Kensington, Oct 2001, 22.00, 240 pp.
ISBN: 1575666820
In Las Vegas, mob courier, African-American Martha Chainey watches the heavyweight championship-boxing match between Joaquin Muhammed and Tyler Jeffries. When Joaquin throws a phantom jab reminiscent of Lewiston, the champ goes down. The surprised referee starts the count only to quickly realize that someone shot and murdered Tyler.
Riverhead Casino owner Victoria DeGault hires Chainey to find the missing five million dollars in bets that she was holding that was stolen while the champ was killed. Chainey begins making inquiries on the Strip and soon finds friend and under card winner Moya Reese dead too. Though she stands to make $250,000 if she finds the missing cash, the investigation is now personal.
The second Chainey tale (see COLD HAND) is a delightful action-packed novel that goes the full fifteen rounds with plenty excitement throughout the tale. The story line moves faster than the speed of Leonard and the punch of Foreman. Chainey is quite a character as she nukes laws when she wants to accomplish something, especially if money is involved. Along with Chainey and a strong secondary cast, the who-done-it and why of SHOOTER'S POINT showcase Gary Phillips (see the Monk novels) ability to tell a knockout of a story.
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
How difficult to spot villain?
- Difficult, but some clues given
Time/era of story:
- 1980's-1999
Spying/Terrorism Thriller
Yes
What % of story relates directly
to the mystery, not the subplot?
- 50%
Kind of investigator
- amateur citizen investigator
Kid or adult book?
- Adult or Young Adult Book
Crime Thriller
Yes
Murder Mystery (killer unknown)
Yes
General Crime (including known murderer)
Yes
Who's the criminal enemy here?
- finding a known killer
Main Character
Gender
- Female
Profession/status:
- thief/con artist
Age:
- 20's-30's
How much violence does he/she use?
- just the right amount
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
- average physique
Main Adversary
Identity:
- Male
Age:
- 20's-30's
Profession/status:
- criminal
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in:
- an average amount
Motive of antagonist
- money/treasure
How sensitive is this character?
- hard edged
Sense of humor
- Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence
- Smarter than most other characters
Physique
- average physique
Setting
United States
Yes
The US:
- West
Style
Person
- mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death?
- generic/vague references to death/punishment
How many deaths?
- 2
Amount of dialog
- roughly even amounts of descript and dialog
