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Toasting Tina
Evan Marshall Book Review

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Plot Summary of Toasting Tina
"

Kensington, Oct 2003, 32.00, 218 pp.
ISBN 075820261

The new publisher and editor of Corsair Books has notified literary agent Jane Stuart that she intends to cancel the house's contract with her client Nathaniel Barre. When Jane insists on a face-to-face meeting with Tina Vale to discuss the contract, Nate insists on being there. To the shock of the agent and the writer they learn that Tina has never even read the book but is paying Jane back for marrying the man she loved.

When Tina does not show up at the awards dinner where she is being honored, the president of Romance Authors together (RAT) goes to her room and finds her body in the bathtub. She left a suicide note but neither Jane nor the police think the death is anything but murder since the key to her room is missing. After solving several homicides Jane is not happy to be a suspect in a murder investigation so she sets out to clear her reputation and very nearly winds up as a second homicide victim.

Even Marshal has written a breezy and entertaining first class cozy that contains a host of suspects who hated the victims and had the motive, means and opportunity to commit the crime. The heroine is a spunky and determined person who is determined to find the killer and she has the intelligence and the moxie to do it. TOASTING TINA is a must read for anyone who loves a good mystery Agatha Christie style.

Harriet Klausner
"

Harriet Klausner, Resident Scholar



Review Analysis of Toasting Tina
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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? - 70%
Murder of certain profession? - writers/editors
Misc. Murder Plotlets - Proving innocence of very obvious suspect
Kind of investigator - amateur 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: - small businessman
Age: - 40's-50's
How much violence does he/she use? - none
Ethnicity/Race - White/American
How sensitive is this character? - sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor - Strong but gentle sense of humor
Intelligence - Smarter than most other characters
Physique - very athletic

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

Setting
United States Yes
The US: - Northeast

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
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