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| Plot Summary of Five for Silver |
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"
Poisoned Pen, March 2004, 24.95, 258 pp.
ISBN 1590581121
In Constantinople in 542 Emperor Justinian and Empress Theodora rule. John the Lord Chamberlain faithfully serves his emperor but even he cannot do anything about the plague that sweeps the land. The aristocrats flee the city for their country estates and the once teeming city is a ghost town where carters pick up the dead bodies off the street and move them to a central location so they can be burned.
At the moment, John is trying to help his elderly servant Peter who swears he had a vision in which an angel came to him and said three words “Gregory, Murder, Justice” When John checks the nearby hospice, he finds Gregory's body but the man did not die of the plague. He was murdered with a knife that went through his heart. John discovers that the man witnessed an oral will with six other people whom are mostly dead. John follows the money trail hoping to find the perpetrator so Peter will have Justice for his friend.
Every historical that Mary Reed and Eric Mayer write is better than the one before as impossible as that sounds. Readers obtain a good understanding about a city under siege by a plague and how the populace copes with it. The hero is an honorable man who goes the extra mile for the servant who has served him faithfully for so many years. FIVE FOR SILVER has moments of humor that adds an extra texture to a mystery that is gothic in nature.
Harriet Klausner
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Harriet Klausner, Resident Scholar
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| Review Analysis of Five for Silver |
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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:
- ancient rome
What % of story relates directly
to the mystery, not the subplot?
- 70%
Kind of investigator
- police procedural, Foreign
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:
- government investigator
Age:
- 20's-30's
How much violence does he/she use?
- a little
Ethnicity/Race
- White/American
How sensitive is this character?
- hard edged
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?
- middling sensitive to others' feelings
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?
- 1
Amount of dialog
- significantly more dialog than descript
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Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s). | |
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