Allreaders.com

The Dreaming Detective Book Summary and Study Guide

Detailed plot synopsis reviews of The Dreaming Detective




Dunne, Dec 2004, 23.95, 256 pp.
ISBN: 0312322143

The Chief Constable of Greater Birchester, a man named Newcomen, assigns Detective Superintendent Harriet “The ‘Hard Detective” Martens a cold case homicide. Taken slightly aback by the hostility in her superior's voice, Harriet has no idea who Mr. Newcomen was referring to when he asked her “Who Killed the Preacher”. He expects her to solve the vicious 1967 strangling murder of “The Boy Preacher” Krishna Kumaramangalam in the Imperial Hotel, which is now demolished. Harriet concludes her new boss wants her to fail so he can claim she is not worthy of her rank and can live up to his nickname Mr. Newbroom by sweeping her away.
Click here to see the rest of this review...


Newcomen claims that advances in sleuthing in the past three plus decades will prove fruitful if Harriet is capable of doing her job. While waiting for the results of DNA testing, Harriet reads a true crime book, “Who Killed the Preacher”. Next she interviews the seven prime suspects who were the only people with access to the crime scene as the Hard Detective is not going to gently allow Mr. Newbroom to sweep her away.

Harriet Klausner
The review of this Book prepared by Harriet Klausner



Chapter Analysis of The Dreaming Detective

Click on a plot link to find similar books!

Plot & Themes

Composition of Book 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% Tone of story    -   suspenseful (sophisticated fear) How difficult to spot villain?    -   Very difficult--no foreshadowing/clues Time/era of story:    -   2000+ (Present) What % of story relates directly to the mystery, not the subplot?    -   70% Misc. Murder Plotlets    -   solving long-past murder    -   Big focus on forensic evidence Kind of investigator    -   police procedural, British Kid or adult book?    -   Adult or Young Adult Book Crime Thriller    -   Yes Murder Mystery (killer unknown)    -   Yes

Main Character

Gender    -   Female Profession/status:    -   police/lawman Age:    -   20's-30's Ethnicity/Race    -   British

Setting

Europe    -   Yes

Writing Style

Accounts of torture and death?    -   generic/vague references to death/punishment Amount of dialog    -   significantly more dialog than descript
H.R.F. Keating Books Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s).
2 Ways to Search!
Or



Our Chief Librarian