Book reviews

Acts of Vengeance
Frank Smith Book Review

Read a book review online (click here to search reviews)
Books Movies  
Sci-Fi/Fantasy Mystery/Thriller Literature Romance Biography Video
Frank Smith Books
New book search
Frank Smith Message Board
Get more information about this book
Plot Summary of Acts of Vengeance
"

St. Martin's, Feb 2003, 24.95, 368 pp.
ISBN: 031230739X

In Broadminster, the night is nasty and stormy as it has been in much of November. Newly assigned for training purposes as much as filling a vacancy, Constable Kathleen Regan asks her superior Detective Chief Inspector Neil Paget to help her traverse the muddy parking lot to her car. After seeing her off, Neil turns to his own vehicle only to have an unknown assailant slice his throat. The fortunate arrival of other police officers forces the culprit to flee before the job is completed and enables the rushing of Neil to the hospital where his life is saved.

Everyone is shocked by the assault in the lot adjacent to the police station. Superintendent Alcott leads the investigation that includes Detective Sergeant John Tregalles as the key on the ground participant. Unable to stay home to recuperate, Neil accompanies his loyal sergeant on interviews and vaguely recalls his attacker mumbling "That's for Jill", the name of Neil's dead wife.

The key to this latest pleasurable Paget police procedural is Neil's struggle to cope with his near death, his inability to let John take charge and his helplessness when his new love is endangered. The story line is exciting as John and Neil make inquiries seeking a link when other individuals have their throats slashed. Frank Smith makes this case personal as the audience gets deep inside the mind of the hero.

Harriet Klausner
"

Harriet Klausner, Resident Scholar



Review Analysis of Acts of Vengeance
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 - 40%
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, British
Kid or adult book? - Adult or Young Adult Book
Any non-mystery subplot? - feelings of fear/loss/inadequacy
Crime Thriller Yes
Murder Mystery (killer unknown) Yes

Main Character
Gender - Male
Profession/status: - police/lawman
Age: - 20's-30'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 - Cynical sense of humor
Intelligence - Smarter than most 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 - 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? - 3-4
Amount of dialog - significantly more dialog than descript
Most similar books to Acts of Vengeance
The Business of Dying by Simon Kernick
Blitz by Ken Bruen
One Step Beyond by Henning Mankell
A Cold Treachery by Charles Todd
Power on Her Own by Judith Cutler


Click here for more information about this book




Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s).
Three ways to search for Thriller/Action books!

1) One-click plot searches! Simply click on a plot or subplot below!

Big vehicle disaster?

Crime Thriller

Disaster, natural or nuclear

Exploring into the wild

Horror Story?

Legal Thriller

Medical Thriller

Religious overtones?

Spying/Terrorism Thriller

War Thriller

Water adventure

Western



or 2) Simple lookup
(title or author)

or
3) Even more search options available with a Detailed Booksearch (click here)

Use our site!
17 FREE Sci-Fi Ebooks!
FREE "How to be happy" Ebook!
Feedback


Most recent discussions:

General Book Talk
Book writing discussion
Off-topic message board
Norah Lofts 12:50:53 AM
Suzanne Weyn 4:47:34 PM
Wilma Counts 1:23:32 PM
George W. Bush 5:33:46 PM
Kin Platt 12:58:29 AM
Anonymous 12:47:34 PM
Lilian Jackson Braun 10:05:52 PM
Jane Rubino 10:04:38 PM
LaVyrle Spencer 10:04:00 PM
G.A. McKevett 10:03:31 PM
David Williams 10:03:01 PM
Steven Pressfield 10:02:30 PM
Jeanette Walls 10:00:19 PM
Darryl Ponicsan 9:59:27 PM
Ann Rinaldi 9:58:30 PM
R.L. Stine 9:57:34 PM
Geoffrey Huntington 9:57:14 PM
Betty Mahmoody 9:56:38 PM
Deric Longden 9:56:11 PM
Mary Downing Hahn 9:55:48 PM

More message boards