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| Plot Summary of Malice Downstream |
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"
Fawcett, Dec 2002, 6.99, 244 pp.
ISBN 04900709x
At the present time Chief Superintendent Erskine Powell of the Metropolitan Police Force of New Scotland Yard is recovering at home from a leg injury while pursuing a murderer. Bored and lonely he decides to take his college roommate up on his offer to do some fishing in the picaresque Hampshire village of Houghton Bridge. While there, Erskine catches some excellent trout and gets acquainted with many of the townsfolk.
A few days after his arrival, one of the nominees for the Mayfly Fishing Club, Richard Garrett, is found murdered. Even though he is completely out of his jurisdiction, Erskine can't help but do some independent investigating and learns that the villagers think the victim got what he deserved. It is generally believed that Richard got a local girl pregnant and abandoned her. Erskine concludes that Maggie didn't commit suicide as is commonly believed but was murdered by the same person who killed Richard. Now he must figure out who acted so maliciously from a plethora of suspects.
Fans of British police procedurals and fishing enthusiasts will really enjoy reading MALICE DOWNSTREAM. The tone and mood of the book is very dark and gothic with the brooding protagonist behaving more like Heathcliffe. The story line flows as smoothly as the waters of the River Test where much of the action takes place and the support cast adds local color to the plot. Graham Thomas is a talented writer who deserves kudos for his portrayal of a driven individual.
Harriet Klausner
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Harriet Klausner, Resident Scholar
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| Review Analysis of Malice Downstream |
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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 - 70%
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 10%
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?
- none
Ethnicity/Race
- British
How sensitive is this character?
- hard edged
Sense of humor
- Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence
- Smarter than most other characters
Physique
- average physique
Main Adversary
Identity:
- Male
Age:
- 40's-50's
Profession/status:
- unemployed
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in:
- a little/some
Motive of antagonist
- money/treasure
How sensitive is this character?
- mean, arrogant
Sense of humor
- Cynical sense of humor
Intelligence
- Average intelligence
Physique
- average physique
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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