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| Plot Summary of When the Ravens Die |
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"
Alliance, 2002, 22.00, 288 pp.
ISBN: 0967652871
Amherst History professor Dr. Malcolm Bride knows Americans raised him with love, but London is where he was born in 1945 and he needs to learn about his birth mother. In London, he finds the record of twin boys born to Bridget Allison and the death certificate of his sibling. He visits nearby cemeteries searching for his brother's resting-place. One evening while Bride is nearby, a woman visits a graveside. She accidentally drops something before fleeing. Malcolm finds a nineteenth century Cartier Pillbox so rare that most in existence are owned by a museum or the Royal Family. He realizes the visitor had to be Princess Catherine and he makes contact with her, not easy to do with a royal.
At the same time, a bomb kills most of the leaders of the Conservative Party. Prince George, heir to the throne occupied for a half century by his ailing mother, cuts a deal with the Conservatives that allows him to run for Prime Minister, unheard of in the long history of this proud country. Meanwhile, Bride and Catherine fall in love while he unravels a mystery over five decades old that if revealed would derail George's precedent setting power play.
This political thriller wrapped inside a delightful heritage mystery and containing a warm humanizing romance is a royal treasure. The fast-paced story line grips the reader, but uses coincidence to first accelerate the plot. Bride is a great moral protagonist whose stubborn need to find the truth (paralleled by a reporter) will grip the audience. George is an ideal villain doing good deeds only when it further his public image. Cameron Kent provides a sure fan favorite with this winner.
Harriet Klausner
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Harriet Klausner, Resident Scholar
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| Review Analysis of When the Ravens Die |
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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 - 40%
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 40%
How society works & physical descript. (people, objects, places) - 10%
Tone of story
- suspenseful (sophisticated fear)
How difficult to spot villain?
- Very difficult--no foreshadowing/clues
Time/era of story:
- near future
Spying/Terrorism Thriller
Yes
Cloak & Dagger Plotlets:
- political blackmail
- preventing/finding assassin
What % of story relates directly
to the mystery, not the subplot?
- 70%
Kind of investigator
- amateur citizen investigator
Kid or adult book?
- Adult or Young Adult Book
Any non-mystery subplot?
- politics
Crime Thriller
Yes
Who's the terrorist enemy here?
- generic terrorists
Murder Mystery (killer unknown)
Yes
Main Character
Gender
- Male
Profession/status:
- teacher
Age:
- 20's-30's
How much violence does he/she use?
- a little
Ethnicity/Race
- Russian
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
- very athletic
Main Adversary
Identity:
- Male
Age:
- 20's-30's
Profession/status:
- mastermind
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in:
- a moderate amount
Motive of antagonist
- power
How sensitive is this character?
- mean, arrogant
Sense of humor
- Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence
- Very much smarter than other characters
Physique
- average physique
Setting
Europe
Yes
European country:
- England/UK
Style
Person
- mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death?
- generic/vague references to death/punishment
How many deaths?
- hundreds or more
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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