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| Plot Summary of Presumption of Death |
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"
Delacorte, August 2003, 24.95, 392 pp.
ISBN 0385336454
After years of pursuit, Nina Reilly finally realizes she loves Paul and is willing to see where their relationship will take them. She moves out of her home on Lake Tahoe, rents out her law practice, and moves into Paul's place in Carmel. Nina's former assistant Sandi's son Wish accompanies them because he is working during the summer for Paul in his private investigative business and is living in Nina's rental home with two other young men.
One night against his better judgment, Wish joins his friend up in the woods near the Siesta Court homes to catch and film an arsonist who has already set two fires. Things go terribly wrong and Wish's friend dies. The arsonist injures Wish who is later arrested on an assortment of charges including homicide. It will take all of Nina's considerable legal and investigative skills to get enough evidence to free a client she knows is innocent.
PRESUMPTION OF DEATH is a very good and exciting legal thriller but also is so much more. Nina returns to the place of her childhood and realizes one can go home again. Readers see the relationship between Paul and Nina grow stronger and see through Nina's eyes that she might have a long-term future with him, something he wants very badly. The story line has many twists and turns and it is only when the novel reaches the court phase that readers have a glimmer of what is really going on. Perri O'Shauqhnessy will appeal to readers who love John Grisham.
Harriet Klausner
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Harriet Klausner, Resident Scholar
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| Review Analysis of Presumption of Death |
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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 - 40%
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 30%
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
- psychiatrist investigator
Kid or adult book?
- Adult or Young Adult Book
Any non-mystery subplot?
- feelings towards lover
Legal Thriller
Yes
Legal Plotlets
- finding out whether someone is really guilty
Main Character
Gender
- Female
Profession/status:
- a lawyer creature
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
- Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence
- Smarter than most other characters
Physique
- very athletic
Main Adversary
Identity:
- Male
Age:
- 20's-30's
Profession/status:
- unemployed
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in:
- almost none
Motive of antagonist
- revenge
How sensitive is this character?
- mean, arrogant
Sense of humor
- Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence
- Average intelligence
Physique
- very athletic
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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Perri O'Shaughnessy Resident Scholar Profiles
TOP SCHOLAR:
 fran laniado
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Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s). | |
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