|
|
| Plot Summary of A Visible Darkness |
|---|
"
Dutton, Apr 2003, 23.95, 254pp.
ISBN:0525947140
In West Palm Beach, Floridian Billy Manchester believes at least five elderly African-American widows have recently been murdered to collect their insurance money. The police accept the medical examiner's official position of natural causes and the insurance companies agree, paying the benefactor.
Billy asks his buddy, disabled retired Philadelphia cop Max to investigate. The deaths involve ailing African-American widows over eighty from Fort Lauderdale, who sold their life insurance to a viatrical purchasing company. Max agrees with the assessments of the professionals that this is a waste of time, but works the streets anyway especially after meeting the daughter of one of the deceased. Soon he begins to hear noises about invisible Eddie, who even the nastiest drug dealers fear, but is he a loose cannon serial killer or an “agent” of corporate greed.
With suspense thrillers like this one and his debut THE BLUE EDGE OF MIDNIGHT, Jonathan King will become very visible to the reading public quite quickly. A VISIBLE DARKNESS is an action packed investigative tale that grips the audience because the characters are very realistic, even Eddie, who most people have met some time in their life. The chills grow though Eddie is introduced as the murderer at the beginning. A visible history of South Florida over the past century is a bonus brilliantly interwoven into the powerful plot. More novels like this winner will mean fans will recognize that this author lives up to his surname.
Harriet Klausner
"
Harriet Klausner, Resident Scholar
|
"A series of elderly women have died and the police and medical examiner's office have concluded in each case that the women died of natural causes due to age. But a daughter of one of the women has contacted Billy Manchester and asked for his help in finding out who killed her Mother. Billy agrees that something isn't right and with nothing more to go on than the strange coincidence that all the deceased women had recently sold their life insurance policies to investors, Max Freeman begins working the case.
However, it soon appears that something is going on and that there are links to other unsolved cases in the surrounding area. Cases that no one before had linked because of the area involved as well as an inability to see the big picture. Soon, Max is dealing with many of the members of the task force from the first book and feeling the old adrenalin surge as he chases a killer.
This book does not feature the intensity level of the first book. This might be because from page one, the reader knows exactly who the killer is by name, but not the motivation. As such, there is less intensity as the novel shifts back and forth from the killer's point of view to Max's and back again. This shift is not often and therefore does not serve as a distraction for the reader. "
Kevin R. Tipple, Resident Scholar
|
|
| Review Analysis of A Visible Darkness |
|---|
|
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 - 50%
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 30%
How society works & physical descript. (people, objects, places) - 10%
Tone of story
- depressing/sad
- suspenseful (sophisticated fear)
How difficult to spot villain?
- Moderately Challenging
Time/era of story:
- present (2000-2010)
What % of story relates directly
to the mystery, not the subplot?
- 60%
Misc. Murder Plotlets
- Killer purposely leaves clues
Kind of investigator
- hard boiled/private eye
Kid or adult book?
- Adult or Young Adult Book
Any non-mystery subplot?
- feelings of fear/loss/inadequacy
Crime Thriller
Yes
Crime plotlets:
- vigilante getting revenge
Murder Mystery (killer unknown)
Yes
General Crime (including known murderer)
Yes
Who's the criminal enemy here?
- finding a known killer
Main Character
Gender
- Male
Profession/status:
- private investigator
- police/lawman
Age:
- 20's-30's
- 40's-50's
How much violence does he/she use?
- just the right amount
Ethnicity/Race
- White/American
How sensitive is this character?
- middling sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor
- Cynical sense of humor
- Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence
- Average intelligence
- Very much smarter than other characters
Physique
- very athletic
- average physique
Main Adversary
Identity:
- Male
Age:
- 20's-30's
- 40's-50's
Profession/status:
- killer
- business executive
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in:
- a moderate amount
Motive of antagonist
- money/treasure
The antagonists are:
- big business leader(s)
How sensitive is this character?
- mean, arrogant
Sense of humor
- Cynical sense of humor
- Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence
- Average intelligence
- Smarter than most other characters
Physique
- very athletic
- average physique
Setting
United States
Yes
The US:
- Southeast
City?
Yes
City:
- Miami
Style
Part of a series?
Yes
Person
- mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death?
- generic/vague references to death/punishment
How many deaths?
- 5-7
Amount of dialog
- significantly more dialog than descript
- roughly even amounts of descript and dialog
|
|
|
Click here for more information about this book
Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s). | |
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
|
