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| Plot Summary of Sensei |
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"
St. Martin's, Apr 2003, 23.95, 288 pp.
ISBN: 0312288123
In Brooklyn, New York, Homicide Detectives Mick Burke and Art Pederson pick up the former's younger brother Connor for two reasons. First a witness Robert Akkadian testified that he saw first hand the bad blood between Connor and murder victim Mitchell Reilly. Second they need a martial arts expert, which, though the part time Dorian University professor would deny, he fits the bill.
The killer left his name in blood, “Ronin”, a masterless samurai. Due to an Internet link, the cops learn that Mitchell is not the first victim as the Los Angeles police share information with their New York counterparts that someone called Ronin killed an expert there. Other homicides follow with Connor and his SENSEI Master Yamashita trying to end the debacle by capturing the culprit.
SENSEI is an exciting thriller that is at its best when the sociology of the martial arts groups is explored. The amateur sleuth and police procedural subplots are also fun to observe, but seem red belt when compared to the black belt insightful interrelationships that John Donahue provides with fervor and pleasure. The victim's motives seem stretched (perhaps only to this couch potato). Fans of martial arts mysteries will relish this delightful tale and expect Connor to return in more top rate novels like this one.
Harriet Klausner
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Harriet Klausner, Resident Scholar
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| Review Analysis of Sensei |
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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:
- present (2000-2010)
What % of story relates directly
to the mystery, not the subplot?
- 70%
Kind of investigator
- police procedural, American
Kid or adult book?
- Adult or Young Adult Book
Any non-mystery subplot?
- feelings towards family/friends
Crime Thriller
Yes
Murder Mystery (killer unknown)
Yes
Main Character
Gender
- Male
Profession/status:
- champion of justice
Age:
- 20's-30's
How much violence does he/she use?
- just the right amount
Ethnicity/Race
- White/American
How sensitive is this character?
- middling sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor
- Strong but gentle sense of humor
Intelligence
- Very much smarter than other characters
Physique
- very athletic
Main Adversary
Identity:
- Male
Age:
- 20's-30's
Profession/status:
- killer
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in:
- a moderate amount
Motive of antagonist
- revenge
How sensitive is this character?
- mean, arrogant
Sense of humor
- Cynical sense of humor
Intelligence
- Smarter than most other characters
Physique
- very athletic
Setting
United States
Yes
The US:
- Northeast
Style
Person
- mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death?
- generic/vague references to death/punishment
How many deaths?
- 3-4
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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