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A Confidential Source
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Plot Summary of A Confidential Source
"

Mysterious, Apr 2005, 24.95, 326 pp.
ISBN: 0892960078

Reporter Hallie Ahern had an affair with an alleged murderer who she was profiling for the Boston Ledger. When she learns he was using her, she quits and relocates to Rhode Island where she takes a journalist position at a satellite bureau of the providence Morning-Chronicle. She fears working on any major story until the night she is in the back of the near deserted Mazurksy's market when someone shoots and kills Barry the manager.

Hallie writes the article about Barry's murder and Leonard of Late Night radio offers her vital information for her story. Leonard tells Hallie that Barry had a gambling addiction that forced him to sell his stores, but though broke still played; he believes the mob sanctioned a hit. However Hallie notices how rabidly anti-gambling Leonard is as he challenges the mayor every chance he gets on the issue as His Honor wants to legalize the “vice” in Rhode Island. He offers her more information on political corruption at the highest state levels, but someone who has killed twice to keep the story out of the media will add Hallie to the list of the dead if she fails to drop her investigation.

Harriet Klausner
"

Harriet Klausner, Resident Scholar



Review Analysis of A Confidential Source
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)
What % of story relates directly to the mystery, not the subplot? - 80%
Kind of investigator - skilled citizen investigator
Kid or adult book? - Adult or Young Adult Book
Any non-mystery subplot? - politics
Crime Thriller Yes
Murder Mystery (killer unknown) Yes

Main Character
Gender - Female
Profession/status: - journalist
Age: - 20's-30's
How much violence does he/she use? - none
Ethnicity/Race - White/American
How sensitive is this character? - middling 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: - 40's-50's
Profession/status: - business executive
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in: - a moderate amount
Motive of antagonist - power
The antagonists are: - big business leader(s)
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: - Northeast

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
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Harriet Klausner  

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