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The Mark Book Summary and Study Guide

Detailed plot synopsis reviews of The Mark


Henry Parker, a recently graduated journalism student, gets his first big story working for a major New York newspaper, and ends up on the run, accused of being a cop-killer. Henry Parker is a 24-year-old journalist who goes from working at a small Oregon newspaper in his hometown, to a big newspaper in NYC. When his hero, a seasoned reporter with the Gazette offers to let him interview a parolee for a story on prison rehabilitation, he jumps at the chance, his life changes in an instant, and he has to clear his name or die trying.
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After his initial interview, Henry goes back to the apartment to ask a few more questions and hears tortured screams coming from inside. Debating, he knocks on the door and discovers his interviewees bound and gagged and by a man with a gun. The man hits Henry and Henry struggles with the man and his gun goes off, killing him. Henry, on advice from the interviewees, takes off and passes out in a nearby alley. When he awakens, he finds himself wanted for the murder of a NYC policeman and the interviewees in the hospital saying that Henry attacked them looking for drugs, and the policeman saved their lives.

Henry then embarks on a mission to keep himself from being captured and also keeping himself alive. In the meantime, a local mafioso hires an evil killer to kill Henry and get the package the interviewees supposedly had. Henry hooks up with Amanda, a law student, and manages to leave the city. She doesn't know who he really is until they are confronted with an armed man in her St. Louis home. The police arrive and Henry and Amanda manage to escape them, both now fugitives from the law.

Henry comes clean with Amanda and they spend the rest of the story investigating as best they can, the interviewees, the policeman, and the man sent to kill them both. When they find the missing package, it all becomes clear, but time is not on their side and in the course of four days, Henry must find the truth or be killed by the hitman or possibly the police themselves.
Best part of story, including ending: It was a riveting story of a young man on the brink of his chosen career, thrust into a nightmare that may end in his life. It shows his courage and resourcefulness which is rather inspiring.

Best scene in story: My favorite scene was when Henry discovers that Amanda, who was taking notes on him in the car, has a trunk full of notebooks with characterizations of people she knew and also people she had met briefly, if even for a few seconds. As he digs, he finds she has been doing this since she was a child and it gives him an altogether different impression of Amanda.

Opinion about the main character: I liked his perseverance and resourcefulness, as well as his investigative skills.

The review of this Book prepared by Julie Segraves a Level 3 Eurasian Jay scholar

Chapter Analysis of The Mark

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Plot & Themes

Composition of Book descript. of violence and chases 20%Planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives 60%Feelings, relationships, character bio/development 10%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% Special suspect?    -   investigator him/herself Murder of certain profession?    -   lawmen Misc. Murder Plotlets    -   Proving innocence of very obvious suspect Kind of investigator    -   amateur citizen investigator Kid or adult book?    -   Adult or Young Adult Book Any non-mystery subplot?    -   searching for $$$/treasure Crime Thriller    -   Yes Murder Mystery (killer unknown)    -   Yes

Main Character

Gender    -   Male Profession/status:    -   journalist Age:    -   20's-30's Ethnicity/Race    -   White/American

Setting

United States    -   Yes The US:    -   Northeast

Writing Style

Accounts of torture and death?    -   moderately detailed references to deaths Amount of dialog    -   significantly more descript than dialog

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