DEAN KOONTZ
Born – July 9, 1945
Hometown – Everett Pennsylvania
Married Gerda October 15, 1966
NO Children
THE PROTAGANIST

Mitch Rafferty
He is so devoted to
finding his wife.
 Really nice, good spirit
 All around friendly
good guy

Antagonists
 Anson
 Jimmy Null
 Julian
Campbell
 Mitch Rafferty
 He will risk
everything he is and
has for his Wife.
 He is just a simple
landscaper, yet
shows how capable
he is of fighting back
Least Favorite Character

Anson
Betrays Mitch and
Stabs him in the back.
 Sells Child porn to
get rich quick.




Mitch Rafferty is the owner of a small
landscaping company.
He is married to Holly, they are both around
27years old.
Holly
Landscaping tools

Mitch Rafferty’s wife, Holly, gets kidnapped
and he is told to raise 2 million dollars to get
her back. He realizes his brother Anson has
the money but is betrayed and discovers that
Anson gets his money through an illegal
Internet company that downloads untraceable
adult and child pornography. Eventually he
captures Anson, ties him up, steals the
money, and heads off to pay the ransom and
get Holly back.

After much difficulty Mitch acquires a gun
and arrives at the drop point. The
kidnapper talks to Mitch, and Holly is able
to distract the kidnapper while Mitch shoots
him, but doesn’t initially realize that he had
a bullet-proof vest on. The kidnapper then
chases Mitch and Holly with a motorcycle
but Mitch shoots him in the head.

Mitch and Holly leave and go to the cops,
where it is all taken care of.

The book ends with an epilogue. It is Mitch’s 32nd
birthday. We learn that Anson’s boss Julian
Campbell has been murdered in prison and Anson
is currently on death row. Mitch and Holly have two
children and will eventually have a third, and
Mitch's business is doing well.
Setting
 Occurs in present time
 Occurs in Orange County, Cal.- Mitch’s
hometown by parents and brother.
 Greed
– Most of the world today is consumed
by greed and envy which could be a good
social issue for discussion
 Power of Love- How far are people willing to
go for the ones that they love, another good
topic
 Kidnapping – Kidnapping is occurring all
around us and is a big deal.
I
would give this book an 8 because it
keeps your attention through out the
whole book. No slow parts, great writing.
Social Issue - Kidnapping
Introduction
Judge Simon Goldstein said, “…the
crime of kidnap is, after murder, the
vilest and foulest crime known to English
criminal law” (Houston)
 800,000 missing each year (Houston)

Statistics




Every 40 seconds in the United States, a child is reported
missing or abducted.
Of child victims of kidnappings, 40% are killed, 4% are never
found, 71% are taken by a stranger and 29% are taken by a
slight acquaintance
In 80% of abductions by strangers, the first contact occurs
within a quarter mile of the child's home. In many cases, the
abduction does, too.
Of abducted children who are ultimately murdered, 74% are
dead within three hours of the abduction (Federal Bureau of
Investigation, 1997)
Effects on the Victims That
Survive
When kidnapped the victims can
experience a variety of things such as:
 Stockholm Syndrome
 Dissociative Disorder

Past Case
Patty Hearst was kidnapped by a group
called SLA and was later found robbing
a bank with them.
 It was later said that she was friends
with them and liked them when actually
she was suffering from Stockholm
Syndrome


YouTube - Patty Hearst on why she
didnt run
Newspaper Article

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/18/worl
d/americas/18haiti.html
Poem



The Kidnapping
by Rosemary J. Gwaltney
And when the great dark hand stretched out its
claws
Devouring her girl-child, six years old - yet
Wet-winged and tender, dew-damp and dear;
A rupture of her deepest Spirit's core
Triggered molten lava rivers Thickly churning down the steep
Imperial mountains of her years of devotion.
Burning ravaging scars across wide
Wilderness valleys of hideous new emptiness.
Cooling and hardening, imprisoning her
Solidly beneath the crust.

YouTube - Daughtry "All These Lives" Child
Abduction Video

Song showing some missing children over
the years.

We all need to pay more attention to the
missing people and make a better effort to
help in the community with kidnappings.
Bibliography



“Patty Hearst Biography.” Patty Hearst Biography. Wikipedia,
1982. Web. 26
Feb.2010http://www.monstersandcritics.com/people/PattyHearst/biography
“Juvenile Kidnapping-A Rare Occurrence.” Kidnapping
Statistics and Prevention. 26 Nov. 2008. Web. 26 Feb. 2010.
www.kidnappingstatistics.com
Houston, Daniel W. “Kidnap and Ransom: Crisis
Management Introduction (Part 1 of 2).” www.riskvue.com.
Mar. 2003. Warren, McVeigh & Griffin, Inc. 24 Feb. 2010
http://www.deseretnews.com/article/917935/Salt-Lake-girltaken-from-her-home.html