Hilltown Chapter 14

Chapter 14
She woke to the warmth of the sun on her neck. The fire had gone out. Hill lay curled on his side, breathing evenly. His forehead, where the boom had hit, looked as if the accident had happened a week ago. It was hard to believe it had been just last night.

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Transparent Writer's Tricks

Here's a no-brainer quiz for you.

Who is the traitor trying to destroy a heroic woman's life? Is it:

(a) The politically-incorrect, sexist ass who the heroine hates? He's always making crude attempts to pick her up. He has a history of trying to overthrow the Organization. He was a close friend and confidante of the known enemy, and still receives the known enemy's messages on a regular basis. He's also skulking around acting suspiciously, in places he has no legitimate reason to go.

(b) The kind, considerate, respected leader? He has worked for The Organization for decades, with an unbroken record of accomplishment, dedication, and honor.

Oh, and by the way, this situation is in a thriller, not real life.

It really annoys me that these days I can't enjoy most mysteries, because too often I know almost immediately who the culprits are. Not because of any clues, but just because of the way the writer sets them up. Of course, I don't know HOW, but it's easy to tell WHO.

That's unavoidable in TV shows, where an hour gives you about 25 minutes to work with, after you take out the commercials. Happens too often in full length books too, though.