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| Plot Summary of The Cove |
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"Sally Brainerd is on the run after escaping the mental institution her dead father and ex-husband had placed her. Sally has no idea what she's done for the past several weeks--whether or not she killed her father, for instance, as the authorities think. James Quinlan traces Sally to her aunt's home in The Cove. He believes Sally's story of twisted family relations and begins to investigate the murder a little more closely--and those of travelers who have been disappearing in those parts for years. Someone's out to get Sally--but is it the individual who killed her father, or the one killing the tourists?"
Sarrah, Resident Scholar
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Putnam, Nov 2003, 19.95, 327 pp.
ISBN: 0399150862
Whatever Sally St. John Brainerd knows about her arms dealer father's murder, she obviously trusts no one including the FBI. Instead of turning to the authorities to tell them what she knows about Amory St. John's murder, Sally flees to her aunt's remote home in THE COVE, Oregon.
FBI Agent James Quinlan tracks Sally to the picturesque coastal town, but does not attempt to bring her in. Instead he goes undercover as a private sleuth trying to solve a three year old missing persons' case. Two elderly people vanished at The Cove. The quaint town that boasts of the best ice cream in the world is not quite as tranquil as it first appears. Soon homicides occur and Sally vanishes. With the help of his partner Dillon Savich, James must rescue her from a place that no one has ever returned alive before.
THE COVE is a reprint of the first of Catherine Coulter's popular FBI police procedural tales. The story line is action packed with the suspense growing by the page. The description of the seemingly benevolent sleepy town is cleverly intertwined into the prime plot. Though some of the key players seem two-dimensional, fans of the author and those who appreciate a fast moving suspense thriller will take delight with the novel in which this popular romance writer made a sharp right turn.
Harriet Klausner
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Harriet Klausner, Resident Scholar
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| Review Analysis of The Cove |
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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 - 45%
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 25%
How society works & physical descript. (people, objects, places) - 20%
Tone of story
- suspenseful (sophisticated fear)
How difficult to spot villain?
- Very difficult--no foreshadowing/clues
- 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?
- 60%
- 70%
Special suspect?
- investigator him/herself
Misc. Murder Plotlets
- "All in the family" murder
- Proving innocence of very obvious suspect
- Big focus on forensic evidence
Kind of investigator
- police procedural, American
- husband/wife boy/girlfriend investigators
Kid or adult book?
- Adult or Young Adult Book
Any non-mystery subplot?
- feelings towards lover
- life in small town
Crime Thriller
Yes
Crime plotlets:
- escape/rescue from kidnappers
Murder Mystery (killer unknown)
Yes
General Crime (including known murderer)
Yes
Who's the criminal enemy here?
- finding a known killer
If story PRIMARILY about main chr. being hunted...
- hunted by killer/stalker
Main Character
Gender
- Male
- Female
Profession/status:
- government investigator
- wealthy
Age:
- 20's-30's
Eccentric/Mental:
Yes
Eccentric:
- mentally ill
Is this an ordinary person caught up in events?
Yes
How much violence does he/she use?
- a little
- just the right amount
Ethnicity/Race
- White/American
How sensitive is this character?
- sensitive to others' feelings
- middling sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor
- Strong but gentle sense of humor
- Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence
- Smarter than most other characters
- Very much smarter than other characters
Physique
- very athletic
- average physique
Main Adversary
Identity:
- Male
Age:
- 40's-50's
Profession/status:
- business executive
- a lawyer creature
Eccentric:
Yes
- wild
- emotionally unstable
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in:
- a little/some
- a moderate amount
Motive of antagonist
- power
- insanity
How sensitive is this character?
- hard edged
- mean, arrogant
Sense of humor
- Cynical sense of humor
- Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence
- Smarter than most other characters
- Very much smarter than other characters
Physique
- very athletic
Setting
United States
Yes
The US:
- Pacific NW
Small town?
Yes
Small town people:
- nice, like Andy/Opie/Aunt Bee
- dumb rednecks, like Gomer Pyle
- hostile, like Gomer Pyle on steroids
- sinister, like an X-Files Gomer Pyle
Style
Part of a series?
Yes
Person
- mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death?
- generic/vague references to death/punishment
- moderately detailed references to deaths
How many deaths?
- 3-4
- 8 or more
Sex
Yes
What kind of sex:
- vague references
- descript of kissing
- touching of anatomy
- licking
Unusual form of death?
Yes
Amount of dialog
- significantly more dialog than descript
- roughly even amounts of descript and dialog
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