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| Plot Summary of Some Bitter Taste |
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Soho, 2002, 12.00, 247 pp.
ISBN: 1569473390
Once he handles a couple of other more pressing police matters, Florence Marshall Salvatore Guarnaccia will deal with Signora Sara Hirsch's complaint that someone had entered her apartment. So he goes ahead and deals with an illegal abused, underage Albanian prostitute and a minor robbery at the Villa L'Uliveto. When he arrives at Sara's abode, he regrets his assumption that the breaking and entering was a minor matter for he finds her dead.
Feeling guilty, he makes inquiries into the deceased. He learns she was impoverished, but expects to make fortune when a Monet that the Nazis stole from her family was soon to be returned to her. Allegedly a half-brother possesses the art treasure. However, before he can track down the missing masterpiece, Guarnaccia learns that someone also killed Sir Christopher, whose villa robbery made Salvatore arrive too late to help Sara. As he keeps digging, he finds a link between the two deaths, but so far unable to determine who wanted both dead.
The Guarnaccia police procedurals are some of the sub-genre's best. Readers get a taste of Italian law enforcement through the methodical Guarnaccia, a tremendous lead protagonist. SOME BTTER TASTE is a strong entry as the cleverly deigned who-done-it is more personnel than usual for the quiet hero. Anyone who reads this novel or any of Magdalen Nabb's works will go away with a sweet taste desiring more novels by a superb mystery author.
Harriet Klausner
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Harriet Klausner, Resident Scholar
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| Review Analysis of Some Bitter Taste |
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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?
- 70%
Kid or adult book?
- Adult or Young Adult Book
Any non-mystery subplot?
- life in that culture
Crime Thriller
Yes
Murder Mystery (killer unknown)
Yes
Main Character
Gender
- Male
Profession/status:
- police/lawman
How much violence does he/she use?
- a little
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
- average physique
Main Adversary
Identity:
- Male
Age:
- 40's-50's
Profession/status:
- business executive
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
- average physique
Setting
Europe
Yes
European country:
- Italy
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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Magdalen Nabb Resident Scholar Profiles
TOP SCHOLAR:
Vicky Shultz 
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Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s). | |
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