Simon & Schuster, June 2004, 24.00, 288
ISBN 0684845288
Harvard University Economics Afro-American professor Nikki Chase is presently at Princeton to give a paper at the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs. She isn't looking forward to doing it but if she wants tenure, this is one of the prices she has to pay. While there she visits her brother Eric and his new girlfriend Kayla as well as her mentor Professor Earl Stokes, head of the African-America studies and the economics department of the New Jersey school.
Internationally renowned Earl has written a best seller, Color Counts, which is one of the reasons Harvard wants him to chair the Economics Department. Nikki would love that since she doesn't get along with the current acting head of Economics. Earl isn't sure what he wants to do especially since Princeton is building an African-American study center. All plans go up in smoke when the building burns to the ground and Earl's body is found, the victim of murder. Unable to leave well enough alone, Nikki investigates and if she is not more cautious could become another murder victim.
The Broncos and Syracuse U are not part of this tale. Instead academic politics can get ugly even leading to murders as demonstrated in ORANGE CRUSHED. The heroine plunges head long into the investigation in order to forget her break up with a man she cares about and in the process finds herself attracted to Earl's son. The protagonist has solved homicide cases before (see A DARKER SHADE OF CRIMSON) but this investigation is her toughest because the suspects all wear masks pretending to be something they are not. Pamela Thomas-Graham has written a fantastic academic mystery.
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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 - 40% How society works & physical descript. (people, objects, places) - 10%
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?
- 60%
Murder of certain profession?
- students/teachers
Misc. Murder Plotlets
- Proving innocence of very obvious suspect
Kind of investigator
- amateur citizen investigator
Kid or adult book?
- Adult or Young Adult Book
Crime Thriller
Yes
Murder Mystery (killer unknown)
Yes
Main Character
Gender
- Female
Profession/status:
- teacher
Age:
- 20's-30's
How much violence does he/she use?
- a little
Ethnicity/Race
- Black
How sensitive is this character?
- middling 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:
- 40's-50's
Profession/status:
- mastermind
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in:
- a moderate amount
Motive of antagonist
- power
How sensitive is this character?
- hard edged
Sense of humor
- Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence
- Smarter than most other characters
Physique
- average physique
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
