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Book Review By Harriet Klausner
Inside Track by John Francome



St. Martin's, Oct 2004, 24.95
ISBN: 0312329792

Two years ago, jockey Jamie Hutchison drove under the influence and killed fifteen years old Alan Kirkwell. Jamie did not remember the accident or anything else that occurred on that fatal night. The Leeds Court ruled vehicular homicide but not deliberate so he was sentenced to three years in prison. After eighteen months behind bars, Jamie is freed while the Kirkwells still mourn their loss and resent his freedom.

As Jamie tries to regain his life, his memory of the incident that shattered several lives begins to surface. Still in spite of a welcome by his track friends, he knows he grew to big to ride horses competitively and needs to adjust to changes in his personal life as the last woman he slept with Vanessa Hartley is marrying a rival. As his recall begins to focus, someone wants him dead or back behind bars; though Jamie thinks it must be Alan's father, someone else prefers the truth to remain buried at all cost. Meanwhile he meets and falls in love with Alan's sister Marie who reciprocates his feelings, but her father has never recovered from the death of his son.

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? - 60%
Special suspect? - investigator him/herself
Misc. Murder Plotlets - Proving innocence of very obvious suspect
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 - 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 - Male
Profession/status:
Age: - 20's-30's

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
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