St. Martin's, July 2003, 24.95, 320 pp.
ISBN 0312304137
Ex-Sheriff John Le Brun may be retired but that doesn't stop him from solving homicides connected to exclusive men's clubs (see the JEKYL ISLAND CLUB and THE SCEPTERED ISLE CLUB). In New York during June 1906, another member murders a member of the ultra-exclusive Metropolitan Club but the killer has an airtight alibi. John Pierpont Morgan, the founder and head of the club, doesn't want a scandal attached to his creation so he hires John Le Brun to Look into the case.
When John arrives in Manhattan, he finds facts that have a bearing on the case. The killer was not a member of the club but a look alike. The victim was not Edmund Pinckney but his identical twin brother Miniver who was playing a practical joke that got him killed. Edmund is afraid he will be the killer's next target because too many people know that Miniver was the sibling who died. He is proven correct in a locked room scenario that makes everyone think it is suicide. Le Brun is not convinced and sets out to prove his theory; an action that twice almost gets him killed.
A locked room mystery is always fun to read especially when it is constructed as well as it is in THE MANHATTAN ISLAND CLUBS using places and people who actually lived during the time and setting of this book. Brent Monahan takes his audience behind the scenes of the so-called Gilded Age and shows that the period was corrupt and narcissistic. Readers will adore the brilliant hero who gets heart broken by a damsel in distress.
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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?
- Difficult, but some clues given
Time/era of story:
- present (2000-2010)
What % of story relates directly
to the mystery, not the subplot?
- 70%
Kind of investigator
- police procedural, American
Kid or adult book?
- Adult or Young Adult Book
Any non-mystery subplot?
- big city life
Crime Thriller
Yes
Murder Mystery (killer unknown)
Yes
Main Character
Gender
- Male
Profession/status:
- police/lawman
Age:
- 40's-50's
How much violence does he/she use?
- just the right amount
Ethnicity/Race
- Swiss
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:
- 20's-30's
Profession/status:
- small businessman
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in:
- a moderate amount
Motive of antagonist
- money/treasure
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:
- Northeast
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
