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| Plot Summary of The Drowning Man |
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"Arapaho attorney Vicky Holden and Indian mission pastor Father John O'Malley investigate the shadowy world of Native American artifact theft. The Drowning Man is a rock carving lining Red Cliff Canyon, which is sacred to the Arapahos. The thieves contact O'Malley through an Indian who tells him to let the tribal elders know they can buy the petroglyph back for $250,000 or see it sold to a collector.
The theft is similar to an earlier theft of a petroglyph from the canyon some seven years ago. Tribal leaders and law enforcement officers believe Travis Birdsong to be one of the thieves in that incident. He was convicted of killing his alleged partner in crime, Raymond Trueblood and is serving time for manslaughter.
Vicky becomes convinced that Birdsong is innocent and tries to prove it, nearly losing her lover and law partner Adam Lone Eagle in the process. Vicky and Adam are working to prevent a timber company from turning Red Cliff Canyon into a logging road. Adam is sure that Vicky's investigation of the seven-year-old theft and killing can only complicate their delicate negotiations.
The local FBI agent, Ted Gianelli, warns Father John that he should inform the FBI of any contact the thieves make to him and to take no action on his own. However, the pastor knows that if the thieves think any law enforcement agency is involved, they will disappear and sell the Drowning Man to a collector.
Father John demands proof from the thieves that they really have the petroglyph. He is directed to a lonely stretch of road where a pickup truck rolls past him and a package containing a picture of the petroglyph next to the same day's newspaper is tossed out. However, Gianelli is at the scene, and the thieves send Father John a warning. He's directed to a motel room where he finds the Indian who first contacted him murdered.
Meanwhile, Vicky is becoming convinced that the two thefts are related. She believes Birdsong was one of the local people used by the art theft ring to get the carving, but that he is innocent of manslaughter. However, Birdsong is afraid to talk, thinking he will be murdered if he is a threat to the art thieves.
On her way back from a visit with Birdsong in prison, Vicky is run off the road by a mysterious brown truck. She escapes with only cuts and bruises, but her Jeep is seriously damaged. Driving a different car, she sees the same truck, and this time someone fires a shogun at her, blasting the rear windows out of her borrowed car as she speeds up.
Neither Father John nor Vicky is about to let the threats of a murderous gang stop them, and both continue to pursue their cases to find the answers to the theft of both sacred carvings.
"
David Gordon, Resident Scholar
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| Review Analysis of The Drowning Man |
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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 - 30%
Planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 20%
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 30%
How society works & physical descript. (people, objects, places) - 20%
Tone of story
- suspenseful (sophisticated fear)
How difficult to spot villain?
- Moderately Challenging
Time/era of story:
- present (2000-2010)
What % of story relates directly
to the mystery, not the subplot?
- 40%
Misc. Murder Plotlets
- solving long-past murder
- Proving innocence of very obvious suspect
Kind of investigator
- American Indian mystery
Kid or adult book?
- Adult or Young Adult Book
Any non-mystery subplot?
- art/artifacts
Crime Thriller
Yes
Murder Mystery (killer unknown)
Yes
Is Romance a MAJOR (25%+) part of story?
Yes
Main Character
Gender
- Female
Profession/status:
- a lawyer creature
Age:
- 40's-50's
How much violence does he/she use?
- a little
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
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in:
- a moderate amount
Motive of antagonist
- money/treasure
How sensitive is this character?
- hard edged
Sense of humor
- Cynical sense of humor
Intelligence
- Average intelligence
Physique
- very athletic
Setting
United States
Yes
The US:
- West
Mountains/Cliffs
Yes
Style
Person
- mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death?
- moderately detailed references to deaths
How many deaths?
- 3-4
Amount of dialog
- roughly even amounts of descript and dialog
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Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s). | |
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