Story Plot

1) The story develops in Massachusetts. The Big Bad Wolf is the antagonist of the novel, and also a thriller and mystery writer who wants to reach fame. To accomplish this goal, he decides to plan a murder of three redheads; their names are Sarah, Karen and Jordan. Sarah was a teacher, Karen is a doctor who works as an internist, and Jordan is a student.

2) Sarah, Karen, and Jordan receive letters that tell them they are going to die soon. (Do not say when, why, or by whom).

3) All the threats the redheads receive: a YouTube video, silent calls, wolf breaking into Karen`s house, stalking Jordan, and the painting in Sarah's family grave stone.

4) When Sarah, Jordan, and Karen find out the identity of Big Bad Wolf, they decide to attack him at night by breaking into his house. Wolf wakes up when he hears them come in, so he fights fiercely and hurts the redheads. The fight is very even, bloody, but there is not a clear winner.

5) The redheads manage to tie up BBW and his wife with tape, and they reflect on what they will do them.

6) Sarah, Karen and Jordan pick DNA samples of wolf and his wife plus some evidence they found in a room where Big Bad Wolf had all the evidence (of the threats and the criminal plans) that could bring him to jail in any moment. They tell him that if he dares to threaten them again, they would send all the evidence to the police and that in any moment they could do it if they would want so. So at the end, surprisingly, the victimized women switched roles with the wolf and became criminals somehow.

Story background

The story develops in Massachusetts in the actual time. The reader can easily deduce this because several technology devices like laptops, cellphones, and disposable cellphones are used by the characters.

Red 3- Jordan Ellis

Jordan Ellis is a seventeen year old student who is passing through a very delicate situation: her parents divorce. Before this happened she was highly recognized by her good grades, but afterwards her academic performance decreased to the point of being at risk of losing the last School year (which was crucial for future university life). Also, she decided to socially isolate herself, the only interaction with others were at basketball classes. 

Although she was being helped by psychologists and teachers, she refuses to accept any help due to her defiant and rebellious character. When Jordan receives the letter by the Big Bad Wolf, she was more than scared and sees it as a life challenge and wants to face it to survive. Although Red 3 is the smallest of the redheads, she is calculative and smart, and this traits help her remain alive throughout the book.

Links:

http://www.student-scholarships.com/scholarships/basketball-scholarships (Jordan, is a very good player and she can apply to a scholarship through basketball)

http://www.ussportscamps.com/basketball/ (Jordan can apply for basketball camps)

http://www.outsideonline.com/1870271/best-meditation-retreats-us (Jordan can relax and resolve all her problems through a spiritual retreat)

The Wolf

                       

The wolf is the antagonist of the novel Red 1-2-3 written by John Katzenbach. He is a 65 year old man who has a terminal disease and is also a writer of thriller and mystery novels, who had his heydays, and moments of fame a long time ago. Before the terminal disease kills him, he wants to reach fame again with one last literary success that would remain engraved in history. The new novel he is working on, develops under the true story of Red Riding Hood and how the wolf follows her closely and at the end he kills her. But in his work, instead of one little red riding hood, he chooses three women as his victims; all redheads with something that deeply relates them. He selects them because they are vulnerable, lonely, and have difficult lives. However, he is not an ordinary author as he recreates the events of this novel in real life. In his work the real victims (Sarah, Karen and Jordan) are actually being threatened by him to death. He has planned his crime well ahead of time, and in the meantime, he has managed to dig up the deepest secrets of them all; in especial, their daily routines, hobbies and even the feelings of every redhead. This situation makes him feel obsessed and he falls in love with each of them, even though the wolf is married.

The wolf does not have a name in Red 1-2-3 novel, which contributes to the suspense and mystery of the character. We know precisely that he is a man of appearances, who seems completely ordinary and normal, but on the inside he is a killer and suffers from herostratism (1). Herostratism is a disorder in which the person seeks to excel and gain fame at any price. This is reflected in the personality of wolf, when he feels desperate to be famous and weaves this macabre plan.

References: (1)http://www.nytimes.com/1982/06/27/opinion/a-nameless-crime.html

Links:

http://www.amazon.com/Skills-Assassin-Understanding-Tactics-Professional/dp/1480240001 (Big Bad Wolf can learn new techniques and strategies of killing)

http://www.creative-writing-now.com/free-online-writing-courses.html (Wolf can take a writing course to improve his writing strategies)

http://criminal.findlaw.com/criminal-charges/view-all-criminal-charges.html (BBW can learn new types of crimes that can be applied in his suspense and thriller books)

http://www.wikihow.com/Become-Famous (BBW can find other ways of reaching fame, rather than recurring to crimes)

http://jodierennerediting.blogspot.com/2014/08/writers-conferences-book-festivals-sept.html (Wolf assisted one conference of black novel, and in this link he could find others were he can assist)

Red 2- Sarah Locksley

Sarah Locksley is a 33 year old woman who was a school teacher, she was happily married and has a 3 year old daughter. She has a lot of plans and dreams to realize with her family.

