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Afraid of the Dark
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Plot Summary of Afraid of the Dark
"

Pocket, Dec 2004, 6.99, 384 pp.
ISBN: 0743427319

San Francisco police officer Jessie Cline worries about her eleven years old son Danny living in an unsafe neighborhood. After a harrowing incident, she wonders who would care for him if she was killed as her son's father denies the child is his because Jessie had an affair at about the time she became pregnant. When she learns that she inherited property on Washington's Cliff Island, Jessie decides to fulfill the will's stipulation that she live there at least a year. Jessie also becomes Assistant Police Chief.

Jessie is required to keep Lynda, the pregnant wife of famous cartoonist Ben Thrasher, safe. Ben was in the news for his social commentary about an alleged womanizing senator. He was the Berkley professor who Jessie had that affair with that ended her marriage.

Someone burns down Jessie's woodshed and she receives a threatening letter to leave or die. Lynda tells Jessie that someone forced her off the road while a driver tries to hit Danny. More incidents follow aimed at Jessie, Lynda, and Danny; the link is Ben, but no motive surfaces and the danger mounts.

Harriet Klausner
"

Harriet Klausner, Resident Scholar

Review Analysis of Afraid of the Dark
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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)
Time/era of story: - present (2000-2010)
Kid or adult book? - Adult or Young Adult Book
Crime Thriller Yes
General Crime (including known murderer) Yes
If story PRIMARILY about main chr. being hunted... - hunted by killer/stalker

Main Character
Gender - Female
Profession/status: - police/lawman
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: - 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? - 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: - Pacific NW

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
Most similar books to Afraid of the Dark
Tell Me No Secrets by Joy Fielding
Nagle's Mercy by Adam Kargman
Murder at Monticello by Jane Langton
The Red Hot Empress by Meredith Blevins
Cut and Run by Ridley Pearson


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Harriet Klausner  

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