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| Plot Summary of Fatal Flaw |
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"
Morrow, May 2003, 24.95, 437 pp.
0060508167
Although the prime suspect is a close friend, Philadelphia attorney Victor Carl believes that lawyer Guy Forrest killed his live-in lover in a crime of passion. When Victor arrived at the rainy scene, he found Guy sitting naked outside the house he shared with the victim, holding a gun. Inside Hailey Prouix had been shot dead. Guy, who left his family for Hailey, swears he did not kill her, but Victor thinks otherwise.
The police arrest Guy for murder. Although Victor is the defense attorney, he has his own agenda pushed by his personal obsession for Hailey, whom he slept with too. Even while he wants his client locked away, Victor investigates the couple. He learns that the two lovers were on opposite sides of a medical malpractice suit leading to his wondering if his client might be a victim of a seduction in order to win massive damages for her patron. He looks elsewhere for a clever killer, which leads Victor ultimately to Hailey's West Virginia hometown where secrets and murder reside in the gene pool.
This is an exciting legal thriller that brazenly steps off the edge, but never lands into free fall due to the energy of the vigorous story line. The two lawyers are interesting characters sharing in common besides the law a need for the deceased. Victor is especially intriguing as he plans to hang his pal until the evidence confirms that his client is a victim too. Hailey and her roots (no literary pun intended) provide a nice spin. Though gimmicks are the only flaw, they are not fatal to a gratifying legal thriller.
Harriet Klausner
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Harriet Klausner, Resident Scholar
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| Review Analysis of Fatal Flaw |
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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 - 40%
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 30%
How society works & physical descript. (people, objects, places) - 20%
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
- skilled citizen investigator
Kid or adult book?
- Adult or Young Adult Book
Legal Thriller
Yes
Legal Plotlets
- finding out whether someone is really guilty
Crime Thriller
Yes
Murder Mystery (killer unknown)
Yes
Main Character
Gender
- Male
Profession/status:
- a lawyer creature
Age:
- 20's-30's
How much violence does he/she use?
- a little
Ethnicity/Race
- Swiss
How sensitive is this character?
- middling sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor
- Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence
- Smarter than most 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
- money/treasure
How sensitive is this character?
- middling sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor
- Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence
- Smarter than most other characters
Physique
- very athletic
Setting
United States
Yes
The US:
- Northeast
Style
Person
- mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death?
- generic/vague references to death/punishment
How many deaths?
- 1
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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