| Plot Summary of Sunshine and Shadow |
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Berkley, May 2003, 22.95, 304 pp.
ISBN 0425189558
There is a lot going on in the life of Benni Harper, San Celina's curator at the Sinclair Folk Art Museum and Artist's Co-Op. Emma Baldwin, the author of the teenage Molly Connors mysteries, is back in town and has donated her Crazy Quilt to the exhibit Benni has put together. Benni is delighted that the woman she interviewed in college is back and hopes that they can become better acquainted.
Benni's husband, Chief of Police Gabe Ortiz also has a friend visiting. Luke a former LAPD police officer is now a private investigator who is in town on a case and looking into possible family he has in the area. When Luke's body is found with fifteen stab wounds, Gabe takes the homicide very personally. However, not quite as emotionally as when someone starts stalking his wife by messing up her car, sending her threatening photographs and even taking potshots at her. Gabe is afraid that somebody is taking revenge on him by going after his wife but Benni thinks that the stalker is not connected with Gabe at all, but with somebody else in town.
Each Benni Harper mystery is better than the previous one because the characters change and grow. Readers see how Benni's seventy-something grandmother adjusts to her new marriage, and how the heroine's cousin and best friend act like marriage is an institution made just for them. For the first time, using flashbacks, Earlene Flower gives readers a glimpse into the marriage of Benni and her first husband and the connection he had to Gabe. SUNSHINE AND SHADOWS is a five star mystery.
Harriet Klausner
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Harriet Klausner, Resident Scholar
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| Review Analysis of Sunshine and Shadow |
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Our unique search engine provides a wealth of detail about books by breaking them down into many different literary elements, all of which are searchable (click here).
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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 - 30%
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 40%
How society works & physical descript. (people, objects, places) - 20%
Tone of story
- suspenseful (sophisticated fear)
How difficult to spot villain?
- Very difficult--no foreshadowing/clues
Time/era of story:
- present (2000-2010)
What % of story relates directly
to the mystery, not the subplot?
- 60%
Kind of investigator
- amateur citizen investigator
Kid or adult book?
- Adult or Young Adult Book
Any non-mystery subplot?
- feelings towards family/friends
Crime Thriller
Yes
Murder Mystery (killer unknown)
Yes
Main Character
Gender
- Female
Profession/status:
- champion of justice
Age:
- 20's-30's
How much violence does he/she use?
- a little
Ethnicity/Race
- White/American
How sensitive is this character?
- sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor
- Strong but gentle sense of humor
Intelligence
- Very much smarter than other characters
Physique
- very athletic
Main Adversary
Identity:
- Male
Age:
- 20's-30's
Profession/status:
- criminal
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in:
- a moderate amount
Motive of antagonist
- jealousy
How sensitive is this character?
- mean, arrogant
Sense of humor
- Cynical sense of humor
Intelligence
- Average intelligence
Physique
- average physique
Setting
United States
Yes
The US:
- California
Style
Person
- mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death?
- generic/vague references to death/punishment
How many deaths?
- 2
Amount of dialog
- significantly more dialog than descript
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