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A Lady Never Trifles with Thieves
Suzann Ledbetter Book Review

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Plot Summary of A Lady Never Trifles with Thieves
"

Pocket, Apr 2003, 5.99, 224 pp.
ISBN: 0743457471

In Denver City, Joby Sawyer runs a detective agency, an unheard of occupation for a female in the late nineteenth century. To hide her gender in plain sight, Joby tells her clients that she is just an agent for her father, a former Deputy US Marshall, who is away on an investigation or he is ailing. She insists her father performs all the sleuthing. In reality her indisposed dad is dead.

Joby is working on several cases involving a jewel thief, a murder, and finding proof to enable an abused wife to divorce her nasty spouse. Her only help is Chinese immigrant Won Li who thinks Joby is a lunatic especially when she tests new sleuthing ideas. As she works the cases, collecting the fee from a shyster lawyer may prove almost as difficult as solving the cases.

A LADY NEVER TRIFLES WITH THIEVES is an interesting dichotomy. The western historical mystery hooks the audience with tension yet often renders readers amused with the antics of the heroine. The story line is loaded with action while providing insight into the role of women especially through the gender nuking antics of Joby. In the final analysis, it is the cast that makes Suzann Ledbetter's tale one of the better sub-genre entries as they take the reader through a fun experience.

Harriet Klausner
"

Harriet Klausner, Resident Scholar

Review Analysis of A Lady Never Trifles with Thieves
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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 - 30%
How society works & physical descript. (people, objects, places) - 30%




Tone of story - very upbeat
How difficult to spot villain? - Very difficult--no foreshadowing/clues
Time/era of story: - 19th century
What % of story relates directly to the mystery, not the subplot? - 60%
Kind of investigator - skilled citizen investigator
Kid or adult book? - Adult or Young Adult Book
Any non-mystery subplot? - minority/women/homosexual issues
Crime Thriller Yes
Crime plotlets: - search for gems/treasure/money
Murder Mystery (killer unknown) Yes
General Crime (including known murderer) Yes
Who's the criminal enemy here? - catching thief

Main Character
Gender - Female
Profession/status: - private investigator
Age: - 20's-30's
How much violence does he/she use? - a little
Ethnicity/Race - White/American
How sensitive is this character? - middling sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence - Very much smarter than other characters
Physique - very athletic

Main Adversary
Identity: - Male
Age: - 20's-30's
Profession/status: - killer
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in: - a moderate amount
Motive of antagonist - money/treasure
How sensitive is this character? - hard edged
Sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence - Smarter than most other characters
Physique - very athletic

Setting
United States Yes
The US: - West

Style
Person - mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death? - generic/vague references to death/punishment
How many deaths? - 1
Amount of dialog - significantly more dialog than descript
Most similar books to A Lady Never Trifles with Thieves
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A Watery Grave by Joan Druett
Louisa and The Missing Heiress by Anna Maclean


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