The Appeal.

So... part of my question was what exactly makes storys and thrillers like this appeal to generation after generation.


And, one possible idea/solution I think is the ingenious murder plots. Another factor might be that these ingenious plots reflect an intelligence and ingeniouity on the part of the murderer. This is unsettling because it presents the possibility that the enemy might win over our heros.

In the Dante Club, people were murdered according to the punishments in the different level of Dante's Inferno. According to the professors, who are the intelligent members of the Dante Club, the murders were perfectly executed and planned with great detail... as if by a Dante Scholar. And though they recognize this factor, they cannot go to the police with it because, during this time period, Dante was unfamiliar to Americans, and the Dante club was the first American group to work on the translation.

The Plot was interesting because, like the Alieniest by Celeb Carr, murders continued throughout the story - and each led to further investigation and evidence. However, this also creates an atmosphere of danger and fear for the heros of the story, because we fear they might be next on the list.

Another factor that I've noticed was similar to the Alieniest and the Angel of Darkness (Two Historical Thrillers), is that the crimes are brutal, gruesome, and unimaginable because of the severe mutiliations or the cruelty of the murder. In this story in particular, the murders were horrendous because the murderer didn't just kill but tortured them. For example, one person was bludgeoned to the head (but that didn't kill him), it was the maggots that were planted in his head wound that slowly ate him alive for three days that killed him.

--Ok ... that's it for now. I know it was un poco long but bear with me.

Also... I'd appreciate some feedback.... whoever has me. Muchas Gracias.