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Don't Look Back
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Plot Summary of Don't Look Back
"

Bantam, Jun 2002, 24.95, 336 pp.
ISBN: 0553802003

Pushed by his lovely wife Celeste who sees her husband's skills as a means to enter society, Dr. Howard Hudson moves to London to open up a medical practice. Howard uses mesmerism to minister to patients suffering from nervous disorders. However, the elation felt by the move turns ugly when someone murders Celeste and apparently also steals a valuable bracelet.

Howard asks his long-term friend and fellow mesmerist Lavinia Lake to investigate who killed his wife. Fearing for her safety, Lavinia's lover and partner Tobias March tries to persuade her not to get involved. Tobias firmly believes Hudson killed his spouse and wants Lavinia to locate the missing jewelry before he disposes of his so-called friend. However, Lavinia remains as obstinate as ever and begins making inquiries with the help of Tobias' brother-in-law Anthony and Lavinia's niece Emeline. Tobias soon feels obligated to help if he wants to keep the three people he loves safe.

DON'T LOOK BACK is a humorous Regency mystery with a touch of romance as a secondary subplot. The quick story line is quite funny especially when an exasperated Tobias tries to keep Lavinia from diving off the deep end as is her penchant. As Amanda Quick did with the Lake-March first novel SLIGHTLY SHADY, the author provides a delightful who-done-it.

Harriet Klausner
"

Harriet Klausner, Resident Scholar

Review Analysis of Don't Look Back
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot

Composition of Book
descript. of violence and chases - 10%
Planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 60%
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 20%
How society works & physical descript. (people, objects, places) - 10%




Tone of story - very upbeat
How difficult to spot villain? - Difficult, but some clues given
Time/era of story: - 19th century
What % of story relates directly to the mystery, not the subplot? - 60%
Special suspect? - lover
Misc. Murder Plotlets - Proving innocence of very obvious suspect
Kind of investigator - skilled citizen investigator
Kid or adult book? - Adult or Young Adult Book
Crime Thriller Yes
Murder Mystery (killer unknown) Yes

Main Character
Gender - Female
Profession/status: - Prince/Nobleman/King
Age: - 20's-30's
How much violence does he/she use? - just the right amount
Ethnicity/Race - British
How sensitive is this character? - middling sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor - Cynical sense of humor
Intelligence - Very much smarter than other characters
Physique - very athletic

Main Adversary
Identity: - Male
Age: - 20's-30's
Profession/status: - mastermind
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in: - a moderate amount
How sensitive is this character? - hard edged
Intelligence - Smarter than most other characters
Physique - very athletic

Setting
Europe Yes
European country: - England/UK

Style
Person - mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death? - generic/vague references to death/punishment
How many deaths? - 1
Amount of dialog - roughly even amounts of descript and dialog
Most similar books to Don't Look Back
Late For the Wedding by Amanda Quick
Wet Grave by Barbara Hambly
A Lady Never Trifles with Thieves by Suzann Ledbetter
Murder on The Leviathan by Boris Akunin
The Patient's Eyes: The Dark Beginnings of Sherlock Holmes by David Pirie


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