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| Plot Summary of The Night of the Dance |
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"
St. Martin's, June 2003, 24.95, 320 pp.
ISBN 0312313225
Ten years ago Sissy Fletcher, a twenty-five year old beautiful and wild woman, disappears after last being seen at the Rodeo Dance. Everyone thought she went to the big city to start a new life for herself but that theory is disproved in the present when a construction crew digs up the remains of Sissy. The sheriff of Washington County, Texas Clyde Thomas knows he's not equipped to deal with a murder investigation so he asks retired Texas Ranger Captain Jeremiah Spur to help him.
Even though his daughter is dying in a Houston hospital, Jeremiah agrees to help but Sissy's brother Martin is disturbed that her bones were recovered and along with his friend Did (an appropriate name) start a two man crime wave. He robs a grocery store killing a black man and his mother. He also intends to blow up the courthouse so that all the law enforcement people die. Sissy's investigation has to be put on hold while innocent men and women are at the mercy of an insane killer.
This is James Hime's debut novel and it is a solid police procedural, but even better crime as a thriller. Readers are left to wonder why the discovery of Sissy's remains set off her brother and the answer rings true even though it is shocking. The hero of this novel is the Texas Ranger (retired) who bends a few rules to see Justice prevail. He keeps his head while everything he cares about seems to be falling apart. THE NIGHT OF THE DANCE is a strong debut novel.
Harriet Klausner
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Harriet Klausner, Resident Scholar
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| Review Analysis of The Night of the Dance |
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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 - 30%
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
Time/era of story:
- present (2000-2010)
What % of story relates directly
to the mystery, not the subplot?
- 60%
Misc. Murder Plotlets
- solving long-past murder
Kid or adult book?
- Adult or Young Adult Book
The crook is....
- on the run from the law
Any non-mystery subplot?
- feelings towards family/friends
Crime Thriller
Yes
Mostly a criminal POV story
Yes
Murder Mystery (killer unknown)
Yes
Main Character
Gender
- Male
Profession/status:
- police/lawman
Age:
- 40's-50'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
- 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:
- killer
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in:
- a moderate amount
Motive of antagonist
- insanity
How sensitive is this character?
- hard edged
Sense of humor
- Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence
- Smarter than most other characters
Physique
- very athletic
Setting
United States
Yes
The US:
- Texas
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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