A Simple Plan, by Scott Smith

A Simple Plan is simply one of the best books I've read in a long time.  It's got great pacing, in-depth characters and a good theme.  This book was so good it's worth analyzing it in detail according to the six core competencies.

Plot Structure:  The plot was constructed very well with suspense building through-out the book.  The first plot point, at 22%, was when Hank killed Pederson, his first criminal act to keep the money.  The mid-point (at 51%) was when Hank and Jacob tricked Lou into confessing which led to the blood bath where Lou, Nancy, Scooter and Jacob all died.  The second plot point (at 75%) was when they figured out the FBI agent was really the killer who had taken the ransom money.  What I really liked about the plot was that it built up logically and gradually, with each step plausible from the last.

Characterization:  The first-person narrative was perfect for getting into Hank's head and learning his inner motivations and rationalizations.  Hank was also a very honest narrator, which I always like.  The characters of Sarah and Jacob were also well developed through their actions and conversations.  None of the characters were perfect, but they were sympathetic to me because of their honesty.

Writing Voice:  Scott Smith gives just the right amount of detail to make a scene come alive but not so much that it slows it down.  He also has a nice mix of dialog and introspection which draws the reader into the conversation.

Concept:  What if a small-town accountant found four million dollars in an undiscovered plane crash?  This is a nice concept which everyone can identify with and it's easy for the reader to put himself in the protagonist's situation.  Hank's initial reaction to turn in the money sets up a beautifully executed transformation to cold-hearted killer.

Theme:  The theme is that self esteem for being a good person is more important than money in the pursuit of happiness.  The book also demonstrated nicely the hazards in rationalizing away immoral actions.

Scene Construction:  Each scene had a purpose, either moving the plot along or developing the characters of Hank, Jacob or Sarah.  I never found the scenes slow in starting or dragging on too long.

A Simple Plan shows how enjoyable fiction can be when all six core competencies are executed well.