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| Plot Summary of Hot Spot |
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"
St. Martins, June 2002, 23.95, 288 pp.
ISBN 0312289006
Betty Gifford Ashton lives in Dumont, Wisconsin and is one of the town's most beloved citizens's who regularly gives vast sums of money to any philanthropic endeavor. She is invited to and attends the wedding of Roxanne Exner and Carl Creighton, the candidate for Illinois Lieutenant Governor. Mark Manning, owner of the Dumont Daily Register along with his life partner Neil Waite, sponsor the event.
Both Neil and Mark are close friends of the bride and want her to have a wedding she'll remember for the rest of the life. The wedding planners succeed in their goal though not quite the way they expected. Betty is murdered at the reception and Roxanne comes under suspicion because she has the motive, means and opportunity to commit the crime. To make matters worse, the Democratic candidate for governor plans to drop Carl from the ticket if Roxanne isn't exonerated by the time the debates begin. Mark is determined that Carl and Roxanne will emerge from the experience unscathed so he goes into sleuth mode to find the killer.
Michael Craft's “Mark Manning mysteries” get better with each book written. The protagonist has a strong social conscience which serves to make him a great reporter, one the audience can believe in. The relationship with Manning and his partner is a beautiful thing to behold and is a beacon of light in a dark and murky sea of human corruption. HOT SPOT is a one sitting read, impossible to put down until the last page is turned.
Harriet Klausner
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Harriet Klausner, Resident Scholar
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"The sixth in the popular Mark Manning mystery series has Manning involved in solving the electrocution death of a popular matriarch of the community. Paramount in Mark's investigation is the fact that one of his oldest friends, Roxanne Exner, is considered the prime suspect. Exner, her new husband Carl Creighton (candidate for lt. governor), Manning's life partner Neil, and other friends, race against a political deadline to prove her innocence. A subplot has Mark and Neil bracing for the departure of their ward Thad as he embarks for college life in far-off California."
Reginald D. Garrard, Resident Scholar
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| Review Analysis of Hot Spot |
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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 - 10%
Planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 65%
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 15%
How society works & physical descript. (people, objects, places) - 10%
Tone of story
- suspenseful (sophisticated fear)
How difficult to spot villain?
- Very difficult--no foreshadowing/clues
- Challenging
Time/era of story:
- present (2000-2010)
What % of story relates directly
to the mystery, not the subplot?
- 60%
- 90%
Special suspect?
- best friend
Misc. Murder Plotlets
- Proving innocence of very obvious suspect
Kind of investigator
- skilled citizen investigator
Kid or adult book?
- Adult or Young Adult Book
Any non-mystery subplot?
- feelings towards family/friends
- life in small town
Crime Thriller
Yes
Murder Mystery (killer unknown)
Yes
Main Character
Gender
- Male
Profession/status:
- journalist
Age:
- 40's-50's
Is this an ordinary person caught up in events?
Yes
How much violence does he/she use?
- none
Ethnicity/Race
- White/American
- Russian
How sensitive is this character?
- sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor
- Strong but gentle sense of humor
- Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence
- Smarter than most other characters
- Very much smarter than other characters
Physique
- very athletic
- average physique
Main Adversary
Identity:
- Male
Age:
- 40's-50's
Profession/status:
- mastermind
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in:
- a moderate amount
- throughout most of the book.
Motive of antagonist
- money/treasure
How sensitive is this character?
- hard edged
Sense of humor
- Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence
- Average intelligence
Physique
- average physique
Setting
United States
Yes
The US:
- Midwest
Style
Person
- mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death?
- generic/vague references to death/punishment
How many deaths?
- 1
Sex
Yes
What kind of sex:
- homosexuals doing their thing
Unusual forms of death
- frying (electrocuted)
Unusual form of death?
Yes
Amount of dialog
- roughly even amounts of descript and dialog
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Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s). | |
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