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| Plot Summary of Unauthorized Departure |
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"
St. Martin's August 2003, 23.95, 288 pp.
ISBN 0312316003
London detective John Bright is receiving threatening e-mails but they don't worry him because he believes they come from disgruntled police officers that are angry he took down some corrupt members of the department. When the e-mails start threatening his girlfriend Jude, he doesn't tell her but keeps a close watch on her. When she suggests they take a vacation together to France, he eventually succumbs to the pressure.
After a few fun-filled days they come to the Neufchatel village in the Jura region of France and book a room at the Hotel Sanglion. At dinner, the proprietor's girlfriend Mariela flirts with John but he ignores her. That night after Jude's asleep he takes a walk around the town and comes back to the room. The next day he is called in for questioning by the local authorities because Mariela is dead and someone saw him roaming the streets at night. The villagers, including the local police officers, would like nothing better than to pin this murder on a foreigner, but John teams up with an out of town official to find the real perpetrator and make him pay for what he did to him and Jude.
This is a very different but exciting police procedural because the crime takes place in France where the laws are much different than in the United States and the United Kingdom. One can't help but like and empathize with the protagonist who acts tough but has some vulnerable spots that make him appear endearing to the audience. This is a very gritty urban noir novel even though it takes place in a small rural village.
Harriet Klausner
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Harriet Klausner, Resident Scholar
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| Review Analysis of Unauthorized Departure |
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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 - 30%
How society works & physical descript. (people, objects, places) - 20%
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%
Misc. Murder Plotlets
- Proving innocence of very obvious suspect
Kind of investigator
- skilled citizen investigator
Kid or adult book?
- Adult or Young Adult Book
Any non-mystery subplot?
- life in small town
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?
- none
Ethnicity/Race
- British
How sensitive is this character?
- hard edged
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:
- small businessman
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in:
- a moderate amount
Motive of antagonist
- jealousy
How sensitive is this character?
- soggy whimpering jelly muffin
Sense of humor
- Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence
- Average intelligence
Physique
- average physique
Setting
Europe
Yes
European country:
- England/UK
- France
Style
Person
- mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death?
- generic/vague references to death/punishment
How many deaths?
- 2
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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