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| Plot Summary of Black Gold |
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"
Poisoned Pen Press, June 2002, 24.95,496 pp.
ISBN: 1590580109
In 1787 France, Colonel Paul de Saint-Martin, a provost of the royal highway patrol, is directed to find and arrest Captain Maurice Fitzroy for the rape and assault on a French noble woman. After making several inquiries he learns that his quarry has escaped to England and is residing in his cousin's home in Bath.
At the request of her host to teach how to read lips, sign and speak to the master's son, a deaf child, Anne Cartier (see MUTE WITNESS) temporarily resides at the same Combe Park home as Fitzroy. Anne and Paul are good friends on the verge of becoming even closer and she is only too happy to help to help Paul with his efforts to kidnap Fitzroy and bring him back to France. Their efforts are sidetracked when Anne's worst enemy is killed on the grounds of Combe Park. Paul, Anne and a Bow Street runner work together to find his killer, no easy task because the man had more enemies than a street dog has fleas.
Fans of Iain Pears rich historical mysteries will want to read BLACK GOLD, a work rich in period detail with characters that are unique to the era. Charles O'Brien is a gifted storyteller who writes about the aristocracy of the late eighteenth century from a commoner's point of view. The novel takes the moral high ground, which helps explain why the protagonists are so appealing.
Harriet Klausner
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Harriet Klausner, Resident Scholar
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| Review Analysis of Black Gold |
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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 - 20%
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 30%
How society works & physical descript. (people, objects, places) - 40%
Tone of story
- suspenseful (sophisticated fear)
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?
- 60%
Kind of investigator
- skilled citizen investigator
Kid or adult book?
- Adult or Young Adult Book
The crook is....
- Get treasure/money from another criminal
- on the run from the law
Any non-mystery subplot?
- life in that culture
Crime Thriller
Yes
Mostly a criminal POV story
Yes
Murder Mystery (killer unknown)
Yes
Main Character
Gender
- Female
Profession/status:
- teacher
Age:
- 20's-30's
Is this an ordinary person caught up in events?
Yes
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
- Very much smarter than other characters
Physique
- very athletic
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
Motive of antagonist
- money/treasure
How sensitive is this character?
- mean, arrogant
Sense of humor
- Cynical sense of humor
Intelligence
- Very much smarter than other characters
Physique
- very athletic
Setting
Europe
Yes
European country:
- England/UK
Style
Person
- mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death?
- generic/vague references to death/punishment
How many deaths?
- 3-4
Amount of dialog
- significantly more dialog than descript
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Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s). | |
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