Book reviews

Windy City Dying
Eleanor Taylor Bland Book Review

Read a book review online (click here to search reviews)
Books Movies  
Sci-Fi/Fantasy Mystery/Thriller Literature Romance Biography History
Eleanor Taylor Bland Books
New book search
Eleanor Taylor Bland Message Board
Get more information about this book
Plot Summary of Windy City Dying
"

St. Martin's, Dec 2002, 24.95, 320 pp.
ISBN 0312300980

Prairie Hills homicide detective Marti MacAlister doesn't pay any attention to the notice saying that Adrian Quinn is being released on parole because she doesn't know the felon as it was her dead husband Johnny who was one of the arresting officers. Johnny never spoke about the case to her. Marti has made a very big mistake not paying any attention to that notice because Adrian plans to take revenge on everyone responsible for being incarcerated.

His plan begins when he breaks into his defense attorney's home killing a person he assumes is one of his children, but instead murdered a foster child. The other foster child is blamed for the killing. Marti and her partner work the case not realizing that this murder has nothing to do with the girl who was killed. Their investigation takes them down many false trails while Adrian kills or severely injures many people, including two Chicago police officers. Marti doesn't realize until it is almost too late that she is scheduled to be his last victim before he takes off for Mexico.

After reading WINDY CITY DYING, every reader will understand what a police officer has to put up with and the fear they feel every day they go out on the streets not just to themselves but too their loved ones as well. Part of the story is told from the killer's warped “logical” point of view. Adrian feels no guilt or remorse for what he is doing, including killing innocents who had nothing to do with his being sent to prison, because he believes this is his divine right.

Harriet Klausner
"

Harriet Klausner, Resident Scholar

Review Analysis of Windy City Dying
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).
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot

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)
Time/era of story: - present (2000-2010)
Kid or adult book? - Adult or Young Adult Book
The crook is.... - stalking/killing innocents
Crime Thriller Yes
Mostly a criminal POV story Yes
General Crime (including known murderer) Yes
Who's the criminal enemy here? - finding a known killer
If story PRIMARILY about main chr. being hunted... - hunted by killer/stalker

Main Character
Gender - Female
Profession/status: - police/lawman
Age: - 40's-50's
How much violence does he/she use? - just the right amount
Ethnicity/Race - Black
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 - very athletic

Main Adversary
Identity: - Male
Age: - 40's-50's
Profession/status: - killer
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in: - an average amount
Motive of antagonist - revenge
How sensitive is this character? - mean, arrogant
Sense of humor - Cynical sense of humor
Intelligence - Smarter than most other characters
Physique - very athletic

Setting
United States Yes
The US: - Midwest

Style
Person - mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death? - moderately detailed references to deaths
How many deaths? - 8 or more
Amount of dialog - significantly more dialog than descript
Most similar books to Windy City Dying
Hark by Ed McBain
The Dragon Man by Garry Disher
Good Morning, Darkness by Ruth Francisco
Counting To Infinity by J.L. Abramo
Blind Alley by Iris Johansen


Click here for more information about this book




Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s).
Three ways to search for Thriller/Action books!

1) One-click plot searches! Simply click on a plot or subplot below!

Big vehicle disaster?

Crime Thriller

Disaster, natural or nuclear

Exploring into the wild

Horror Story?

Legal Thriller

Medical Thriller

Religious overtones?

Spying/Terrorism Thriller

War Thriller

Water adventure

Western



or 2) Simple lookup
(title or author)

or
3) Even more search options available with a Detailed Booksearch (click here)

Use our site!
Feedback
About us
Bribe your congressman!
Rudy Giuliani



Most recent discussions:

General Book Talk
Book writing discussion
Off-topic message board
Online Dating Advice
Norah Lofts 1:32:54 AM
Mitzi Loftus 8:28:27 PM
Robert Stanek 9:21:18 AM
Southampton Row 1:23:14 AM
Nicholas Sparks 3:33:54 PM
Jeffrey Archer 7:34:47 AM
George W. Bush 3:59:42 AM
Frances Salomon Murphy 11:27:09 PM
Warren Getler and Bob Brewer 4:47:55 PM
David Pelzer 1:27:48 PM
Lilian Jackson Braun 10:22:20 PM
Barack Obama 9:55:05 PM
Sister Souljah 12:29:03 PM
Ray Bradbury 9:11:31 PM
Erin Hunters 7:19:58 PM
Robert Segarra 4:07:19 PM
Robert Newton Peck 4:54:54 PM
Jude Watson 12:40:50 PM
V.C. Andrews 10:03:07 PM
June Lund Shiplett 9:31:25 PM

More message boards