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| Plot Summary of This Gun For Hire |
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"James Raven is a sociopath and a killer, born disfigured with a harelip. He is also cold and without remorse. His father was hanged, his mother committed suicide, and so he was institutionalized. Now a professional assassin, his assignment is to kill the minister of war bringing about a chain reaction of countries preparing for armed conflict. Other than having to kill the minister's secretary, the hit goes fairly smoothly until he learns he was set up by the people who hired him.
Raven is given marked bills that are traced directly to him. He is almost turned in by an unscrupulous doctor from whom he wished to have his harelip operated on without anesthesia. Fleeing London in pursuit of a man named Cholmondeley (pronounced Chumley), he boards a train and encounters a woman named Anne. Disembarking in Nottwich, she is taken prisoner and learns the circumstances of his crime and set up. Raven takes her to an empty home up for sale, until a sales agent and prospective buyer come in, forcing Anne to use her wits to escape from him. By chance she encounters Cholmondeley, now calling himself Willy Davis at the theatre where she works. Thinking he is harmless, she is taken to dinner as she is trying to learn more about him and his part in the effort to start the war. When she becomes too inquisitive he kidnaps her.
Anne's fiancée Mather, an investigator for Scotland Yard, learns she is mixed up in the situation. Raven spots Anne's purse being carried by an old woman and pursues her home to the brothel where Anne was abducted the night before. Mather and his partner Saunders have been keeping Raven under surveillance and follow at a distance. Raven finds Anne, tied and gagged in a pantry and they leave for his hideout in a work yard as night closes in. Sir Marcus, a principal with Midland Steel would benefit handsomely from the outbreak of war, is the mastermind pulling all the strings. He employs Davis and wants Raven killed immediately, telling Major Calkin to call the police with that directive. Calkin refuses as the work yard is surrounded, Raven will be caught in the morning. Dawn breaks as a fog has settled in and Anne allows Raven to escape the police dragnet; he heads to Midland Steel to look for Davis.
An air raid drill is underway on Christmas morning in Nottwich and all citizens are required to wear gas masks. As medical student Buddy Ferguson is taking advantage of the situation to torment a school rival he has the misfortune to cross paths with Raven. Raven ties him up after taking his clothing and gas mask. Now Raven is perfectly disguised to exact his revenge upon Sir Marcus and Davis who have double-crossed him. Anne tells Mather the unbelievable tale and they await Raven's attempt to get at Sir Marcus at Midland Steel."
David Fletcher, Resident Scholar
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| Review Analysis of This Gun For Hire |
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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 - 30%
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 20%
How society works & physical descript. (people, objects, places) - 20%
Tone of story
- suspenseful (sophisticated fear)
Time/era of story:
- 1930's-1950's
Spying/Terrorism Thriller
Yes
Cloak & Dagger Plotlets:
- preventing/finding assassin
The crook is....
- on the run from the law
Main Character
Gender
- Male
Profession/status:
- killer
Age:
- 20's-30's
Eccentric/Mental:
Yes
Eccentric:
- deluded
- emotionally unstable
- wild
Is this an ordinary person caught up in events?
Yes
How much violence does he/she use?
- a significant amount
Ethnicity/Race
- British
How sensitive is this character?
- hard edged
Intelligence
- Average intelligence
Physique
- physically sick
Main Adversary
Identity:
- Male
Age:
- 60's-90's
Profession/status:
- business executive
Eccentric:
Yes
- eccentric
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in:
- a moderate amount
Motive of antagonist
- money/treasure
The antagonists are:
- big business leader(s)
How sensitive is this character?
- hard edged
Intelligence
- Smarter than most other characters
Physique
- physically sick
Setting
Europe
Yes
European country:
- England/UK
City?
Yes
City:
- London
Small town?
Yes
Misc setting
- moving train
Style
Person
- mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death?
- very gorey references to deaths/dead bodies and torture
How many deaths?
- 5-7
Sex
Yes
What kind of sex:
- vague references
- descript of kissing
- touching of anatomy
Unusual forms of death
- perforation--bullets
Unusual form of death?
Yes
Amount of dialog
- significantly more dialog than descript
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Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s). | |
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