Book reviews

Prior Bad Acts
Tami Hoag Book Review

Read a book review online (click here to search reviews)
Books Movies  
Sci-Fi/Fantasy Mystery/Thriller Literature Romance Biography Video
Tami Hoag Books
New book search
Tami Hoag Message Board
Get more information about this book
Plot Summary of Prior Bad Acts
"The outskirts of Minneapolis is struck by a tornado but that isn't the greatest horror it is also struck on the same night by a brutal crime of 2 children and a mother. Handyman Karl Dahl is picked up for the crime and charged. The community at large has already tried him in their mind and he is guilty.

Judge Carey Moore will set into motion a series of events when she rules that Dahl's prior criminal record cannot be used in court on this case. When Judge Moore is attacked and beaten in the parking garage after this ruling, the police department handles it as if it was a homicide and not a mugging. Detectives Liska and Kovac are assigned to the case. As the 2 detectives are coming up to speed in the case Karl Dahl escapes from custody after being beaten in a prison riot.

The story continues as the 2 detectives must navigate through a maze of suspects that includes the stepson of a murder victim, the Judge's husband who seems to have a secret life, and the cop who was first on the scene of the Haas murders who is now looking for revenge where the justice system failed.
"

Tanya, Resident Scholar



Review Analysis of Prior Bad Acts
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).
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 - 30%
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 20%
How society works & physical descript. (people, objects, places) - 20%




Tone of story - suspenseful (sophisticated fear)
Time/era of story: - present (2000-2010)
What % of story relates directly to the mystery, not the subplot? - 60%
Kind of investigator - police procedural, American
Kid or adult book? - Adult or Young Adult Book
Crime Thriller Yes
Murder Mystery (killer unknown) Yes

Main Character
Gender - Female
Profession/status: - a lawyer creature
Age: - 40's-50'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 - Strong but gentle sense of humor
Intelligence - Smarter than most other characters
Physique - average physique

Main Adversary
Identity: - Male
Age: - 20's-30's
Profession/status: - unemployed
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in: - an average amount
How sensitive is this character? - middling sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence - Average intelligence

Setting
United States Yes
The US: - Midwest

Style
Part of a series? Yes
Person - rotating 1st
Accounts of torture and death? - very gorey references to torture
How many deaths? - 5-7
Unusual form of death? Yes
Amount of dialog - roughly even amounts of descript and dialog
Most similar books to Prior Bad Acts
Echo Park by Michael Connelly
Deadly Justice by William Bernhardt
Fourth Of July by James Patterson
The Closers by Michael Connelly
Four Blind Mice by James Patterson


Click here for more information about this book


Tami Hoag Resident Scholar Profiles

TOP SCHOLAR:
  
Hannah Fagler  

SCHOLARS:
Tanya  Darlene Magdaluyo  Kandi Bouldin  Patricia Cabel  NicholeWooldridge  LaPierre  Nicola McSheffrey  Meredith Howle  Marcus O'Dea  


Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s).
Three ways to search for Thriller/Action books!

1) One-click plot searches! Simply click on a plot or subplot below!

Big vehicle disaster?

Crime Thriller

Disaster, natural or nuclear

Exploring into the wild

Horror Story?

Legal Thriller

Medical Thriller

Religious overtones?

Spying/Terrorism Thriller

War Thriller

Water adventure

Western



or 2) Simple lookup
(title or author)

or
3) Even more search options available with a Detailed Booksearch (click here)

Use our site!
17 FREE Sci-Fi Ebooks!
FREE "How to be happy" Ebook!
Feedback


Most recent discussions:

General Book Talk
Book writing discussion
Off-topic message board
Suzanne Weyn 10:35:23 PM
George W. Bush 5:33:46 PM
Kin Platt 12:58:29 AM
Anonymous 12:47:34 PM
Lilian Jackson Braun 10:05:52 PM
Jane Rubino 10:04:38 PM
LaVyrle Spencer 10:04:00 PM
G.A. McKevett 10:03:31 PM
David Williams 10:03:01 PM
Steven Pressfield 10:02:30 PM
Jeanette Walls 10:00:19 PM
Darryl Ponicsan 9:59:27 PM
Ann Rinaldi 9:58:30 PM
R.L. Stine 9:57:34 PM
Geoffrey Huntington 9:57:14 PM
Betty Mahmoody 9:56:38 PM
Deric Longden 9:56:11 PM
Mary Downing Hahn 9:55:48 PM
Iris Johansen 9:55:24 PM
Marlo Morgan 9:54:58 PM

More message boards