| Plot Summary of The Thomas Berryman Number |
|---|
"I never thought Patterson could write a bad book, but I was wrong. It's a good thing I didn't start with this novel, I'd have never read any of his others. Terrible, absolutely terrible. I can't believe that this is the same author I've come to know and love. It's a shame that this book is so poor, it could have been so much better. Bad character development, bad plot, just bad. I would not reccomend this book to anyone. "
Steve Schmitz, Resident Scholar
|
"The police closed the case of the Jimmie Horn murder because the obvious suspect was killed. Until Ben Toy started telling what he knew. While Ben was in the nut ward no one had a clue that Thomas Berryman was the killer."
judy, Resident Scholar
|
"In Nashville, Tennessee, the whole city mourns as Jimmie Horne, the city's first black mayor, is shot dead by a crazed hippie, a mourning broken by shock when the assassin is himself gunned-down by a professional hitman.
Ochs Jones, a reporter for a Nashville paper, smells something fishy and begins to investigate, starting with a private mental hospital in upstate New York, where a patient has been raving about the assassination since almost a week before it happened.
Partially told in the form of Jones's letters and notes, the novel chronicles his investigation of the Horne slaying. Soon, he unearths the presence of a third shooter, a professional killer named Thomas Berryman who specializes in accidents and suicides.
The novel also traces Berryman's path, from New York to New Orleans to Nashville, and his preparations for the biggest murder since Martin Luther King, Jr. was slain."
James Craver, Resident Scholar
|
|
| Review Analysis of The Thomas Berryman Number |
|---|
|
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).
|
|
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 - 40%
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 20%
How society works & physical descript. (people, objects, places) - 30%
Tone of story
- suspenseful (sophisticated fear)
Time/era of story:
- 1960's-1970's
Kid or adult book?
- Adult or Young Adult Book
The crook is....
- stalking/killing innocents
Crime Thriller
Yes
Mostly a criminal POV story
Yes
General Crime (including known murderer)
Yes
Who's the criminal enemy here?
- finding a known killer
If story PRIMARILY about main chr. being hunted...
- hunted by killer/stalker
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
How sensitive is this character?
- sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor
- Strong but gentle sense of humor
Intelligence
- Smarter than most other characters
Physique
- average physique
Main Adversary
Identity:
- Male
Age:
- 20's-30's
Profession/status:
- killer
Motive of antagonist
- money/treasure
How sensitive is this character?
- hard edged
Sense of humor
- Mostly serious with occasional humor
Physique
- average physique
Setting
United States
Yes
The US:
- Deep South
City?
Yes
Style
Person
- mostly 1st
Accounts of torture and death?
- moderately detailed references to deaths
How many deaths?
- 8 or more
Unusual forms of death
- perforation--bullets
- perforation--swords/knives
Unusual form of death?
Yes
|
|
