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| Plot Summary of The Water Clock |
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"
St. Martin's, Dec 2003, 24.95, 320 pp.
ISBN: 0312321430
Philip Dryden was driving while his spouse Laura slept when another vehicle smacked his car sending it over the edge into the icy water below. Someone rescued the duo, but Philip has no idea whom. Meanwhile Laura remains comatose in the Tower Hospital. Dryden prays she will recover, but as each day passes he loses a bit of hope yet comes back the next day wishing anew for a miracle.
When a corpse is pulled out of the River Lark, Weekly Crow reporter Philip investigates and learns of a forensic link to a desiccated body found amidst the Ely Cathedral last inspected three decades ago. Philip searches for incidents from that era and hones in on the 1966 "Crossroads" robbery and its nasty aftermath when the thieves had a falling out. As Laura begins showing signs of reviving, Philip sees a new connection between the corpses, his rescue from the watery grave, and his wife's condition, but even he wonders if he is paranoid or brilliant.
If not for Philip, THE WATER CLOCK would be a run of the mill investigative tale. Instead he fits the bill of a strong character as he turns the tale into an exhilarating yarn due to his flaws (aqua-phobia for obvious reasons), his caring (visits his wife everyday though it seems helpless) and his professional skills that seem wasted on a circulation of seventeen-K and falling.
Harriet Klausner
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Harriet Klausner, Resident Scholar
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| Review Analysis of The Water Clock |
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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
- solving long-past murder
Kid or adult book?
- Adult or Young Adult Book
Crime Thriller
Yes
Murder Mystery (killer unknown)
Yes
Main Character
Gender
- Male
Profession/status:
- journalist
Age:
- 20's-30's
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
- very athletic
Main Adversary
Identity:
- Male
Age:
- 40's-50's
Profession/status:
- mastermind
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in:
- a moderate amount
Motive of antagonist
- revenge
How sensitive is this character?
- hard edged
Sense of humor
- Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence
- Smarter than most other characters
Physique
- average physique
Setting
United States
Yes
The US:
- West
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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