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The Fire Baby
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Plot Summary of The Fire Baby
"

St. Martin's, Dec 2004, 24.95
ISBN: 0312321457

Every night for the past four years, Weekly Crow reporter Philip Dryden visits his comatose spouse Laura at Ely's Tower Hospital. Laura's current roommate, cancer victim Maggie Beck expects to die shortly. She asks Philip for a favor. She has made tapes of her memories especially concentrating on a 1976 plane crash at the US air base in Mildenhall in which she provides a different report than the official one. Maggie also furbishes a spin on her daughter's marriage. She wants Philip to deliver her last words to her daughter.

As Laura begins to awaken from her coma, she overhears much of what Maggie says. She struggles to warn her spouse that he could be in danger, but she is not fully conscious yet. Meanwhile Philip uncovers two homicides that he believes ties back to Maggie's request. As he investigates further someone tries to kill him. Only Laura, if she can communicate, can tell him the truth that might save his life.

When the tale shifts to the hospital scenes the plot loses momentum but adds depth to the beleaguered hero.

Harriet Klausner"

Harriet Klausner, Resident Scholar



Review Analysis of The Fire Baby
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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 - very humorous
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? - 90%
Misc. Murder Plotlets - solving long-past murder
Kind of investigator - amateur citizen investigator
Kid or adult book? - Adult or Young Adult Book
Any non-mystery subplot? - feelings towards family/friends
Crime Thriller Yes
Murder Mystery (killer unknown) Yes

Main Character
Gender - Male
Profession/status: - journalist
Age: - 40's-50's
How much violence does he/she use? - a little
Ethnicity/Race - British
How sensitive is this character? - sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence - Smarter than most other characters
Physique - average physique

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 - Very much smarter than other characters
Physique - very athletic

Setting
Europe Yes
European country: - England/UK

Style
Person - mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death? - generic/vague references to death/punishment
How many deaths? - 3-4
Amount of dialog - significantly more dialog than descript
Most similar books to The Fire Baby
Dead Man's Bones by Susan Wittig Albert
Assault and Pepper by Tamar Myers
And A Puzzle To Die On by Parnell Hall
Hot On the Trail by Jane Isenberg
Killer Blonde by Laura Levine


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