But all of this vanishes when her husband and daughter tragically die in a car accident. Her life collapses after that event, Red 2 turns into a depressed, drug addict, alcoholic and messy person. Sarah loses the course of her life and several times she even thinks of committing suicide. Every day Red 2 struggles with the tremendous sadness and loneliness she feels, limiting herself to drink and watch TV. When Sarah receives the Big Bad Wolf letter, she was in a dilemma: To die or to live a meaningless life. Finally she decides to fight for her life and overcomes along with the others the Big Bad Wolf´s devilish plan.

Links:

http://www.icetraining.us/calendar.html (In order for her to feel more confident, and safe she can research for personal defense curses)

http://www.aa.org/ (Sarah can successfully step out of her alcohol and drug addiction by entering in the alcoholic anonymous center)

http://www.teachercertification.org/a/rewards-of-being-a-teacher.html (This can convince Sarah to be a teacher again)

http://www.adoptapet.com/ (Sarah can adopt a pet in order to accompany her)

Red 1- Karen Jayson

Karen Jayson is a 51 year old woman, who works as an internist and has two secrets: in her spare time she works as a comedian and has a cigarette addiction (which helps her relieve stress from her exhausting job). She lives in a rural part of Massachusetts along with two cats, and apparently has no strong family ties. When she receives the letter she feels upset and scared, the first thing Karen does is calling the police and installs an alarm system at home. Red 1, is the oldest one of the redheads and is a responsible and independent grown woman. As she is the older victim, she feels she is responsible to take care of Sarah and Jordan and to guide them to accomplish their plan.

Links:

http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/hp.asp (Here Karen could find more information about illness, treatments and answers)

http://www.nature.com/nm/index.html ( Karen can find innovative, new treatments and discoveries )

http://www.laughinghorsecomedy.co.uk/comedy/courses2day.asp (Karen can take a stand up comedy course)

http://www.cc.com/comedians (Karen can see other comedian shows, and learn new jokes)

http://www.mspca.org/adoption/ (Karen love cats, and as the two she had got killed, she can adopt new ones in this page)

Threats to Red 1,2 & 3

                                                        

1) Letter from Wolf: "One bright fine day Little Red Riding Hood decided to take a basket of delicious goodies to her beloved grandmother, who lived on the far side of the deep, dark woods...." You undoubtedly first heard the story years ago when you were small children, but you were told the sanitized version: The grandmother hides her in the closet and Little Red Riding Hood was saved from becoming the Big Bad Wolf´s next meal by the brave woodman with his sharp axe. In that retelling, everything ends wonderfully and people live happily ever after. In the original, there is a far different and much darker outcome. It would be wise for you to keep that in mind over the next few weeks. You don´t know me, but I know you. There are three of you, I have decided to call you. Red One. Red Two. Red Three. I know each of you is lost in the woods. And just like the little girl in the fairy tale, you have been selected to die (2).

2) Video sent by the Wolf: Wolf wants to create a storm of feelings in the victims, so he films each of them in a moment of their daily routine. Red 1 is filmed in a dark place at the hospital when smoking a cigarette. Red 2 is filmed when she goes to the shop to buy alcohol, and also films the tombs that belong to her dead husband and daughter. Red 3 is filmed when walking through a forest by the school campus.

3) Silent call by Wolf. The wolf calls the three women causing them horror by staying completely quiet.

4) Big Bad Wolf painted a Wolf paw in Red 2´s daughter and husband grave. One day Sarah Locksley (red 2) goes to visit the cemetery in which her beloved daughter and husband remains are buried. When she gets closer to leave the flowers, Red 2 sees a scary wolf paw in the gravestone.

5) Red 3 sees Big Bad Wolf. As part of her routine, Jordan normally walks through the campus forest, but one day she hears a voice calling: “Hello, Red 3” so she turns around and sees a black human shadow . Then Jordan realizes it could be Wolf, and she runs to where he was, but he quickly disappears.

6) Big Bad Wolf breaks into Red 1´s house. One day when Karen goes out for a while she receives a call from the alarm system of her house; someone has apparently broken into her house. She instantly knows who it could be: The Big Bad Wolf. The curious thing was that nothing was stealed, but her two  beloved cats were killed .