Book reviews

The Closer
Donn Cortez Book Review

Read a book review online (click here to search reviews)
Books Movies  
Sci-Fi/Fantasy Mystery/Thriller Literature Romance Biography Video
Donn Cortez Books
New book search
Donn Cortez Message Board
Get more information about this book
Plot Summary of The Closer
"

Pocket, Oct 2004, 6.99, 384 pp.
ISBN: 0743476980

One Christmas Eve, struggling artist Jack meets with a potential patron at Jack's warehouse. His client never shows up, but when a disappointed Jack returns home he finds the murdered corpses of his wife, son and parents. His new goal is to kill the person who killed his loved ones, but first he must find out who did the dastardly deed.

He teams up with Nikki the prostitute as both shares in common the loss of loved ones due to serial killers. They search for serial killers and when they catch them they make them confess on tape who they murdered and where they buried the bodies. The police dub Jack the Closer because he provides some closure to the victims' families. When Jack and Nikki learn about a secret site for serial killers, they gain the passwords and codes to the Stalking Ground.

In his pursuit of justice, Jack crosses the line to become the thing that he wants to destroy which turns him into a paradox. Nikki keeps him grounded until he finally goes one step too far for even her and she is forced to walk away. There is plenty of violence in this crime thriller though the plot contains numerous serpentine twists and red herrings as Jack's quest to find his family's killer never stays on a straight path.

Harriet Klausner

"

Harriet Klausner, Resident Scholar



Review Analysis of The Closer
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 - 20%
Planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 40%
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 30%
How society works & physical descript. (people, objects, places) - 10%




Tone of story - suspenseful (sophisticated fear)
Time/era of story: - present (2000-2010)
Kid or adult book? - Adult or Young Adult Book
Crime Thriller Yes
Crime plotlets: - vigilante getting revenge
General Crime (including known murderer) Yes

Main Character
Gender - Male
Profession/status: - killer
Age: - 20's-30's
How much violence does he/she use? - a tremendous amount
Ethnicity/Race - White/American
How sensitive is this character? - hard edged
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: - killer
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in: - a moderate amount
Motive of antagonist - kicks
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

Style
Person - mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death? - very gorey references to deaths/dead bodies and torture
How many deaths? - 5-7
Amount of dialog - significantly more dialog than descript
Most similar books to The Closer
The Seventh Survivor by Lori Lacefield
Darkly Dreaming Dexter by Jeff Lindsay
Counting To Infinity by J.L. Abramo
Glitz by Elmore Leonard
Skinny Dip by Carl Hiaasen


Click here for more information about this book


Donn Cortez Resident Scholar Profiles

TOP SCHOLAR:
  
Harriet Klausner  

SCHOLARS:


Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s).
Three ways to search for Thriller/Action books!

1) One-click plot searches! Simply click on a plot or subplot below!

Big vehicle disaster?

Crime Thriller

Disaster, natural or nuclear

Exploring into the wild

Horror Story?

Legal Thriller

Medical Thriller

Religious overtones?

Spying/Terrorism Thriller

War Thriller

Water adventure

Western



or 2) Simple lookup
(title or author)

or
3) Even more search options available with a Detailed Booksearch (click here)

Use our site!
17 FREE Sci-Fi Ebooks!
FREE "How to be happy" Ebook!
Funny Videos
Feedback


Most recent discussions:

General Book Talk
Book writing discussion
Off-topic message board
Slavomir Rawicz 10:00:34 AM
George W. Bush 1:35:50 AM
Robert Segarra 1:49:56 PM
Karen Armstrong 10:51:40 AM
Anonymous 1:39:52 PM
Deric Longden 9:20:02 AM
Suzanne Weyn 6:24:19 PM
Colin Forbes 12:23:54 PM
John Christopher 5:12:45 AM
Tom Clancy 2:19:45 AM
Margaret Peterson Haddix 5:36:55 PM
Nikolai Tolstoy 7:46:16 AM
J.K. Rowling 11:40:22 PM
Jack Higgins 4:54:08 PM
Eloise Jarvis McGraw 12:51:17 PM
Jane Rubino 1:21:00 PM
Lori Wick 2:11:45 AM
Betty Mahmoody 5:57:33 PM
Patricia Cornwell 2:48:17 PM
Andrew Clements 9:13:44 PM

Silicon Valley
More message boards