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Captain Cut-Throat
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Plot Summary of Captain Cut-Throat
"Set in 1805, during the assault by Napoleon on Britain, a silent, invisible killer is knifing sentries in the vast battle-camp poised to sail on England. Leaving notes signed "Captain Cut-throat", no one has any idea of who the assassin is, let alone how they're killing these men.    A top English spy, Alan Hepburn, is captured by Fouche - Napoleons wily police chief - and is set onto the killers trail. He must discover the identity of the mysterious killer and serve his own country's ends as well - a gamble with most of Europe in hazard.
This story involves wild galloping horses, muskets, swordplay and a cunning mystery, all wrapped up in political machinations."

Alan J. Bishop, Resident Scholar



Review Analysis of Captain Cut-Throat
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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 - 10%
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 60%
How society works & physical descript. (people, objects, places) - 20%




Tone of story - very upbeat
How difficult to spot villain? - Difficult, but some clues given
Time/era of story: - 18th century
What % of story relates directly to the mystery, not the subplot? - 90%
Murder of certain profession? - soldiers
Kind of investigator - skilled citizen investigator
Kid or adult book? - Adult or Young Adult Book
Any non-mystery subplot? - terrorism/spies
Crime Thriller Yes
Murder Mystery (killer unknown) Yes

Main Character
Gender - Male
Profession/status: - spy
Age: - 20's-30's
How much violence does he/she use? - just the right amount
Ethnicity/Race - British
How sensitive is this character? - sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor - Strong but gentle sense of humor
Intelligence - Smarter than most other characters
Physique - average physique

Main Adversary
Identity: - Male
Age: - 40's-50's
Profession/status: - police/lawman
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in: - a moderate amount
Motive of antagonist - power
The antagonists are: - government bureaucracy
How sensitive is this character? - sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence - Smarter than most other characters
Physique - healthy but a geeky weakling

Setting
Europe Yes
European country: - France
Misc setting - fort/military installation

Style
Part of a series? Yes
Person - mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death? - generic/vague references to death/punishment
How many deaths? - 5-7
Amount of dialog - significantly more descript than dialog
Most similar books to Captain Cut-Throat
The First Mistake by Merline Lovelace
The Price of Murder by Bruce Alexander
The Prisoner of Guantanamo by Dan Fesperman
Rules of Engagement by Bruce Alexander
For Whom Death Tolls by Kate Kingsbury


Click here for more information about this book


John Dickson Carr Resident Scholar Profiles

TOP SCHOLAR:
  
Jack Goodstein  

SCHOLARS:
Alan J. Bishop  


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