Reservations
GENRE
SUSPENSE/THRILLER MYSTERY ROMANCE CRIME
Core Theme
OVERCOMING MONSTER, REBIRTH
TIME PERIOD
Contemporary
COMPARABLE TITLES
WIND RIVER, THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS, NOCTURNAL ANIMALS, SALT
CHARACTER LIST
SAMANTHA “SAM” WRIGHT: 30S. LEAD. HEADSTRONG AND SELFLESS.
WILL LITTLE BEAR: 40S. SAM'S LOVE INTEREST AND EVENTUAL HUSBAND.
CHARLIE FALKEN: 40-50S. SAM'S FORMER LOVER AND BOSS WHO BECOMES THE MAIN ANTAGONIST.
BRANDON LEWIS: 12-13. A BOY FROM WILL’S TRIBE WHOSE LIFE SAM SAVES.
JESS GRAY FEATHER: 40-50S. WILL’S BUSINESS PARTNER.
TAD COLLINS: 70S. HIRES WILL AND SAM TO DO SECURITY FOR NEW BUSINESSES HE’S CONSTRUCTING.
Logline
Sam, a FBI Profiler, investigates a socially and ethnically sensitive multiple murder case. Cultural identity and the lasting impact of violence and abuse drives her to save the young reservation victims while haunted by her own past traumas. FEMALE LONGMIRE
Target Audiences
Age: 18-34,35-54,55+
Target Gender: Universal
Setting
DC, and Montana
Based on a True Story
No
Publishing Details
Status: No
Starting Description
Special Agent SAMANTHA WRIGHT is mourning DR. SAMPSON who died during a heinous serial killer profile involving Native American boys sexually defiled and murdered. She finds a guide on the reservation, Will Little Bear and together they put a plan together to find the killer, turns out to be twins.
Ending Description
Sam moves to Montana with Will. Realizes her baggage has traveled with her. The case she thought was over…isn’t. The killer (the third brother) comes to town. The conclusion of the case brings the final killer to justice, but it also brings to light the fact that the Bureau will never let her go.
Group Specific
Information not completed
Hard Copy Available
No
ISBN
Information not completed
Mature Audience Themes
Extreme Violence, Language/Profanity,Nudity
Plot - Other Elements
Twist
Plot - Premise
Overcoming Monster/Villain,Internal Journey/Rebirth,Other
Main Character Details
Name: Special Agent Samantha Wright
Age: Late thirties
Gender: Female
Role: Protagonist
Key Traits: Unapologetic,Leader,Strong Moral Code,Honorable,Educated,Heroic,Heartthrob,Empathetic,Romantic,Funny,Selfless,Blunt,Sexy,Confident,Complex,Decisive,Skillful
Additional Character Details
Name: Will Little Bear
Age: Early forties
Gender: Male
Role: Sidekick
Key Traits: Adventurous,Masculine,Badass,Charming,Complex,Sexy,Confident,Decisive,Empathetic,Selfless,Skillful,Engaging,Faithful,Romantic,Heartthrob,Heroic,Educated,Seductive,Honorable,Strong Moral Code,Leader,Unapologetic
Additional Character Details
Name: Charlie Falken
Age: Late forties to early fifties
Gender: Male
Role: antagonist
Key Traits: Masculine,Badass,Aggressive,Complex,Decisive,Blunt,Power Hungry,Sarcastic,Unapologetic,Manipulative,Charming
Additional Character Details
The author has not yet written this
Genre
ACTION, THRILLER, ROMANCE, DRAMA
Brief
Sam works for the FBI and yet she doesn’t as she’s tasked with tracking down her mentor’s last case before his death. She head to Montana to find twin serial killers stalking young native boys. An outsider, Sam is partnered with Cheyenne native, Will to help track the murderers. Their working partnership grows into love and this becomes a liability down the line when the killers start tracking them.
Overall Rating
GOOD
Narrative Elements
Authors Writing Style: GOOD
Characterization: GOOD
Commerciality: GOOD
Franchise Potential: EXCELLENT
Pace: FAIR
Premise: GOOD
Structure: FAIR
Theme: GOOD
Accuracy of Book Profile
It is accurate.
Draw of Story
The rare but rich setting of Montana and a Reservation makes a tracking-the-serial-killer plot feel fresh with less common elements of native culture and characteristics.
