| Plot Summary of God Save the Child |
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"Fourteen-year old Kevin has run away from Apple Knoll, an affluent development in the suburb of Boston.
His parents, the Bartletts, call the police, then Spenser. Soon they receive a ransom note in the form of a comic-strip. They pay the ransom, but don't get their son back.
After a few days, Spenser discovers with some help from Kevin's sister that the teenager might have left willingly with one of his friends and heroes, a gay body-builder named Vic Halloway. Still, Spenser just does not manage to find where he is.
In the course of the inquiries, Spenser meets Susan Silverman, the school guidance counselor (his girl-friend in future Spenser episodes).
When, Mrs Bartlett receives death threats, and the family lawyer gets killed in the living room, Mrs Bartlett wants Spenser to protect her, but she decides to continue with party plans for sixty-five people at her home!
Spenser does not think much of the Bartletts, but does his job. He calls in a favor, finds where Halloway hangs out, and start following him. It leads him to the local doctor, and a local prostitution ring.
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Lydie Barquet, Resident Scholar
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" In Apple Knoll, a small suburban town, something has gone terribly wrong. Kevin Bartlett, the son of Roger and Margery Bartlett is missing. Private investigator Spenser is appointed the task of finding the Bartlett's son. At first there are signs of a simple escape from a drunk mom and a raging household, then the arrival of a ransom note brings other ideas to mind. Spenser begins collecting clues and following leads as well as becoming side tracked with a woman. The scene Spenser encounters is not typical of a small suburban town. A suspicious body builder named Vic Halloway is Spenser's main suspect but may only have a partial role in the bigger picture.
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Eric Raybon, Resident Scholar
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| Review Analysis of God Save the Child |
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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).
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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 - 30%
How society works & physical descript. (people, objects, places) - 20%
Tone of story
- Dry-cynical
Time/era of story:
- 1960's-1970's
Kid or adult book?
- Adult or Young Adult Book
Crime Thriller
Yes
Crime plotlets:
- escape/rescue from kidnappers
General Crime (including known murderer)
Yes
Main Character
Gender
- Male
Profession/status:
- private investigator
Age:
- 20's-30's
Eccentric/Mental:
Yes
Eccentric:
- eccentric
How much violence does he/she use?
- just the right amount
Ethnicity/Race
- White/American
How sensitive is this character?
- middling sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor
- Cynical sense of humor
Intelligence
- Smarter than most other characters
Physique
- very athletic
Main Adversary
Identity:
- Male
Age:
- 20's-30's
Profession/status:
- criminal
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in:
- a little/some
- a moderate amount
Motive of antagonist
- insanity
How sensitive is this character?
- mean, arrogant
Sense of humor
- Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence
- Average intelligence
Physique
- bulging muscles
Setting
United States
Yes
The US:
- Northeast
Style
Part of a series?
Yes
Person
- mostly 1st
- mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death?
- moderately detailed references to deaths
How many deaths?
- 1
Sex
Yes
What kind of sex:
- vague references
- descript of kissing
Amount of dialog
- roughly even amounts of descript and dialog
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