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The Mongol Reply
Benjamin M. Schutz Book Review

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Plot Summary of The Mongol Reply
"

Five Star, Oct 2004, 25.95, 334 pp.
ISBN: 1410402002

Tom Tully, a former football player turned Virginia Squires Special Teams coach, hires attorney Albert “Agent Orange” Garfield to arrange for his divorce of his wife Serena because he knows she is cheating on him. Tom ignores the fact that he has always cheated on her as he wants her blitzed into total collapse and surrender.

Albert appears before a judge without his wife being present in the courtroom. He persuades the judge that Serena is dangerous to her spouse and their two small children, six years old Tom Junior and four years old Tina. He cuts her off from her home, funds, and friends with a smear campaign. The only setback is the assignment of honest forensic psychologist Dr. Morgan Reece to evaluate what is best for the two children. Reece will find himself in the midst of a brutal precision operation to annihilate Serena regardless of the cost to two preadolescent children. If Tom loses a battle, he could go over the edge killing everyone.

This is a dark legal thriller not for everyone. The plot showcases how far a law firm will go to spin “facts” in support of their client without regard to what they are doing to innocent children or the truth (sounds like a political campaign). The grim story line also paints a gloomy picture of family values. Tom is violently crazy while Serena is a distraught victim with no way to defend herself; Reece is a terrific psychologist struggling to stay neutral, but finds himself more in Serena's corner as much for the kids' sake as for the continuous attacks on her life. He is unaware that by leaning in her direction he jeopardizes his life.

Harriet Klausner
"

Harriet Klausner, Resident Scholar



Review Analysis of The Mongol Reply
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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 - 40%
How society works & physical descript. (people, objects, places) - 10%




Time/era of story: - present (2000-2010)
Kid or adult book? - Adult or Young Adult Book
Crime Thriller Yes
Crime plotlets: - wrongly convicted clearing his name
General Crime (including known murderer) Yes
If story PRIMARILY about main chr. being hunted... - hunted by dangerous boy/girlfriend/spouse

Main Character
Gender - Male
Profession/status: - doctor
Age: - 40's-50's
How much violence does he/she use? - none
Ethnicity/Race - White/American
How sensitive is this character? - sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence - Very much smarter than other characters
Physique - very athletic

Main Adversary
Identity: - Male
Age: - 20's-30'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? - mean, arrogant
Sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence - Very much smarter than other characters
Physique - very athletic

Setting
United States Yes
The US: - Southeast

Style
Person - mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death? - generic/vague references to death/punishment
How many deaths? - 0 (not a murder mystery)
Amount of dialog - significantly more dialog than descript
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Benjamin M. Schutz Resident Scholar Profiles

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Harriet Klausner  

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