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| Plot Summary of The Quick |
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"
Jove, June 2004, 7.99, 320 pp.
ISBN 0515137197
Private Investigator Jimmy Miles attends Joel Kinsey's Mensa: a Night of Mystery Party at a Malibu mansion. At the event, his host introduces him to Jean Kantke, who wants to hire him to find out whether in 1977 her father, an assistant district attorney, really killed her mother and her lover. He always swore until he died in the gas chamber in 1992 that he was innocent. Jean knows that there is something different about Jimmy, who only takes an occasional case and not always for money.
She doesn't know that he's a Sailor, a person who died but still retains his human form except to those who knew him when he was alive. They see a different face when they look at him. He never ages and doesn't need sleep. Though alive, he can't be killed although he can be hurt or injured. Nobody could be better suited to find out the truth about Jean's family than him because he has to deal with some very nasty people, including other dangerous Sailors.
This dark urban noir supernatural private investigative story is different, quirky and scary because nobody, including the Sailors, knows why they still live or what they have to do to be at rest. Jimmy is a refreshingly original character who seems at peace with his state of affairs and helps others like himself when they first become aware of what has happened. This reviewer hopes that the protagonist stars in other novels because he is a complex person whose realm is interesting and his solving a case a delight to observe.
Harriet Klausner
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Harriet Klausner, Resident Scholar
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| Review Analysis of The Quick |
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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 - 20%
Planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 40%
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 30%
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%
Misc. Murder Plotlets
- solving long-past murder
- Proving innocence of very obvious suspect
Kind of investigator
- hard boiled/private eye
Kid or adult book?
- Adult or Young Adult Book
Any non-mystery subplot?
- ghost buddy
Crime Thriller
Yes
Murder Mystery (killer unknown)
Yes
Main Character
Gender
- Male
Profession/status:
- private investigator
Age:
- 20's-30's
How much violence does he/she use?
- just the right amount
Ethnicity/Race
- White/American
How sensitive is this character?
- sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor
- Strong but gentle sense of humor
Intelligence
- Very much smarter than 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 little/some
Motive of antagonist
- power
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
The US:
- California
Style
Person
- mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death?
- generic/vague references to death/punishment
How many deaths?
- 3-4
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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