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Relative Danger
Charles Benoit Book Review

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Plot Summary of Relative Danger
"

Poisoned Pen, Feb 2004, 24.95, 268 pp.
ISBN 1590580915

Over fifty years in 1948, Singapore, smuggler and jewel thief Russell Pearce is shot to death in a hotel room, killed with a gun that contains the initials of his best friend Charley Hodge on it. No one was ever arrested for the crime.

In the present day, Russell's nephew Douglas goes to Canada to visit Edna Bowers who is willing to pay for Douglas to clear Charley's name and find out what happened to the Red Diamond, an eighty carat one of a kind jewel that Charley and Russell had in their possession.

Having just been fired and bored, Russell takes Edna up on her offer, hoping to see a bit of the world and find out who is uncle really was. Finding the jewel would be a bonus and he relies on clues that Edna provides to steer him in the right direction. He starts in Casablanca where it all began than follows the jewel's route to Egypt, Bahrain and finally where it ended in Singapore. All the whil, Douglas is traveling and searching, someone is shadowing his every move, someone who wants the Red Diamond.

RELATIVE DANGER is an enjoyable action thriller starring a protagonist who is ill equipped to proceed on his quest but surmounts his own naivety to follow the trail despite the dangers. Readers who liked the Indiana Jones and Lara Croft movies will find Charles Benoit's work a thrilling reading experience

Harriet Klausner
"

Harriet Klausner, Resident Scholar



Review Analysis of Relative Danger
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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
Crime plotlets: - search for gems/treasure/money
Murder Mystery (killer unknown) 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 - Male
Profession/status: - unemployed
Age: - 40's-50's
How much violence does he/she use? - just the right amount
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: - thief/con artist
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in: - a little/some
Motive of antagonist - money/treasure
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
Asia/Pacific Yes
Asian country: - Arabia
Africa Yes
Part of Africa: - Arabic Africa

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
Most similar books to Relative Danger
The Poisoned Rose by D. Daniel Judson
The Bone Orchard by D. Daniel Judson
High Country by Nevada Barr
Jackson Park by Charlotte Carter
A Superior Mystery by Carl Brookins


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