|
|
| Plot Summary of The Burning of Rachel Hayes |
|---|
"
Five Star, Nov 2004, 25.95, 339 pp.
ISBN: 1410402029
Veterinarian Dr. David Westbrook relocates to Algoma, Michigan after two years in prison for hitting a cop. David had been drinking away his sorrows over the loss of his beloved child to leukemia and ultimately his marriage when he lost it. Now he plans to start over in this remote northern community.
David hears a woman screaming for help;. He drives until he finds Brenda, whose eight year old son fell into a well. David convinces the much bigger and stronger Brenda to let him climb down while she anchors the tent nylon that he will use and eventually pull them up. He rescues Bobby, but sees a corpse in the well.
The official excavation at the well digs up the remains of a trapper and the skeletons of Rachel Hayes and her dog, who died in the Great Fire of 1871. The local sheriff suspects David did it. David makes inquiries into Rachel's death as unexplained happenings seem to surround him including falling in love with an older woman.
Harriet Klausner
"
Harriet Klausner, Resident Scholar
|
|
|
| Review Analysis of The Burning of Rachel Hayes |
|---|
|
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 - 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)
Misc. Murder Plotlets
- solving long-past murder
- Proving innocence of very obvious suspect
Kind of investigator
- amateur citizen investigator
Kid or adult book?
- Adult or Young Adult Book
Any non-mystery subplot?
- feelings of fear/loss/inadequacy
Crime Thriller
Yes
Murder Mystery (killer unknown)
Yes
Is Romance a MAJOR (25%+) part of story?
Yes
Main Character
Gender
- Male
Profession/status:
- doctor
Age:
- 20's-30's
How much violence does he/she use?
- none
Ethnicity/Race
- White/American
How sensitive is this character?
- sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor
- Strong but gentle sense of humor
Intelligence
- Smarter than most other characters
Physique
- very athletic
Main Adversary
Identity:
- Male
Age:
- 40's-50's
Profession/status:
- business executive
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:
- Midwest
Style
Person
- mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death?
- generic/vague references to death/punishment
How many deaths?
- 2
Amount of dialog
- significantly more dialog than descript
|
|
|
Click here for more information about this book
Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s). | |
Use our site!
Feedback
About us
Bribe your congressman!
Rudy Giuliani
Most recent discussions:
General Book Talk
Book writing discussion
Off-topic message board
Online Dating Advice
Mildred D. Taylor
7:17:31 AM
Chris Crowe
7:14:28 AM
Erin Hunters
6:59:06 AM
William Shakespeare
5:44:54 AM
George W. Bush
3:15:34 AM
Jeanette Walls
11:04:35 PM
Sharon M. Draper
10:29:00 PM
Suzanne Collins
7:59:24 PM
Harper Lee
6:44:03 PM
Margaret Peterson Haddix
4:50:16 PM
Dave Pelzer
4:22:25 PM
Brave New World--what's with all the self-spanking?
4:13:29 PM
Teri Woods
3:40:02 PM
Richard Connell
3:26:17 PM
Ruth Minsky Sender
2:05:29 PM
Teri Woods
1:05:31 PM
Sarah Dessen
12:41:19 PM
David Clement-Davies
12:39:18 PM
Francine Prose
11:19:24 AM
John Christopher
8:53:50 AM
More message boards
|
