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St. Martin's, Dec 2004, 23.95, 304 pp. ISBN: 0312309848 By the time he was thirty-two, Benjamin Justice won the Pulitzer, but soon saw his stature crumble to the ground when his sources proved fake. He lost his job, credibility and with few exceptions, no one in the newspaper world will have anything to do with him. Now a decade has passed since his fall from grace; Benjamin is HIV positive, has lost an eye, his lover died, and he remains a journalistic pariah. Needing work, Benjamin agrees to complete a booklet that West Hollywood contracted with freelancer Bruce Bibby who was murdered in a burglary that turned tragic. Benjamin concentrates on the WeHo booklet that cites historical buildings, but stays out of the police investigation. However, he soon is the center of a dispute over dilapidated cottages that preservationists claim are historically valuable while developers want to build condos on the site. Both sides tug at Benjamin because his project includes significant historical locations that might influence the final decision. Benjamin ties the booklet back to the murder of his predecessor and begins his own inquiries. 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% 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 Ethnicity/Race Main Adversary Identity: - Male Age: - 40's-50's Profession/status: Motive of antagonist - power 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: - California 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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