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The Witch's Grave
Phillip DePoy Book Review

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Plot Summary of The Witch's Grave
"

St. Martin's, Feb 2004, 23.95, 372 pp.
ISBN 0312315376

Born and raised in the Hill Country of Georgia, Fever Devlin grew up observing his parents wretched marriage and wanted no part of the institution. He attended college, traveled all over Europe, and finally came back to the United States to become a folklore professor at a notable university. When the department, of which he was the chairperson, broke up, he came to his home in Blue Mountain, recording the lore that residents have passed through the generations.

At the local church, Dev hears an argument between the witch woman Truevine Deveroe and her boyfriend Able. Hours later Dev discovers the body of the murdered mortician Harding Pinehurst. At times, Dev and the local deputy think that either Able or Truevine murdered the man. They make a grisly find in the winds where over three hundred bodies that were supposed to be buried are found barely covered. Everyone wants answers to who the killer is and why the bodies were never given a proper burial. The answers will astound readers as much as they stun Dev.

Phillip Depoy captures the ambience of life in a small isolated mountain hamlet where generations of families have lived and contributed to the culture of the area. Dev is an educated, polished man.

Harriet Klausner
"

Harriet Klausner, Resident Scholar

Review Analysis of The Witch's Grave
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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%
Misc. Murder Plotlets - solving long-past murder
Kid or adult book? - Adult or Young Adult Book
Any non-mystery subplot? - life in small town
Crime Thriller Yes
Murder Mystery (killer unknown) Yes

Main Character
Gender - Male
Profession/status: - teacher
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 - Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence - Smarter than most other characters
Physique - very athletic

Main Adversary
Identity: - Male
Age: - 40's-50's
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in: - a moderate amount
Motive of antagonist - power
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: - Deep South

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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