Possible Drawbacks
This is largely a indigenous setting and cast of characters, yet Sam is still telling the story from a bit of a white savior perspective. It does not detract much from the story, but from a representation standpoint could feel like a missed opportunity as dual native love interests and power couples are rare in media. The other point that detracted a bit from the story is that once the relationship is established there is little tension outside of external matters as both are still in the honeymoon phase therefore do not narrate their partners with more realistic flaws. Sam can appear almost too perfect at times especially through the eyes of Will. Creating more mistakes and flaws would better create surprise about the external outcome and increase emotional attachment when an internal transformation overcoming a flaw is accomplished.
Use of Special Effects
THE STORY RELIES A LITTLE BIT ON SPECIAL EFFECTS
Primary Hook of Story
The hook is that two serial killer trackers start to become tracked by the serial killers on a reservation as revenge. It is a reverse cat and mouse.
Fanbase Potential
Given that modern native representation is relatively new and rare still, this could definitely have a large fanbase based on supporting the cast as well as for the story itself as action thriller genre with a remote setting.
Awards Potential
This is unlikely to have awards consideration as the characters’ internal conflicts are not always clear and the themes are more tied to the genre than the setting in terms of dealing with standout native issues that could gain recognition.
Envisioned Budget
LOW BUDGET
Similar Films/TV Series
YELLOWSTONE, TO HELL OR HIGH WATER, SILENCE OF THE LAMBS, WINDRIVER, THE NIGHTINGALE
What’s New About the Story
The originality of the story stems from the native elements woven into the investigation and the specificity of the crimes. Because the native characters tend to be narrated from a place of love and affection, especially Will, their three-dimensional flaws are less apparent which can make them seem too noble and flat at times. Creating more clear internal conflicts would help increase the investment in the external conflict and also tie the characters more to the plot.
Lead Characters
Sam is a great, older version of Thomas Harris’ Clarice Starling. Sam is of course her own distinct character, but it’s easy to draw a line from naive student Clarice to a grown up and somewhat weathered Sam who has seen the darkest sides of the FBI during her career. Sam doesn’t want to be in the field, but she’s willing to tackle this challenge to save the boys. She’s also willing to give her own life. She’s commendable and empathetic, and her insistence on protecting others, including Will, makes her stand out. Despite all she’s seen and been forced to do, she still values others’ lives so highly that she’ll forget to protect her own.
Uniqueness of Story
There is a lot of depth to the world-building with a great franchise potential, however the characters and structure could benefit from some slight adjustments.
Possible Formats
Film: Studio, Indie, Streaming
Analyst Recommendation
WORK IN PROGRESS
Justification
Most characters’ internal conflicts and transformations are not apparent. The structure towards the end focuses too heavily on the romance with multiple love scenes whose purposes are unclear in advancing the characters or catching the killers. There is a lot of potential for unique themes due to the setting, but these also tend to fall into the shadows after the romance blossoms.
Tips for Improvement
Altering the structure of the end of the second and third act to create clearer purposes to the side plots such as the romance, would help keep the pacing to feel more consistent. Creating more apparent character transformation and flaws would also help create more tension within character dynamics as well as make the characters feel more tied to creating and solving the conflict rather than mostly reacting to the conflict.
Brief
An FBI profiler inherits a gruesome case from her mentor upon his death, making her responsible for tracking down twin serial killers. Across multiple reservations, Native American boys are being kidnapped, mutilated, and murdered. Together with a Native tracker, she’s able to take down the killers and save more boys from a grisly fate. The two find romance afterward, but the case that brought them together rears its head when the twins’ brother comes to seek justice.
What We Liked
This story has a compelling and engaging mystery that begins immediately and makes it impossible to put the book down for quite some time. As the audience, you’re immediately drawn into the story and have to see it through to the end. The protagonist is a strong woman who’s not afraid to be vulnerable, which is best shown in the burgeoning romance between her and her eventual husband. Their journey together is inspirational, and it both deals with the reality of trauma and baggage, as well as how to move past it. This is ultimately a story of hope and new beginnings, and the temporary peace that these two find feels earned.
