther Pelagosi was with them when they killed the two students, and witnessed at least the death of the boy. The only trouble is, she can't remember it. Will her testimony, enhanced through hypnosis, be enough to get the revenge he has sought?


Plot & Themes
Tone of story - suspenseful (sophisticated fear)
How difficult to spot villain? - Somewhat obvious
Time/era of story:
What % of story relates directly to the mystery, not the subplot? - 70%
Murder of certain profession?
Misc. Murder Plotlets - Big focus on forensic evidence
Kind of investigator
Kid or adult book? - Adult or Young Adult Book
descript. of violence and chases - 50 %
Planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 30 %
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 10 %
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 - jealousy
The antagonists are: - rednecks
How sensitive is this character?
Intelligence - Average intelligence

Setting
United States Yes
The US: - Northeast
Small town? Yes
Small town people: - nice, like Andy/Opie/Aunt Bee

Writing Style
Accounts of torture and death? - moderately detailed references to deaths
Explicit sex in book? Yes
What kind of sex: - rape (yeech!)
Unusual forms of death - frozen
Unusual form of death? Yes
Amount of dialog - roughly even amounts of descript and dialog
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