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Don't Tell A Soul
S.K. McClafferty Book Review

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Plot Summary of Don't Tell A Soul
"
,
Zebra, Jan 2003, 5.99, 352 pp.
ISBN: 0821772996

Child advocate lawyer Claire Sumner believes her father Jimmy did not kill her best friend Jean Broussard ten years ago even if the evidence and his confession overwhelmingly prove otherwise. With about a month left before the state executes Jimmy, Claire finds new hope to prove his innocence. Someone murdered a young teen in Acadia Parish, Louisiana with what seems to be the same modus operendi used in the Broussard homicide, but this time Jimmy has an airtight alibi as a death row inmate.

Claire returns to Acadia Parish seeking the truth. Most of the locals see the execution as closure and want Claire to leave. Desperate, Claire asks former reporter and now investigator Fegan Broussard to help her though it is his sister who her father was convicted of murdering. Initially refusing, Fegan begins to change his mind that the killer sits on death row. As he and Claire fall in love while making inquiries, someone tries to kill both of them.

S.K. McClafferty provides an exciting modern day Cajun West Side Story romantic suspense starring two likable lead characters with a shared burden that makes them an unlikely couple. The story line hooks the audience as they wonder why Claire believes her father is innocent when Jimmy admits he killed her friend and if he did not commit the murder why did he say he did? These questions keep fans in suspense and continue to read until the audience learns the truth about what happened in Arcadia Parish, Louisiana a decade ago.

Harriet Klausner
"

Harriet Klausner, Resident Scholar



Review Analysis of Don't Tell A Soul
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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? - 60%
Misc. Murder Plotlets - Proving innocence of very obvious suspect
Kind of investigator - skilled citizen investigator
Kid or adult book? - Adult or Young Adult Book
The crook is.... - stalking/killing innocents
Any non-mystery subplot? - feelings towards lover
Crime Thriller Yes
Mostly a criminal POV story Yes
Murder Mystery (killer unknown) Yes

Main Character
Gender - Female
Profession/status: - champion of justice
Age: - 20's-30's
How much violence does he/she use? - just the right amount
Ethnicity/Race - White/American
How sensitive is this character? - sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence - Very much smarter than other characters
Physique - very athletic

Main Adversary
Identity: - Male
Age: - 40's-50's
Profession/status: - business executive
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in: - a moderate amount
Motive of antagonist - power
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
United States Yes
The US: - Deep South

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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