Two years ago, Ellie Byron was standing on a balcony watching the Mardi Gras festivities when she saw Stephanie Gray murdered. The New Orleans Police arrested Charles Penn, but Ellie could not identify whether he was the killer as she insisted she followed the victim; the police believe that Ellie feared Charles would come after her so she refused to tell the truth. In spite of Ellie's inability to point to Charles as the killer, he is convicted of the murder.
Ellie, owner of the Hungry Eyes Bookstore in Toussaint, Louisiana learns that Charles has escaped from incarceration and that another woman was killed using the same ice pick modus operendi used in the Gray case. Local lawyer Joe Gable tries to protect her because he wants to get close to her, but also wonders why Ellie Byron has no history anywhere prior to five years ago. Meanwhile police see uncanny parallels between the homicides and mystery novels written by Sonja Elliot.
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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)
Time/era of story:
- present (2000-2010)
Kid or adult book?
- Adult or Young Adult Book
Crime Thriller
Yes
Crime plotlets:
- wrongly convicted clearing his name
General Crime (including known murderer)
Yes
Who's the criminal enemy here?
- crazed boyfriend/girlfriend/spouse
If story PRIMARILY about main chr. being hunted...
- hunted by killer/stalker
Is Romance a MAJOR (25%+) part of story?
Yes
Main Character
Gender
- Female
Profession/status:
- small businessman
Age:
- 20's-30's
How much violence does he/she use?
- a little
Ethnicity/Race
- White/American
How sensitive is this character?
- sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor
- Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence
- Smarter than most other characters
Physique
- very athletic
Main Adversary
Identity:
- Male
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?
- 2
Amount of dialog
- significantly more dialog than descript
