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| Plot Summary of Making a Killing |
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"
St. Martin's, Sep 2002, 23.95, 276 pp.
ISBN: 0312278489
Just back from his vacation, Crowley DCI Frank Jacobsen uses every excuse to avoid the paperwork that has piled up while he was away. So though he loathes that the Crowley Crawler has been paroled and returning to the town where he raped numerous women, Frank uses Robert Johnson as a legitimate pretext to escape his office work. Led by Frank, the police place Robert under surveillance not only to keep their women safe, but also to insure the victims or their families do not enact vengeance.
A second event occurs when the postal carrier discovers the corpse of Jenny Mortimer, who was leaving her husband Gus for her lover. The police think Gus killed his spouse, but soon revise that theory when they find him dead too. When Johnson eludes his tail, most townsfolk including the police conclude he killed the Mortimers, but Frank thinks otherwise. He believes the two cases are separate with an unknown killer to methodically uncover and to decide which victim or family member abducted Johnson.
The second DCI Jacobsen police procedural, MAKING A KILLING, is an intriguing Scottish investigative tale that provides readers with a discerning look into the department coping with two high publicity cases that may interconnect. The story line is gritty due to the homicides and the reputation of the Crawler, but it is Frank who turns the novel into a powerhouse as he carries out the plot. The secondary cast rounds out the edges, but the strong lead protagonist endears the reader from the moment he sneaks out the back door for a pint.
Harriet Klausner
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Harriet Klausner, Resident Scholar
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| Review Analysis of Making a Killing |
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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 - 50%
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 30%
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
Time/era of story:
- present (2000-2010)
What % of story relates directly
to the mystery, not the subplot?
- 70%
Kind of investigator
- police procedural, American
Kid or adult book?
- Adult or Young Adult Book
Any non-mystery subplot?
- life in small town
Crime Thriller
Yes
Murder Mystery (killer unknown)
Yes
Main Character
Gender
- Male
Profession/status:
- police/lawman
Age:
- 40's-50's
How much violence does he/she use?
- just the right amount
Ethnicity/Race
- British
How sensitive is this character?
- middling sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor
- Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence
- Very much smarter than other characters
Physique
- average physique
Main Adversary
Identity:
- Male
Age:
- 20's-30's
Profession/status:
- mastermind
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in:
- a moderate amount
Motive of antagonist
- revenge
How sensitive is this character?
- hard edged
Sense of humor
- Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence
- Smarter than most 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?
- 2
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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