Midnight In
Manhattan
SYNOPSIS OF BOOK
This novel would include four main
characters and am antagonist. You could write this several
different fashions. 1) from the perspective of one main character, 2)
each chapter could be from the perspective of one of the four main
characters, 3) alternate chapters between the main character and the
villain, or 4) each chapter could be written from the viewpoint of the
four main characters (until one by one they are killed off) as well as
alternating or occasional chapters from the villain's viewpoint.
The story opens with the four main
characters playing Texas Hold 'em at their weekly poker night. This
chapter introduces the main characters and this is where we get to know
their personalities as well as their physical appearances. Over the next
chapters (or sub-sections within a subsequent chapter) each character
receives a note that will eventually draw the four back together to
discuss what each person's note contains.
As the four discuss their various notes,
a stranger hands them an envelope and quickly disappears before they can
think much about it.
The note reveals that if they don't
choose one of their group for death and accomplish the task themselves
with the next 24 hours, one of their relatives will be chosen at random
and killed. A relative will also die if they go to the police. (You could
either choose to have them approach the police any way or simply decide to
ignore the situation as a prank at this point.) When they do not do what
the note demands, one of the four reveals that a brother (or aunt or
sister-in-law, etc.) died in a 'traffic accident'.
They now relaize that they must take this
situation seriously.
The next twist is that one of the four
takes it on himself to kill one of his friends. Now the remaining trio must
not only decide who did this and how to deal with it, but to also find the
person behind the notes.
My initial explanation is that
antagonist was raised by parents who were therapists/psychologists who
experimented in the behavorial study of the parent/child relationship.
This is the common link as the four main characters were all patients when
they were children and seem to have become successful. The killer resents them
as he never amounted to anything and was ignored by parents. And, to make
matters worse, no matter what he says, he intends to kill them all anyway
so regardless of what choices the friends make, they are all targeted for
death!
POSSIBLE CHARACTERS
Jack Callahan: an ex-cop who
doesn't always do things by the book.
Harlan Martin:
a mystery writer with his own unique way of looking at things which rarely
coincide with the opinion of his friends.
Benny Espinosa: An ex-prize
fighter with lots of pride, but (unknown to his friends), he is dying of
cancer.
Charley Campbell:
an everyday guy who seems to be nothing special. An accountant who
possibly turns out to be the book's ultimate hero.
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