"Matthew Shardlake is involved in trying to defend a young girl accused of murdering her young cousin. His involvement in such a case, apparently cut and dried, brings him once more to the attention of the King's chief minister Thomas Cromwell. The secret of Greek Fire, the legendary weapon, has been discovered and Cromwell wants it for his master. When Shardlake is sent to recover it, he finds the owners murdered and the secret missing.
He must follow a twisting trail to discover the killers - and the Greek Fire - in Tudor London as well as trying to prove his young client is innocent."
Alan J. Bishop, Resident Scholar
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Review Analysis of Dark Fire
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Composition of Book descript. of violence and chases - 30% Planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 30% Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 20% How society works & physical descript. (people, objects, places) - 20%
Tone of story
- suspenseful (sophisticated fear)
How difficult to spot villain?
- Difficult, but some clues given
Time/era of story:
- elizabethan era
What % of story relates directly
to the mystery, not the subplot?
- 50%
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
- Male
Profession/status:
- a lawyer creature
Age:
- 20's-30's
Is this an ordinary person caught up in events?
Yes
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
- Average intelligence
Physique
- healthy but a geeky weakling
Main Adversary
Identity:
- none
Setting
City?
Yes
City:
- London
Style
Part of a series?
Yes
Person
- mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death?
- moderately detailed references to deaths
How many deaths?
- 3-4
Unusual forms of death
- flamed
Unusual form of death?
Yes
Amount of dialog
- roughly even amounts of descript and dialog
