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A Discount For Death
Steven F. Havill Book Review

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Plot Summary of A Discount For Death
"

Donne, Nov 2003, 23.95, 288 pp.
ISBN 0312307853

It's a quiet night in Posadas County, New Mexico as Undersheriff Estella Reyes-Guzman heads to her car when she notices a motorcycle being chased by a patrol car without the lights flashing or the sirens sounding. By the time she reaches the accident scene the young woman is dead and Patrolman Perry Kenderman tries to lie his way out of some potentially serious charges. Perry was angry at Colette Parker because she intended to run off with his younger brother and take her kids (one of whom might be his) with her.

While this scenario occurs, local insurance dealer George Enriquez, who is under a grand jury indictment for fraud, is found in his office with a bullet in his head. The murder was clumsily made to look like a suicide. After giving temporary custody of Collette's two children to their grandparents, Estelle is free to work on the homicide investigation until it gets a little too close to home.

Every visit to Posada County is an adventure and A DISCOUNT FOR DEATH is no exception. As one investigation winds down, another revs up so that readers find themselves unable to tear themselves away from this exciting police procedural thriller. Steven F. Havill is a talented writer who is an expert at creating believable characters and plausible plots.

Harriet Klausner
"

Harriet Klausner, Resident Scholar



Review Analysis of A Discount For Death
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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 - police procedural, American
Kid or adult book? - Adult or Young Adult Book
Crime Thriller Yes
Murder Mystery (killer unknown) Yes

Main Character
Gender - Female
Profession/status: - police/lawman
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 - Very much smarter than other characters
Physique - very athletic

Main Adversary
Identity: - Male
Age: - 40's-50's
Profession/status: - mastermind
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
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