Film: This story is so easy to see adapted into a tight thriller film. The mystery and suspense are perfect for the time constraints, and everything would only be heightened. Thrillers are a popular genre for a reason, and this is no exception. The leads’ and their romance would still be able to shine through, as their love for one another is integral to their characterizations. The Montana setting is also incredibly cinematic, and the sweeping landscapes would translate beautifully to the big screen. This story is a thrill ride from beginning to end, and audiences would flock to experience it.
TV: A television series would allow this entire world to come alive even more. There are so many characters on both the reservation and in the small town where the protagonist settles down, and a show would give them the space to all become fully fledged people who make this already intriguing world feel that much more alive. A show could also more fully delve into the politics of the FBI investigating on reservations, as well as Sam’s own acceptance by the Cheyenne. There are layers of history here that the book is only able to touch on, and a TV show would be able to really shed light on difficult and sensitive topics in a way that would help the audience learn, too.
Key points:
1. Thrilling mystery
2. Aspirational romance
3. Unique setting
4. Overall diverse cast
5. Female protagonist
Synopsis
FBI analyst SAM mourns the death of her mentor, SAMPSON. Sampson was working on a gruesome murder case involving several Native American boys, and now it’s Sam’s responsibility. They were kidnapped, mutilated, and murdered, all around their twelfth birthdays, and from reservations all over the West. Sam breaks off her affair with CHARLIE, her boss at the Bureau, and sets off for Montana. There she meets WILL, an expert tracker and member of the Cheyenne tribe. Sam has to persuade Will to take her to where the last boy was found despite it being sacred ground. He agrees to take her into the wilderness, and they grow closer throughout the trip, culminating with a kiss. Sam realizes the killer is actually two: a set of twins. That’s how they’ve been covering so much ground, and why the DNA found at the scenes is the same. THE FBI narrows it down to two boys who are the right age to be next: BRANDON in Montana and ANOTHER BOY in Wyoming.
Charlie puts Sam in charge of staying in Montana and leading the charge, even though she’s not an agent and they could both get in trouble. She and Will catch the KILLER before he can kill Brandon, and they both take bullets in the ensuing fight. Sam kills the man, but she’s gravely injured. The OTHER TWIN is taken into custody, where he commits suicide. When Sam wakes up in the hospital, Will commits himself to her, and vice versa. She wants to wait until she’s fully recovered, though. Two years later, she leaves D.C. and sets off for Montana. There she discovers that Will has been preparing for their life together. He sold the lodge he ran for tourists and built them a beautiful home. Sam is retired from the FBI, though Charlie left her officially on the payroll as a consultant. Will runs a successful tracking business and often takes customers on trips into the wilderness. Brandon now helps him with the horses in the stable.
They settle into their new life together. Sam is accepted into the tribe, and they’re set to be married and trying to have a family. Everything seems idyllic, until Sam begins receiving cryptic emails that imply one of the killers is still alive. She keeps this from Will, not wanting to worry him, but the actions escalate. Her tire is slashed when she’s in town, and she sees a strange MAN who looks like the twins. Sam begins carrying a gun, not knowing who to trust. She sees the strange man again and chases after him, spraining her ankle in the process. Sam looking into the case on her own gets flagged in the system, and Charlie tells Will what she’s doing behind his back. Will is upset that Sam would keep this from him, but he understands that she’s a protector. Will talks to JESS, his business partner and the medicine man in their tribe, and Jess informs Will that Sam is pregnant but doesn’t know it yet. Will doesn’t tell her, and it should be impossible as he hasn’t had his vasectomy reversed yet.
They get married at city hall and plan a full ceremony in the summer. They then lie in wait for this man to find them, hiding in their house behind security systems and trying to go about their lives as normal. Sam is attempting to light a fire while Will is at the stables, but the chimney is backed up. She climbs on the roof to see why, and she finds the strange man in the chimney, dead. He tried to get into their house and got stuck, dying of exposure. He’s the THIRD BROTHER of the twins, whom Sam was never told about despite it being her case. Charlie hid the information so the FBI could use Sam and Will as bait. Sam quits the Bureau for good. The couple learns officially that Sam is pregnant. The reader learns that SCOTTY, who bought the lodge from Will, was secretly funded by Charlie. Scotty didn’t know who Charlie was at the time, and now Charlie wants a favor from him that will certainly harm Scotty’s friends.