"The main character, Kinsey Millhone, is hired by an insurance company to find a man called Wendell Jaffe. This man disappeared 5 years ago, and his boat was found drifting in the sea, without any sign of Wendell. His wife has in all these years tried to get his life insurance paid to her, but since no body was ever found, they have been reluctant to do so. However, after 5 years, they had to give in, and the widow after Wendell Jaffe received the respectable sum of $500,000 dollars.
One month after paying her the sum, someone spots Wendell Jaffe in Mexico, and Kinsey Millhone is hired to track him down. She discovers that it is really him, but he keeps getting away from her. After getting proof of Wendell Jaffe being alive, the insurance company has no interest in continuing the investigation, but Kinsey feels that there is yet more to be discovered about this man and his disappearance 5 years ago and sets out on her own."
Espen Hegge, Resident Scholar
"Kinsey Milhome returns as private detective in the tenth book of the series by Sue Grafton. This time Kinsey has been hired by an insurance company she used to work for. They had paid off a life insurance policy to a man's widow. But now, the man has been spotted alive and well in Mexico. Kinsey goes under cover and confirms that it could be him. Meanwhile back in California, the man's son, who has been in trouble with the law, breaks jail with three others and in the process of their escape kills a woman. The news is seen in the newspaper by the man and Kinsey think this will tempt him back into the states. And it does. Now she just has to find him so that the insurance company has paid erroneously or not. The chase leads her to the man's "widow", his two sons, and his ex-partner, and the cop who worked his case the first time. "
BethG, Resident Scholar
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Review Analysis of J is for Judgement
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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 - 50% Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 30% How society works & physical descript. (people, objects, places) - 10%
Tone of story
- Dry-cynical
Time/era of story:
- 1960's-1970's
Kid or adult book?
- Adult or Young Adult Book
Crime Thriller
Yes
Crime plotlets:
- white collar fraud or theft
General Crime (including known murderer)
Yes
Main Character
Gender
- Female
Profession/status:
- private investigator
Age:
- 20's-30's
Is this an ordinary person caught up in events?
Yes
How much violence does he/she use?
- none
- just the right amount
Ethnicity/Race
- White/American
How sensitive is this character?
- sensitive to others' feelings
- middling sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor
- Strong but gentle sense of humor
- Cynical sense of humor
Intelligence
- Smarter than most other characters
Physique
- average physique
Main Adversary
Identity:
- Male
Age:
- 40's-50's
Profession/status:
- unemployed
- business executive
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in:
- almost none
- a moderate amount
Motive of antagonist
- money/treasure
The antagonists are:
- big business leader(s)
How sensitive is this character?
- mean, arrogant
- middling sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor
- Cynical sense of humor
Intelligence
- Average intelligence
Physique
- average physique
Setting
United States
Yes
The US:
- California
City?
Yes
City:
- Los Angeles
Style
Part of a series?
Yes
Person
- mostly 1st
Accounts of torture and death?
- generic/vague references to death/punishment
- moderately detailed references to deaths
How many deaths?
- 1
Amount of dialog
- roughly even amounts of descript and dialog
