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| Plot Summary of The Promise of a Lie |
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"
Warner, March 2004, 23.95, 358 pp.
ISBN 0446529435
He has an afternoon opening that Samantha Kent grabs up because she urgently needs to talk to psychologist Dr. David Remier. She confesses to him that she wants to kill her husband because that is the only way she can escape her marriage and keep her son. David tries to talk her out of it, but soon after their second session she calls him to tell him she killed her spouse.
He rushes over to Samantha's apartment but only finds the murdered body of her spouse. Neither Sam nor her son is anywhere to be found and the police have a difficult time believing his story. When the police search David's apartment, they find one of his kitchen knives missing and that the remaining knives match the murder weapon found near the crime scene. Perhaps the most shocking aspect is that the woman who called herself Samantha Kent was an imposter. David is arrested and his lawyers must find a way to make sense of this incredible scenario since nobody besides David has seen the mystery woman masquerading as Samantha.
THE PROMISE OF A LIE is an excellent legal thriller. The courtroom scenes are full of drama and excitement and there is a surprise twist that halts the trial temporarily. The protagonist, who tended to see the best in people, learns to never again take anything at face value again; trust remains to be seen (not so subtle hint to the author). Howard Roughan has provided so many twists, turns and shocking developments in his latest crime thriller that readers will be unable to stop reading until the last page is turned.
Harriet Klausner
"
Harriet Klausner, Resident Scholar
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| Review Analysis of The Promise of a Lie |
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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
- amateur citizen investigator
Kid or adult book?
- Adult or Young Adult Book
Any non-mystery subplot?
- searching for missing person
Legal Thriller
Yes
Legal Plotlets
- finding out whether someone is really guilty
Crime Thriller
Yes
Murder Mystery (killer unknown)
Yes
Main Character
Gender
- Male
Profession/status:
- doctor
Age:
- 40's-50's
How much violence does he/she use?
- a little
Ethnicity/Race
- White/American
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:
- Female
Age:
- 40's-50's
Profession/status:
- wealthy
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in:
- a moderate amount
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
- very athletic
Setting
United States
Yes
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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