| Plot Summary of The Summons |
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"This story concerns a man summoned home by his ailing father. He finds his father dead and he also finds a large amount of hidden money. The plot revolves around his attempt to determine where the money comes from and his struggle to decide what he should do with it. I found the story somewhat less than compeling, but the book was redeemed to a large extent by its ending."
Linda Rodriguez, Resident Scholar
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"Judge Atlee was a powerful figure in Clanton Mississippi-a pillar of the community who towered over local law and politics for forty years. Now Judge Atlee has become quite ill, and is a lonely old man who has withdrawn to his sprawling ancestral home. He knows the end is near, and has issued a summons for his two sons to return to Clanton to discuss his estate. Ray Atlee who is the eldest, and a Virginia law professor, and Forrest is Ray's younger brother, who redefines the notion of the 'family black sheep.'
The summons is typed on Judge Atlee's handsome stationery, giving the exact date and time for his sons to appear in his study. Ray reluctantly heads south to his hometown, to the place where he grew up and now likes to avoid. But as it will turn out here, the meeting never will take place, as Judge Atlee dies before his sons make it.
What happens as Ray searches the house is interesting and should not be kept a secret, but it is. Someone else knows a secret though, and they are stalking Ray for what his father left behind.
A great book and engrossing read."
Boppy, Resident Scholar
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"The main character finds his aging father dead. He also finds three million dollars. Where was it from, what should he do with it, and is it legal? The story unfolds."
ryan mellish, Resident Scholar
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"Ray and Forrest are called home to face "the judge" and the contents of their father's will. Ray arrives first and finds not only a dead father but an inordinate amount of hidden money. As Ray attempts to find the origin of the money, Forrest enters yet another drug rehab program. Harry Rex, a small town attorney, Patton French, the self proclaimed "king of torts" and the "Bonanza," the plane Ray covets, are all well thought out characters to support the plot. "
Sara , Resident Scholar
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"Judge Atlee is the last of a long line of southern gentlemen. He is estranged from his two sons. One is a law professor at Virginia University, the other a high school jock druggie. The dying judge has summoned his two children to return home.
The elder son, professor Atlee, was recently dumped by his ex-wife for a man with millions. He had left home after college to escape his tyranical father. Having received the summons, the professor now returns home to find his father dead and an unexplained $3,000,000, consisting of $100 bills in boxes behind the old man's desk. The professor takes the money for safe keeping, whereupon the professor becomes subject to various forms of intimidation.
He is now sure someone else is aware of the money. The next 160 pages are devoted to learning if the money is counterfeit, real, stolen or graft and he is determined to learn the source of the money. The brother appears and is around for a short time and then winds up in two different detox centers.
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Charles Zinger, Resident Scholar
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| Review Analysis of The Summons |
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Our unique search engine provides a wealth of detail about books by breaking them down into many different literary elements, all of which are searchable (click here).
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Composition of Book
descript. of violence and chases - 40%
Planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 30%
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 20%
How society works & physical descript. (people, objects, places) - 10%
Tone of story
- suspenseful (sophisticated fear)
Time/era of story:
- present (2000-2010)
Kid or adult book?
- Adult or Young Adult Book
Legal Thriller
Yes
Legal Plotlets
- wrangling over a will
Main Character
Gender
- Male
Profession/status:
- a lawyer creature
Age:
- 40's-50's
Is this an ordinary person caught up in events?
Yes
How much violence does he/she use?
- a little
Ethnicity/Race
- White/American
How sensitive is this character?
- middling sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor
- Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence
- Smarter than most other characters
Physique
- average physique
Main Adversary
Identity:
- Male
Profession/status:
- a lawyer creature
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in:
- almost none
- an average amount
Motive of antagonist
- money/treasure
Sense of humor
- Cynical sense of humor
Intelligence
- Average intelligence
Physique
- average physique
Setting
United States
Yes
The US:
- Deep South
City?
Yes
Small town?
Yes
Small town people:
- nice, like Andy/Opie/Aunt Bee
- dumb rednecks, like Gomer Pyle
Style
Person
- mostly 1st
Accounts of torture and death?
- generic/vague references to death/punishment
How many deaths?
- 0 (not a murder mystery)
- 1
Amount of dialog
- roughly even amounts of descript and dialog
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