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| Plot Summary of Echo Burning |
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"
Putnam, Jul 2001, 23.95, 368 pp.
ISBN: 0399147268
Jack Reacher is always on the move as the former military police officer goes wherever the whim takes him. He never worries about local trouble because he is a big athletic hombre who knows how to take care of himself.
Carmen Grant believes that Jack is the perfect person to kill her abusive spouse because he is huge and she believes he feels no remorse. Jack refuses so Carmen murders her husband claiming self-defense. The district attorney happens to have been the deceased's best friend, and coincidentally happens to find no evidence of spousal abuse so Jack begins making inquiries. Carmen abruptly confesses and someone kidnaps her daughter leading Jack to conclude that something is rotten in Echo, Texas.
The anti-hero of ECHO BURNING believes in justice more than he accepts the law and is willing to dole out his brand when injustice occurs. Some readers will claim Jack is a desperado or vigilante while others a Robin Hood hero. Regardless, all will agree that his methods work and he only hunts those deserving of his ire. The story line is fascinating and complex with numerous subplots that tie back to the main theme while showing how creative a talent Lee Child is.
Harriet Klausner
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Harriet Klausner, Resident Scholar
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" In the Texas desert Jack Reacher, former Army police officer and now endless drifter, is picked up while hitch-hiking. His ride is a desperate woman looking for someone to help her with a problem. It seems her husband has been beating her severely for the seven years they've been married. For the past two years he's been in jail for tax evasion and he's about to get out, and the beatings will continue. If it weren't for her young daughter she would just leave but it isn't as simple as it sounds.
After Reacher refuses to kill the man, he agrees to help her any way he can. Unfortunately when the husband gets out of prison he is shot and all evidence points to the wife. Then it appears she may not have been such a victim at all. In fact everything she said may have been a complete lie. All the evidence points that way. But Reacher doesn't think so. It will take all of his investigative skills, and a good amount of strong arm intimidation, to get to the bottom of this.
On top of this is the murder of a local lawyer, and the 20 year mystery of a rash of immigrant killings."
Shawn Chauvette, Resident Scholar
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| Review Analysis of Echo Burning |
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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 - 15%
Planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 65%
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 10%
How society works & physical descript. (people, objects, places) - 10%
Tone of story
- suspenseful (sophisticated fear)
How difficult to spot villain?
- Difficult, but some clues given
Time/era of story:
- 1980's-1999
- present (2000-2010)
What % of story relates directly
to the mystery, not the subplot?
- 50%
- 80%
Murder of certain profession?
- businessmen
Misc. Murder Plotlets
- solving long-past murder
- Proving innocence of very obvious suspect
Kind of investigator
- amateur citizen investigator
- skilled citizen investigator
Kid or adult book?
- Adult or Young Adult Book
Any non-mystery subplot?
- life in small town
Legal Thriller
Yes
Legal Plotlets
- finding out whether someone is really guilty
Crime Thriller
Yes
Murder Mystery (killer unknown)
Yes
Main Character
Gender
- Male
Profession/status:
- champion of justice
Age:
- 20's-30's
Is this an ordinary person caught up in events?
Yes
How much violence does he/she use?
- a significant amount
Ethnicity/Race
- White/American
How sensitive is this character?
- middling sensitive to others' feelings
- hard edged
Sense of humor
- Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence
- Smarter than most other characters
Physique
- bulging muscles
Main Adversary
Identity:
- Male
Age:
- 40's-50's
Profession/status:
- politician/elected ruler
- a lawyer creature
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in:
- a moderate amount
- an above average amount
Motive of antagonist
- power
The antagonists are:
- government bureaucracy
- lawyer creatures
How sensitive is this character?
- sensitive to others' feelings
- mean, arrogant
Sense of humor
- Cynical sense of humor
- Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence
- Average intelligence
- Smarter than most other characters
Physique
- average physique
Setting
United States
Yes
The US:
- Texas
Desert?
Yes
Desert:
- dying of thirst, sunburn
Farm/Ranch?
Yes
Farm/Ranch:
- ranch
Misc setting
- fancy mansion
Style
Part of a series?
Yes
Person
- mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death?
- very gorey descriptions deaths/dead bodies
- very gorey references to torture
How many deaths?
- 3-4
- 5-7
Sex
Yes
What kind of sex:
- vague references
A lot of techno jargon?
Yes
Kind of jargon?
- military technology
Amount of dialog
- roughly even amounts of descript and dialog
- significantly more descript than dialog
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Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s). | |
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