Allreaders.com

The Ministry of Fear Book Summary and Study Guide

Detailed plot synopsis reviews of The Ministry of Fear


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.
Click here to see the rest of this review...


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.
The review of this Book prepared by David Fletcher



Chapter Analysis of The Ministry of Fear

Click on a plot link to find similar books!

Plot & Themes

Composition of 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% Tone of story    -   suspenseful (sophisticated fear) Time/era of story:    -   1930's-1950's Spying/Terrorism Thriller    -   Yes Cloak & Dagger Plotlets:    -   stopping a saboteur/spy Kid or adult book?    -   Adult or Young Adult Book War-time military intelligence mission?    -   Yes Who's the terrorist enemy here?    -   nazis! Search for technology?    -   state secrets Amnesia story?    -   Yes

Main Character

Gender    -   Male Profession/status:    -   journalist Age:    -   40's-50's Ethnicity/Race    -   British

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

Books with storylines, themes & endings like The Ministry of Fear

Graham Greene Books Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s).
2 Ways to Search!
Or



Our Chief Librarian