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| Plot Summary of A Conspiracy to Ponder |
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"
Bedside, 2004, 18.00, 272 pp.
ISBN: 1589821092
In Chicago in the 1980s, Joe Clark had been a member of the Black Kings gang, but by 1996 he is an honest police detective though the murder of his brother six years ago still burns deep in his mind. At Romeos, another former gang member Chuck Thornton sees Joe for the first time in several years. Later Chuck mentions that to his partner Benny Schroeder, another member of the Black Kings.
Benny and Chuck kidnap black women for a living. When Chuck becomes greedy Benny kills him. Unaware that Joe is a cop Benny offers him an opportunity to make easy money. Joe notifies his superior and receives sanctioning to go undercover in an attempt to break the ring and save fifteen abducted women. Though working from the inside, Joe gets an ally when Chinese reporter Wu Chong tracks the death of his cousin to an organ harvesting gang tied to the Chicago mob.
Though organ harvesting has been used a lot lately and medical records are in the news via new laws on portability and government intrusion, readers will appreciate this powerful police procedural. The story line is fast-paced as Joe becomes involved with the gang kidnapping black women. Joe is a terrific hero, who is a converted believer in the law. Readers will enjoy his take on Chicago from a vastly different perspective than say Bueller.
Harriet Klausner
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Harriet Klausner, Resident Scholar
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| Review Analysis of A Conspiracy to Ponder |
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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)
Time/era of story:
- 1980's-1999
Kid or adult book?
- Adult or Young Adult Book
Crime Thriller
Yes
Crime plotlets:
- escape/rescue from kidnappers
General Crime (including known murderer)
Yes
Who's the criminal enemy here?
- breaking up gang
Main Character
Gender
- Male
Profession/status:
- police/lawman
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
- 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:
- criminal
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in:
- a moderate amount
Motive of antagonist
- money/treasure
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:
- Midwest
Style
Person
- mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death?
- generic/vague references to death/punishment
How many deaths?
- 0 (not a murder mystery)
Amount of dialog
- significantly more dialog than descript
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Margaret Williams Resident Scholar Profiles
TOP SCHOLAR:
 Harriet Klausner
SCHOLARS:
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Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s). | |
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