| Plot Summary of The Law at Randado |
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"Kirby Frye, the deputy sheriff in charge of Randado, becomes an opponent of the leading citizens of the town when he vows to bring cattleman Phil Sundeen to justice. Sundeen, the most powerful and richest businessman in the community, is behind the lynching of two Mexicans who stole a few of his cattle.
The Citizens' Committee, which consists of the merchants and other "leading citizens" has illegally elected a judge and prosecutor from among themselves and convicted the Mexicans. Kirby is having none of it - he sees their action as a lynching, and Sundeen as the main culprit.
Frye consults with the territory sheriff, who tells him he must serve warrants on the lynch mob. They will then be taken in for trial. Meanwhile, Sundeen has added professional gunfighter Clay Jordan to his team, which already consists of his tough ranch staff. However, the team has been reduced because Sundeen cheated his trail crew out of their wages from the last cattle drive.
With the sheriff and an Indian tracker working with him, Frye must track down the members of the citizens' committee and Sundeen and serve the warrants. He must also defeat the gunfighter, Jordan.
Elmore Leonard is best known for his crime stories in contemporary settings. However, he began his career as a writer of westerns, and he handles the Wild west as well as he does the modern urban scene.
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David Gordon, Resident Scholar
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| Review Analysis of The Law at Randado |
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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 - 30%
Planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 20%
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 30%
How society works & physical descript. (people, objects, places) - 20%
Tone of story
- Dry-cynical
Time/era of story:
- american wild west
Kid or adult book?
- Adult or Young Adult Book
Western
Yes
Story primarily about
- fighting outlaws
Main Character
Gender
- Male
Profession/status:
- police/lawman
How much violence does he/she use?
- a significant amount
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
Profession/status:
- wealthy
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in:
- an above average amount
Motive of antagonist
- power
The antagonists are:
- big business leader(s)
How sensitive is this character?
- mean, arrogant
Sense of humor
- Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence
- Smarter than most other characters
Physique
- very athletic
Setting
United States
Yes
The US:
- West
Farm/Ranch?
Yes
Farm/Ranch:
- ranch
Small town?
Yes
Small town people:
- sinister, like an X-Files Gomer Pyle
Style
Person
- mostly 3rd
How many deaths?
- 3-4
Amount of dialog
- roughly even amounts of descript and dialog
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