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A Visible Darkness Book Summary and Study Guide

Detailed plot synopsis reviews of A Visible Darkness


A series of elderly women have died and the police and medical examiner's office have concluded in each case that the women died of natural causes due to age. But a daughter of one of the women has contacted Billy Manchester and asked for his help in finding out who killed her Mother. Billy agrees that something isn't right and with nothing more to go on than the strange coincidence that all the deceased women had recently sold their life insurance policies to investors, Max Freeman begins working the case.
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However, it soon appears that something is going on and that there are links to other unsolved cases in the surrounding area. Cases that no one before had linked because of the area involved as well as an inability to see the big picture. Soon, Max is dealing with many of the members of the task force from the first book and feeling the old adrenalin surge as he chases a killer.

This book does not feature the intensity level of the first book. This might be because from page one, the reader knows exactly who the killer is by name, but not the motivation. As such, there is less intensity as the novel shifts back and forth from the killer's point of view to Max's and back again. This shift is not often and therefore does not serve as a distraction for the reader.
The review of this Book prepared by Kevin R. Tipple






Dutton, Apr 2003, 23.95, 254pp.
ISBN:0525947140

In West Palm Beach, Floridian Billy Manchester believes at least five elderly African-American widows have recently been murdered to collect their insurance money. The police accept the medical examiner's official position of natural causes and the insurance companies agree, paying the benefactor.

Billy asks his buddy, disabled retired Philadelphia cop Max to investigate. The deaths involve ailing African-American widows over eighty from Fort Lauderdale, who sold their life insurance to a viatrical purchasing company. Max agrees with the assessments of the professionals that this is a waste of time, but works the streets anyway especially after meeting the daughter of one of the deceased. Soon he begins to hear noises about invisible Eddie, who even the nastiest drug dealers fear, but is he a loose cannon serial killer or an “agent” of corporate greed.

With suspense thrillers like this one and his debut THE BLUE EDGE OF MIDNIGHT, Jonathan King will become very visible to the reading public quite quickly. A VISIBLE DARKNESS is an action packed investigative tale that grips the audience because the characters are very realistic, even Eddie, who most people have met some time in their life. The chills grow though Eddie is introduced as the murderer at the beginning. A visible history of South Florida over the past century is a bonus brilliantly interwoven into the powerful plot. More novels like this winner will mean fans will recognize that this author lives up to his surname.

Harriet Klausner

The review of this Book prepared by Harriet Klausner



Chapter Analysis of A Visible Darkness

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Plot & Themes

Composition of Book descript. of violence and chases 10%Planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives 50%Feelings, relationships, character bio/development 30%How society works & physical descript. (people, objects, places) 10% Tone of story    -   depressing/sad    -   suspenseful (sophisticated fear) How difficult to spot villain?    -   Moderately Challenging Time/era of story:    -   2000+ (Present) What % of story relates directly to the mystery, not the subplot?    -   60% Misc. Murder Plotlets    -   Killer purposely leaves clues Kind of investigator    -   hard boiled/private eye Kid or adult book?    -   Adult or Young Adult Book Any non-mystery subplot?    -   feelings of fear/loss/inadequacy Crime Thriller    -   Yes Crime plotlets:    -   vigilante getting revenge Murder Mystery (killer unknown)    -   Yes General Crime (including known murderer)    -   Yes Who's the criminal enemy here?    -   finding a known killer

Main Character

Gender    -   Male Profession/status:    -   private investigator    -   police/lawman Age:    -   20's-30's    -   40's-50's Ethnicity/Race    -   White/American

Setting

United States    -   Yes The US:    -   Southeast City?    -   Yes City:    -   Miami

Writing Style

Accounts of torture and death?    -   generic/vague references to death/punishment Amount of dialog    -   significantly more dialog than descript    -   roughly even amounts of descript and dialog

Books with storylines, themes & endings like A Visible Darkness

Jonathan King Books Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s).
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