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| Plot Summary of Let Loose The Dogs |
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"
St. Martin's, March 2003, 24.95, 320 pp.
ISBN 0312307519
In 1895 Toronto gambling on which dog could kill the most rats in a set of time is an illegal, but widespread practice. Harry Murdock bets his entire summer earnings on his dog Havoc winning a contest, but at the last moment he was distracted and Mr. Delaney's canine is victorious.
A drunken Harry accuses Delaney of cheating. However, when someone kills Delaney, the police charge Murdock with the crime. He's found guilty and is sentenced to hang. The warden contacts Murdoch's son William, an acting-detective. When Harry begs his son to clear his name, Will is dismayed because he doesn't want to help the man who beat him up so many times, but accedes to his request. At first it looks like nobody other than Harry could have killed the victim but Will's investigation rattles many of the betting community whose alibis aren't as airtight as they want every one to believe.
LET LOOSE THE DOGS is a very atmospheric story starring a likable protagonist who readers will admire. The audience empathizes with Will as they understand the hero's ambivalence about investigating his father's case since he fled his childhood home when he was thirteen to escape his father's fist. The fact that he gives it an honest effort makes him better than many people who hold grudges beyond the grave. The mystery is well done with a plethora of suspects who could have committed the crime but Will only has a few days to discover if one of them is the killer before his father hangs.
Harriet Klausner
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Harriet Klausner, Resident Scholar
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| Review Analysis of Let Loose The Dogs |
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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 - 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)
How difficult to spot villain?
- Very difficult--no foreshadowing/clues
Time/era of story:
- present (2000-2010)
What % of story relates directly
to the mystery, not the subplot?
- 60%
Special suspect?
- chronically deranged person
Misc. Murder Plotlets
- Proving innocence of very obvious suspect
Kind of investigator
- police procedural, American
Kid or adult book?
- Adult or Young Adult Book
Any non-mystery subplot?
- grudge
Crime Thriller
Yes
Murder Mystery (killer unknown)
Yes
Main Character
Gender
- Male
Profession/status:
- police/lawman
Age:
- 20's-30's
How much violence does he/she use?
- a little
How sensitive is this character?
- 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:
- 20's-30's
Profession/status:
- unemployed
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in:
- a little/some
Motive of antagonist
- insanity
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
Setting
The Americas (not US):
Yes
The Americas:
- Canada
Style
Person
- mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death?
- generic/vague references to death/punishment
How many deaths?
- 1
Amount of dialog
- significantly more dialog than descript
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Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s). | |
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