| Arthur Rowe wins a cake as a prize for guessing its correct weight at a small fair while the wartime Blitz of Britain is happening during World War II. Assisting him is a clairvoyant woman named Mrs. Bellairs, but a mistake was made and he was not supposed to get the prize. He is immediately pursued by people out to retrieve the cake and any information it may contain. A bomb dropped from an enemy aircraft goes off foiling the attack before the cake is thoroughly searched at his flat.
Rowe employs Mr. Rennit and Mr. Jones of a private detective agency, to solve the mystery of who is trying to kill him. Rowe, a journalist, is no stranger to death, as he committed a mercy killing of his terminally ill wife but was later cleared of the charges. Mrs. Bellairs conducts a séance with numerous guests, during which one of them gets stabbed to death with Row's penknife. Rowe escapes before the police show up. He goes to a hotel room where a bomb explodes, rendering him unconscious. Rowe wakes up with amnesia. A woman named Anna visits and lets slip the name Arthur when she parts company with him. Fellow patient Major Stone is locked in the sick bay. When Digby finds him he finds his file and sees his name is really Arthur Rowe. His memory comes flooding back to him. Rowe meets with police officers aware of his mysterious life over the last five months. The plot to smuggle top-secret film negatives out of the country is uncovered resulting in the deaths of several foreign agents. | ||
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Plot & Themes Tone of story - suspenseful (sophisticated fear) Time/era of story: Spying/Terrorism Thriller Yes Cloak & Dagger Plotlets: Kid or adult book? - Adult or Young Adult Book descript. of violence and chases - 20 % Planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 30 % Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 30 % How society works & physical descript. (people, objects, places) - 20 % War-time military intelligence mission? Yes Who's the terrorist enemy here? Search for technology? Amnesia story? Yes Main Character Gender - Male Profession/status: Age: - 40's-50's Ethnicity/Race Main Adversary Identity: - an organization Motive of antagonist - power The antagonists are: - nazis Setting Europe Yes European country: - England/UK City? Yes City: - London Misc setting - resort/hotel Writing Style Accounts of torture and death? - moderately detailed references to deaths Unusual forms of death - impaled Unusual form of death? Yes Amount of dialog - significantly more dialog than descript |
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