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Fortunes of the Dead
Lynn Hightower Book Review

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Plot Summary of Fortunes of the Dead
"

Atria, Sept 2003, 24.00, 320 pp.
ISBN 0743463897

Someone is targeting FBI and ATF agents who were involved in the Waco firestorm. So far five Feds are dead and within minutes after each killing an Internet broadcast announces the name of the victim and location. The Feds have targeted somebody associated with the US Pro Am Markus Bourbon Rodeo as the killer but they don't have any idea who that person is.

ATF intern Cheryl Dunkirk has been missing for eight weeks, her car the scene of a violent struggle. Not satisfied with the work of the local police force, the family hires private investigator Lena Padget to run a separate investigation hoping she will bring a fresh perspective. There is a link between Cheryl's disappearance and the killing of the federal agents that Lena figures out. She goes to the place where she believes the killer will strike next and finds quite a horrific scene with a killer still in the area needing to be caught.


Harriet Klausner
"

Harriet Klausner, Resident Scholar



Review Analysis of Fortunes of the Dead
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 - 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? - 80%
Murder of certain profession? - lawmen
Kind of investigator - hard boiled/private eye
Kid or adult book? - Adult or Young Adult Book
The crook is.... - stalking/killing innocents
Any non-mystery subplot? - feelings towards lover
Crime Thriller Yes
Murder Mystery (killer unknown) Yes

Main Character
Gender - Female
Profession/status: - private investigator
Age: - 20's-30's
How much violence does he/she use? - a little
Ethnicity/Race - White/American
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: - Female
Age: - 20's-30'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
United States Yes
The US: - Deep South

Style
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
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Murder a la Mode by G.A. McKevett
A Wedding to Die For by Leann Sweeney
The Lavender Butterfly Murders by Sharon Duncan


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